AI talent demand rises 30% since 2025 as employers seek skills beyond coding: Survey

India's job market is shifting towards AI-ready professionals, with demand for talent for AI-related roles rising by approximately 30% compared with last year, according to hiring and interview platform InCruiter.

The trend is based on interviews conducted through its platform over the past two years. Employers are increasingly looking beyond candidates who can simply build AI systems and are seeking professionals who can use AI to solve real-world business problems.

This is also changing the kinds of roles companies are hiring for, with demand emerging across generative AI, AI consulting, AI engineering and AI-enabled business functions.

AI SKILLS ARE MOVING BEYOND TECH JOBS

The growing demand is not limited to traditional AI or software roles. Survey found that companies are increasingly looking for profiles such as Prompt Engineers, AI Consultants, Generative AI Specialists, AI Product Managers and AI Automation Specialists.

Anil Agarwal, CEO of InCruiter, said the focus of hiring is moving from whether AI will replace jobs to how effectively professionals can work with it. “The ability to work effectively with AI and apply it to real business problems is increasingly becoming a differentiator in the hiring process,” he said.

The change means professionals may need to combine their existing expertise with AI skills rather than completely switch careers.

THE NEW JOB SKILL MIX

A software engineer who can use AI tools, a marketer who can analyse information using AI or a business professional who can automate routine workflows could increasingly have an advantage in the workplace.

“A software engineer who knows how to use AI effectively, a marketer who can leverage AI for insights and content, or a business professional who can automate workflows can potentially deliver significantly greater value,” Agarwal said.

The Survey describes this as the rise of an AI-augmented workforce, where employees and AI work together rather than compete directly.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR STUDENTS AND JOBSEEKERS

The trend also has implications for colleges and training providers. Technical knowledge alone may no longer be enough as employers increasingly look for people who can use AI tools, automate processes, understand AI-generated insights and apply them to specific business needs.

For India, InCruiter Survey found that the large technology and services workforce provides an advantage, but continuous reskilling will be important as jobs evolve.

“The opportunity is not to compete with AI, but to build a workforce that knows how to work with it,” Agarwal said.