Beyond the bot: India's ''DECKS'' blueprint flips the script on AI job fears

New Delhi [India], April 30 : As global anxieties regarding artificial intelligence often centre on job displacement, a high-level roundtable in the national capital on Thursday presented a transformative roadmap, positioning India as a future leader in the AI-driven employment landscape.

Al4India and the Centre for Policy Research and Governance (CPRG) released their latest report, "Future of Jobs in the Age of AI: Emerging Roles, New Opportunities," at the ITC Maurya. The report, launched by a distinguished panel including Lieutenant General Rakesh Kapoor (Retired), Shashi Shekhar Vempati, Alok Agrawal, and Dr. Ramanand Pandey, challenges the narrative of disruption by highlighting the birth of entirely new employment categories.

The study argues that India's unique combination of a massive educated talent pool, robust digital public infrastructure, and a maturing innovation ecosystem places the nation in a strategic position to shape global AI development.

Offering a strategic perspective, Lieutenant General Rakesh Kapoor, (Retired), said, "AI is one of the most consequential technologies of our time. Jobs will not disappear; they will evolve."

He further stressed the necessity of a Public-Private Partnership model to strengthen foundational capabilities.

"Data infrastructure should be treated as critical infrastructure," he added, while introducing his 'DECKS' frameworkintegrating Data, Energy, Collaboration, Knowledge, and Softwareto achieve India's technological aspirations.

Shashi Shekhar Vempati, Co-Founder of Al4India, noted that "a lot more new job opportunities are emerging, while many existing jobs will transition. Re-evaluation of roles and reskilling will be important going forward. This report serves as a ready reckoner for policymakers, industry, as well as education institutions in designing their programmes."

According to the report, the impact of AI is a structural transformation rather than a linear change, giving rise to roles such as AI/ML engineers, prompt engineers, and AI governance specialists. It advocates a rigorous focus on skilling and reskilling to ensure inclusive growth across the value chain.

Alok Agrawal, Co-Founder of Al4India, described the report as a sequel to their previous work on the 'Future of Employability'. He noted that "technological shifts have historically opened new avenues of growth," adding that AI will create fresh roles across various sectors.

Highlighting the objective of the study, Dr. Ramanand Pandey, Director of CPRG, stated, "This report shifts the conversation from fear to opportunity and highlights India's potential to lead the AI workforce transition."

The launch was followed by a CEO Roundtable featuring prominent voices, including Rajit Punhani (CEO, FSSAI), Bipin Preet Singh (Co-Founder, MobiKwik), and Mohit Jain (COO, Times of India Group), among others. The leaders deliberated on the necessity of moving from a service-driven approach to high-value capabilities in research and innovation.

During the session, Rajit Punhani, CEO of FSSAI, observed, "AI can significantly strengthen governance and service delivery, but trust and accountability must remain central."

The consensus among participants remained that, with targeted investment in infrastructure and policy frameworks, India is at a critical juncture to emerge as a global pioneer in the future of work.

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