Archive · 22 Sep 2026
AI May Widen India’s Skills and Jobs Mismatch
Artificial intelligence is changing the kinds of jobs people do.
Sanjeev Sanyal says India’s schools and colleges may not be changing quickly enough.
He believes some jobs already exist, but many young people do not have the skills needed for them.
Learning facts and earning a degree may not be enough by itself.
Young people may also need hands-on training and work experience.
Sanyal wants businesses and schools to design training together.
He says families should respect vocational jobs and apprenticeships more.
He also questioned whether spending many years preparing for the UPSC exam helps most students.
Germany and Singapore were cited as examples of countries that support practical education.
Sanjeev Sanyal said artificial intelligence is changing work faster than India’s education system can adapt.
He argued that India’s main employment challenge is increasingly a skills mismatch, not simply a shortage of jobs.
Sanyal said experiential learning, practical skills and work experience must complement formal education.
He urged closer cooperation between industry and educational institutions to keep training aligned with changing job requirements.
He called for greater social respect for vocational careers, apprenticeships and polytechnic education instead of excessive focus on degrees and UPSC preparation.
- Who
- Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, discussed India’s employment challenge.
- What
- He warned that artificial intelligence could deepen the mismatch between workers’ skills and available jobs.
- When
- The article does not specify when the conversation took place.
- Where
- The comments were made in an exclusive conversation with Firstpost about India’s economy and workforce.
- Why
- Sanyal said work is changing rapidly while education, training and social attitudes remain insufficiently aligned with emerging roles.
Jobless Growth Concern
Skills Mismatch Interpretation
What explains India’s employment challenge?
Jobless Growth Concern
The jobless-growth debate suggests economic growth may not be creating enough employment opportunities.
Skills Mismatch Interpretation
Sanjeev Sanyal said growth is generating jobs, but many young people lack the skills needed to fill them.
- Main concern
- AI may widen the gap between education and employment.
- Employment interpretation
- Sanyal described the challenge primarily as a skills mismatch rather than an absence of jobs.
- Needed preparation
- Experiential learning, practical skills and work experience should complement theoretical education.
- Institutional response
- Industry and educational institutions should work more closely on courses and training.
- Social attitudes
- Vocational careers and apprenticeships often receive less recognition than university degrees and government jobs.
- Competitive examinations
- Sanyal criticized prolonged UPSC preparation and the coaching industry surrounding competitive examinations.
- International examples
- The article cited Germany and Singapore for their investment in apprenticeships and polytechnic education.