At AI Impact Summit 2026, Workforce Readiness Emerges as India’s Real AI Test

At the India AI Impact Summit 2026, including leaders from Adobe, FedEx, Microsoft, Amazon and Google, the message was clear: India is central to the next phase of global AI infrastructure.

With $67.5 billion in AI and data centre investments expected over the next five years, the opportunity is historic. Yet beneath the optimism lies a harder truth: infrastructure may be scaling faster than workforce capability.

At a high-level panel moderated by Harjiv Singh, Founder and CEO of CambrianEdge.ai, industry and policy leaders debated how India can close the gap between AI literacy and AI fluency.

In an exclusive interaction with CiOL, Rohit Kumar Singh, former secretary to the Government of India and chair of the Global Value Chains Committee and advisor to the USISPF Board, outlined what will truly define India’s AI success: not model counts, but cognitive capability.

He shed light on a critical shift: AI adoption must strengthen independent thinking, not replace it.

Interview Excerpts

How is the government redefining human potential in the AI economy as employability, innovation capacity, or strategic leverage?

Education is central. We need to heavily infuse AI into the curriculum, from school level to undergraduate and postgraduate studies.

The second aspect is employment-focused. People must be skilled appropriately so they remain relevant in an AI-driven economy. Human potential in the AI era must combine knowledge with employability.

How do you reconcile the push for sovereign AI with the need for global collaboration and safety standards?

We need solutions that are India-specific. During the digital revolution, we used base software produced by the Western world but developed our own solutions and capabilities.

Similarly, in AI, we can collaborate globally while building domestic strengths. In difficult situations, we should not be held hostage by other countries. Sovereignty does not mean isolation; it means resilience.

Is India preparing its workforce fast enough for AI, or are policies still aligned to yesterday’s digital transformation?

No, I don’t think we are stuck in the past. This summit itself is an example of forward thinking. This is the third or fourth such summit, and it reflects how aligned we are with emerging technologies. The government is geared up to allow AI to proliferate across sectors.

In the next five years, what metric will define India’s AI success: model builds, jobs created, or global influence?

I would not measure success by those standards. For me, success will be defined by AI use cases in education, healthcare, and agriculture. If AI meaningfully improves outcomes in these sectors, that is real impact.

What structural reforms are most urgent to prevent AI-led inequality?

The skills of reasoning and mathematics are extremely important. Cognitive skills must be strengthened.

If children rely excessively on AI, their cognitive abilities may be adversely affected, and that should not happen.

The ability to think independently, write independently, express ideas clearly, and ask questions is crucial. Without an inquisitive spirit, innovation cannot happen.