NITI Aayog warns India may lag globally in AI talent unless education strengthens

A NITI Aayog report cautioned that India risks falling behind in global AI competitiveness unless it scales up academic research and training. The country currently produces fewer than 500 AI-related PhDs annually, far behind leaders like the U.S. and China. The report suggests establishing specialized AI departments in universities, boosting interdisciplinary AI+X programs, and encouraging faculty-industry exchange. Nearly 44% of top Indian AI researchers work abroad, underlining the brain drain challenge.