Need to rethink jobs quickly as AI reshapes work, says ex-Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka at Rising Bharat Summit

Vishal Sikka in conversation with Moneycontrol's Chandra R Srikanth

• Vishal Sikka urges India to rethink jobs amid AI disruption
• AI will create new jobs and eliminate repetitive tasks
• Engineering, arts, and human-centered roles will gain importance

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Day 2 of the Rising Bharat Summit turned the spotlight on artificial intelligence and the fast-changing world of work, with Vishal Sikka delivering a sharp message: India must urgently rethink its approach to jobs and skills.

The Founder of Vianai Systems and former CEO of Infosys argued that the traditional understanding of employment is rapidly becoming outdated as AI reshapes industries.

'We have to rethink jobs - and do it fast'

Sikka said the paradigm of jobs and skills needs to be reimagined "in a hurry," as automation accelerates and new roles emerge. He dismissed the simplistic narrative that AI will only eliminate jobs, noting instead that "incredible new professions" are already taking shape.

Engineering disciplines, he stressed, are becoming even more critical in the AI era. Fields linked to civil engineering, mechanical systems, energy, power and environmental infrastructure are gaining importance as countries build both digital and physical capacity.

Human-centred roles gain importance

At the same time, Sikka underlined the rising relevance of arts, humanities and human-oriented professions. Roles such as nursing and personal care, he said, will become indispensable in a society where technology handles repetitive processes but human empathy and judgment remain irreplaceable.

He also highlighted the vast potential of mathematics-driven AI and advanced computing, describing them as areas with "a tremendous future" for young professionals willing to build deep technical expertise.

Creativity over mechanical work

Drawing a clear distinction between creativity and routine execution, Sikka said it is crucial to separate work that demands imagination and original thinking from mechanical, automated tasks. The era of purely repetitive jobs, he suggested, is nearing its end.

Framing the broader debate - "AI is coming for your job… or is it?" - Sikka argued that the real shift is not about job destruction but about transformation. The challenge for India, he implied, is to equip its workforce with the skills needed to thrive in this new reality rather than be displaced by it.