Artificial Intelligence jobs see increased uptake among Indian job seekers

There has been a significant increase in the number of searches by job seekers for artificial intelligence (AI) related sectors in India with data scientist profile leading the top slot, says a report.

According to data from global job site Indeed, there has been an increase of 179 percent in the number of searches by job seekers for AI related jobs in India between June 2016 and June 2018.

AI-related jobs have seen an increase as companies are increasingly working towards integrating new technology into their core functions, creating new openings for skilled professionals.

"While firms across industries are adopting a technology-forward approach, it is crucial that we also prepare the workforce by reskilling and upskilling talent in the requisite capabilities," said Venkata Machavarapu, Head of Engineering, India and Site Director at Indeed India.

"Our focus needs to be not only on finding talent with the right skills, but also on equipping existing employees with the required skills to work with AI-powered solutions," Machavarapu added.

According to the report, employer demand for AI skills outstrips job seeker supply by 2.2 times, indicating the need for skill development in the larger science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) sector and the technology sector in particular.

Apart from the wider technology industry, the automotive sector is a key driver of the application of AI in India. Companies are increasingly looking at leveraging AI for data management, analytics and programming.

Quoting a BCG study, the report said India is the third country after USA and China in terms of AI implementation in the automotive sector and this is indicative of the scope of work that is yet to be tapped in the sector going forward.

Data scientist profile was the most searched AI related jobs in the past year, followed by software engineer and machine learning engineer in the second and third place, respectively.