Companies look to power up AI teams, build talent pipeline

India Inc is investing in hiring AI talent in an otherwise sluggish job market.

Companies like Accenture, EY, NTT Data, and InvestorAi are looking to bolster their teams across levels, hiring professionals skilled in Agentic AI, foundation models, modern data concepts, responsible AI frameworks, and data science, driven by the need to harness AI to reshape business models and redefine customer interactions.

Executives across companies said they were building a pipeline of talent through campus hiring, hackathons, bootcamps, and masterclasses.

Given the shift to autonomous systems, data and AI roles are evolving rapidly. For instance, data engineers are transitioning from building data pipelines to leveraging GenAI to build and automate data products and enhance data quality and governance, said Gopali Contractor, lead - Center for Advanced AI, ATC Global Network, Accenture.

“To keep pace with emerging requirements globally, we identified 14 future-fit data and AI skills for the Ge AI era, each of which have their own specialised learning pathways, including experiential learning and sandbox environments to deepen capabilities in these areas,” she said. Globally, the tech firm has steadily increased its data and AI workforce to approximately 72,000 - against its goal of 80,000 by the end of FY 2026.

NTT Data has set up a global AI office that works on industry-specific strategy and roadmaps, along with a global AI centre of excellence. Currently, the latter includes a team of over 100 employees, made up of approximately 30% AI architects and 70% data scientists and AI engineers, supporting projects in India and across the globe.

“AI agents and hyper-automation are among our primary focus areas. Additionally, we are looking for expertise in Agentic AI to enhance our capabilities,” said Sesidhar Sahukaru, vice-president, data and AI - India, NTT Data. The digital and AI infrastructure company aims to hire more than 200 AI professionals this year.

Data shared by Indeed with ET shows a 35% rise in AI-related job postings over the past year. Jobseeker interest is almost double that, having jumped by 66%.

“More people are clearly looking to build a future in AI. The most sought-after skills are AI, machine learning, analytical thinking, software development, and leadership, reflecting a shift from companies needing people who can just build models to those who can build, interpret, and lead with them,” said Sashi Kumar, head of sales, Indeed India.

India’s generative AI sector is projected to rise from $1.1 billion in 2025 to $6.4 billion by 2030, expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 42%, according to a report by ANAROCK.

InvestorAI has been hiring from econometrics, informatics, actuarial, cryptology, and forensics spaces, as well as engineers and data scientists.

“We expect a 5x increase in revenue this year, which means adding new product categories. As we have our own proprietary models and foundational AI, there is a high degree of deep tech and engineering that is needed,” said Bruce Keith, co-founder, InvestorAi. The company is hiring for senior positions and has broadened its search to look for talent in the US that may be interested in returning home, Keith said.

Consulting firm EY India is investing in senior talent and leadership roles to drive enterprise strategy. However, the bulk of hiring is focused on early-career and mid-level professionals to build scalable delivery teams.

“With GenAI capabilities becoming increasingly crucial, along with a strong focus on prompt engineering and coding essentials using large language models, there is a strong shift towards Agentic AI in the industry. We are sourcing talent through top engineering institutes like the IITs, VIT, and BITS, and hackathons,” said Arti Dua, partner and talent leader, EY India.