AI skills top India’s hardest-to-fill roles as talent shortage hits 82%

Bengaluru: Organisations are now finding it difficult to find people with Artificial Intelligence (AI) skills, as AI Model & Application Development (39%) and AI Literacy (38%) are now leading the ranking of hard-to-find skills compared to traditional IT/data skills.

The 2026 Talent Shortage Survey released by workforce solutions company ManpowerGroup on Friday revealed that there is pressure to find AI talent.

The findings also show that employers in the country face significant hiring challenges, with 82% reporting difficulty in filling roles above the global average of 72%.

The research that covered over 39,000 employers across 41 countries revealed that there has been a widening structural skill mismatch as organisations struggle to secure both advanced technical expertise and essential soft skills. India ranks among the most talent-constrained markets globally, alongside countries such as Slovakia (87%), Greece (84%), and Japan (84%).

In India, more than eight in ten employers reported difficulty finding the talent they need in 2026, and talent shortage is at 83% in both the south and northern parts of the country.

"India’s talent shortage at 82%, significantly above the global average of 72%, signals a structural transformation in the labour market rather than a cyclical one. The surge in demand for AI skills - particularly AI literacy and model development - reflects that AI is not replacing jobs but fundamentally reshaping how work gets done. Employers are no longer hiring only for roles; they are hiring for future readiness," Sandeep Gulati, MD, India and Middle East, ManpowerGroup India, said.

To remain competitive in this new talent-scarce era, organisations must move beyond conventional hiring. With 37% already prioritising upskilling and 35% expanding access to new talent pools, building AI capability at scale must become a long-term workforce strategy, he added.

In India, with 94%, the automotive industry faces the highest talent scarcity, followed by Information, Finance & Insurance at 85%. Even amid the surge in demand for AI, core human skills remain in demand. The report said that the most important soft skills are communication, collaboration and teamwork, apart from critical thinking and problem-solving.