🚨 Is India Falling Behind in the AI Race? Here's Why We're 7 Years Behind China and the US

• India is 5 to 7 years behind in adopting AI compared to global leaders like China and the US.

• Slow adoption is risking economic competitiveness.

• Lack of skilled AI professionals and an outdated education system are major barriers.

• Government initiatives are in place, but urgent action is required from industry, academia, and the government.

• India’s AI market could grow to $7.8 billion by 2025, but the skills gap is widening.

Before we dive into the details, here’s a snapshot of India’s AI dilemma:

• Who: India’s AI industry, students, government, and businesses

• What: India’s delayed adoption of AI technology, lagging 5–7 years behind the global curve

• When: The AI race accelerated dramatically post-COVID-19

• Where: Globally, with major AI strides happening in the US and China

• Why: Lack of skills, dependence on foreign solutions, and outdated education systems

Imagine a race where all your competitors are sprinting ahead, and you’re still tying your shoelaces. That’s India in the global AI race. According to different informative AI sources, India is 5 to 7 years behind other global players like China and the US in adopting AI technologies.

This gap became more obvious during the COVID-19 pandemic when many countries rapidly transformed their digital landscapes. Unfortunately, India’s response, though commendable in some areas, wasn’t fast enough to keep pace.

India did see some progress during the pandemic. We embraced contactless tech and used AI to improve governance and business operations. But let’s be real: it wasn’t enough to catch up to global leaders.

• India’s slow adoption of AI means we’re left playing catch-up in a race that’s moving faster than ever.

• The skills gap—a shortage of AI-trained professionals—is holding us back even more.

Here’s where things get even more worrisome: Our education system is seriously outdated. Many students studying AI in India don’t even fully understand the technology. 😳

The gap between what students are learning and what the industry actually needs is growing daily. Take top IT companies of India , for example—they needed to hire 81,000 employees but couldn’t find enough people with the right AI skills. Talk about a mismatch!

Even our prestigious premier institutes are struggling to keep up with the rapid pace of technological change. Faculty members who completed their PhDs years ago are now teaching AI, despite the field evolving at lightning speed.

The solution isn’t rocket science:

We need collaboration between the government, industry, and academia to bridge this gap and create a system that fosters AI innovation.

Without this collaboration, India risks falling even further behind. The time to act is now—before we’re left watching from the sidelines.

There’s hope, but the future depends on urgency. By 2025, India’s AI market is expected to reach $7.8 billion. But here's the catch: do we have enough talent to sustain this growth? Right now, out of the top 300 AI engineers in the world, only 8 are from India. 😨

AI isn’t just about IT. Every sector—healthcare, education, banking, marketing, and even medicine—is increasingly using AI tools. And yet, our students are not being adequately prepared to meet this demand.

India’s lag in AI is more than just a tech problem; it’s an economic one. The longer we let this gap widen, the harder it will be to catch up with the US and China by reforming our education system, fostering collaboration between industry and academia, and adopting a mindset of continuous learning.

Let’s talk actions. India is at a pivotal moment, and here’s what you can do to stay ahead in the AI revolution:

• Stay informed: Keep up with AI trends to understand where the world is heading.

• Upskill: Enroll in AI courses and certifications, even if you’re not in tech—AI is everywhere!

• Focus on lifelong learning: Technology evolves quickly. If you stop learning, you get left behind.

• Support government and industry efforts: Advocate for stronger AI education reforms and investments.

• Embrace collaboration: Push for partnerships between universities, industries, and the government to drive innovation.

• Don’t rely on AI to replace knowledge: Use AI to enhance your skills, not replace them!

India can still be a global leader in AI, but only if we act quickly. The future waits for no one, and the time to invest in AI and tech skills is now.

"The future belongs to those who prepare for it today." — Malcolm X

1. Coursera’s AI-Powered Learning Recommendations

Coursera uses AI to recommend personalized courses based on users' learning history and goals. It helps students and professionals upskill in fields like AI, machine learning, and data science. It can help students in India and globally get ahead by focusing on AI-relevant skills aligned with industry demands.

2. TAWAI

Think Ahead With AI is on a mission to help one million individuals seamlessly integrate Generative AI into their workflows, revolutionizing both careers and businesses. Their guidance takes you from initial concept to successful execution, crafting impactful and sustainable AI-driven ventures and careers.

3. Google’s Teachable Machine

A simple web-based tool by Google that allows anyone to create machine learning models without any coding experience. It can be used to explore and experiment with AI models for image, sound, and pose recognition. This tool helps students get hands-on experience with AI, bridging the gap between theory and practical application.

4. Socratic by Google

An AI-driven app that helps students solve homework problems. Socratic uses AI to provide step-by-step solutions and explanations for various subjects, including math and science. It fosters independent learning and problem-solving skills, helping students use AI to enhance rather than replace their knowledge.

5. Edtech Foundry

An AI-driven platform that provides personalized learning paths and real-time feedback for students in higher education. It can integrate with existing educational systems to enhance the learning experience. By identifying individual weaknesses and strengths, it helps students develop the specific skills they need to succeed in today’s fast-evolving job market.

These tools can help bridge the current skills gap by making AI learning more accessible and engaging for students and educators alike.

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Take Action Today. The AI race is heating up, and those who stay ahead will reap the rewards. Let’s make sure India is part of that future! 🚀

Stay tuned and keep exploring the world of AI with Think Ahead With AI! 🌟

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Sanjukta Chakrabortty
Gen. AI Explorer