AI Needs Urgency, Not Drift, to Power Jobs and Growth: CEA

Artificial intelligence will not deliver results on its own and needs urgent, focused action, said India’s Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran while speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026. He underlined that meaningful AI progress requires strong political will, effective institutions and a clear national commitment to align technology adoption with large-scale employability.

Speaking during a session on employability in the AI age, Nageswaran said India must act with clear intent if it wants AI to strengthen growth rather than create disruption. He noted that India has the potential to become the first large society where human talent and machine intelligence support each other. However, he cautioned that this outcome will not happen automatically and that the window of opportunity is limited.

Nageswaran called for a “Team India” approach involving government, private industry, academia and policymakers. He stressed that AI must be linked to job creation and inclusive growth, instead of widening economic and social gaps. Without careful planning and coordination, he warned, fast technological change could increase instability and uncertainty.

A major focus of his remarks was education and skills. He said India’s response to AI is not just about the future of work, but about the future of growth and social cohesion. According to him, reforms must begin with strengthening foundational education, improving teaching methods and upgrading how basic skills are delivered. This, he said, is the starting point for ensuring that AI contributes to prosperity and employment together.

He also highlighted the need to scale high-quality skills, expand labour-intensive service sectors and remove regulatory barriers that slow job creation. These steps, he said, are essential to ensure that AI supports broad-based development.

The India AI Impact Summit 2026, the first global AI summit hosted in the Global South, aims to move beyond statements to real cooperation, practical outcomes and inclusive global AI governance that benefits people while managing risks responsibly.

Source: Business Standard