As AI becomes central to workforce strategy, Indian employers are prioritising practical, AI-ready skills across both general industries and the technology sector, said Nasscom in a report it prepared in collaboration with Indeed, a global job search and hiring platform based in Texas.

Accordingly, Cloud and infrastructure integration, Gen AI and LLMs, including prompt engineering, MLOps and deployment data analytics and visualisation have emerged as top skills in demand in the technology sector.

As per the analysis, employers are currently actively hiring across three AI categories: AI engineering and development, operations and enablement, and infrastructure and data systems, while Python, machine learning, Azure, TensorFlow, and AI are the most in-demand skills for AI-related roles. Whereas for software engineering roles, employers are prioritising skills including Agile, APIs, Git, and communication skills.

The report suggests that employers are witnessing an increase in hiring for AI-related roles, with BFSI and telecommunications emerging as leaders in this shift. There is a 103% increase in internship postings in India, highlighting the focus on hands-on training, as per the report.

Top skills for internships include SEO expertise, analytical skills, Microsoft Excel, Python programming, and JavaScript, amongst others. Employers are also preferring demonstrable skills over degrees.

Ketaki Karnik, the head of Nasscom Research and Insights, said, “As AI profoundly reshapes roles across industries, our collective focus must be on accelerating skilling initiatives to build a future-ready workforce and cement India’s position as a global technology leader. Prioritising demonstrable AI-ready skills is crucial for converting skill gaps into a competitive advantage.”

The insights are based on data collected from 1,215 employers and 2,593 employees across industries in India.