BS EDIT: Can India Retain Its AI Talent?

By Business StandardPublished On Feb 20, 2025

AI Talent is Leaving India

• India produces top AI talent but struggles to retain it

• High migration weakens India’s AI leadership

India’s AI Global Rank

• Ranked 13th in AI talent concentration

• Share of top Indian AI researchers fell from 12% (2019) to 7% (2022)

Why AI Experts Leave

• Better funding & research abroad

• Higher salaries & career growth

The Impact on India

• Just 0.23% of global AI patents from India

• No major Indian-led large language model (LLM) yet

What India Must Do

• Boost AI research funding & infrastructure

• Incentivise AI professionals to stay

Can India Lead AI?

• India is developing its first LLM

• Retaining talent is key to global AI leadership