India must put skills at heart of AI push, failure not an option: Debjani Ghosh

India is on the brink of a significant transformation in artificial intelligence (AI), but according to Debjani Ghosh, a Fellow at NITI Aayog and former president of NASSCOM, the nation must prioritize comprehensive skilling to realize its full potential. Speaking at a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) event in Delhi, Ghosh emphasized that skilling should not be treated as an optional initiative but rather as the cornerstone of India's AI strategy. "Skilling has to become the central pillar of India’s AI playbook. It is that key that will ultimately unlock the pathways to impact," Ghosh stated, highlighting the importance of equipping individuals with the necessary skills to utilize AI technologies effectively. Despite increased investments in AI infrastructure, she pointed out that the true challenge lies in enabling citizens to harness these advancements in their daily lives. "AI will transform India only when we humans are ready to use it to transform our day-to-day lives," Ghosh said, underscoring that technology alone cannot drive change. Instead, it is the responsibility of individuals to leverage these tools for their benefit. Calling for a united effort among government, industry, academia, and startups, Ghosh framed AI-led transformation as a national mission. She stressed that "failure should not be an option," urging all stakeholders to collaborate as "Team India" to achieve this goal. Additionally, Ghosh welcomed the government's recent initiative in the Union Budget to establish an Education to Employment and Enterprise (EEE) standing committee, advocating for a comprehensive approach to enhancing AI capabilities. She also highlighted the vital role of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in driving this change, describing them as crucial to India's economic engine and a means of social mobility. "If productivity rises anywhere in this sector, it will impact millions," she remarked, underscoring the critical importance of AI in unlocking productivity for the MSME sector and, by extension, the entire nation.