India leads the way in AI skill penetration: Report

India's remarkable AI skill penetration has positioned it as a global frontrunner in the field: Stanford

India has emerged as a global leader in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills. The AI Index Report 2023 from Stanford University has shone a spotlight on India’s central role in the global Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution.

Former CEO of NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant, expressed his optimism concerning India’s significant strides in the realm of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Kant took to X, formerly Twitter, reflecting on the pivotal development and India’s achievements in the AI sector.

Kant’s upbeat sentiments are inspired by the latest report, which highlights India’s remarkable progress in AI technology and applications.

AI skill penetration

India has astoundingly achieved a remarkable relative AI skill penetration rate of 3.2, signifying that the average penetration of AI skills in India is more than three times the global average across the same set of occupations. This remarkable achievement firmly places India at the forefront of the global AI landscape. Notably, India is not alone in its AI prowess.

The United States and Germany closely follow, with relative AI skill penetration rates of 2.2 and 1.7, respectively. These nations, like India, have shown significant dedication to fostering AI skills and innovation.

A relative skill penetration rate of 1.5 indicates that the AI skills in that country or region are 1.5 times more prevalent than the global average in the same set of occupations.

Global AI skill penetration through a gendered lens

The report also delves into gender-specific data, highlighting the relative AI skill penetration rates across genders. A country’s “Relative AI skill penetration rate across genders” for women indicates the likelihood of female professionals listing AI skills compared to the global average across the same set of occupations.

India, with a rate of 2.0, leads the way in empowering women to list AI skills, showing a strong commitment to gender diversity and inclusivity in the AI field. The United States and Israel closely follow with relative AI skill penetration rates of 1.3 and 0.9 for women, respectively.

India’s Dominance in GitHub Contributions

GitHub is a web-based platform where individuals and coding teams can host, review, and collaborate on various code repositories. GitHub is used extensively by software developers to manage and share code, collaborate on various projects, and support open-source software.

In 2022, India led the charge on GitHub, contributing a substantial 24.2% of AI projects. Following closely, the European Union and the United Kingdom combined for 17.3%, with the United States at 14.0%. 

This report has brought forth India’s commitment to developing a diverse and highly skilled AI workforce, and its global leadership in AI skill penetration. As the world continues to witness advancements in artificial intelligence, India’s position at the top reaffirms its status as a global hub for AI talent and innovation.