97% of Indian Professionals Want to Develop AI Skills: Michael Page

Nearly 97% of Indian professionals are willing to further develop their artificial intelligence (AI) skills, while 88% expect AI to improve productivity and efficiency in their areas of work, according to Michael Page India’s Candidate Pulse Report 2026.

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The findings indicate growing acceptance of AI among India’s workforce, with professionals increasingly using AI tools in their daily work and career-related activities. However, concerns around human judgement, privacy and data security remain significant.

The report is based on a survey of 3,401 professionals across 11 Asia-Pacific (APAC) markets, including 2,550 respondents from India.

AI Adoption Is Becoming Commonplace

The report found that interactive and generative AI tools are among the most frequently used applications by Indian professionals.

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Around 76% of respondents use interactive AI tools, such as chatbots and smart assistants, often or very often. Similarly, 72% regularly use generative AI tools, while 71% frequently use text-based AI applications.

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The adoption of specialised AI applications is comparatively lower:

• 62% regularly use analytical AI tools.
• 55% regularly use functional AI tools.
• 53% regularly use visual AI tools.

Indian professionals reported more frequent use across all six categories of AI tools compared with respondents from other APAC markets surveyed. The difference ranged between 7 and 12 percentage points.

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Professionals See AI as a Career Development Tool

Willingness to develop AI skills is closely linked to career growth, improved efficiency and preparation for future job roles.

The report also found that professionals expect AI to support their job search and recruitment activities.

Among the findings:

• 81% expect AI tools to help save time during job searches.
• 71% expect AI to help identify relevant job opportunities and personalise applications.
• 66% expect AI tools to help improve their resumes.
• 64% expect AI to improve their interview skills.

The last figure is 17 percentage points higher than the corresponding share among professionals in other APAC markets surveyed.

Human Judgement and Data Security Remain Concerns

Despite growing interest in AI, professionals remain concerned about how organisations use the technology.

Around 65% of respondents identified the possible lack of human judgement and intuition as a concern, while 61% cited privacy and data security risks.

Commenting on the findings, Nilay Khandelwal, Senior Managing Director at Michael Page, said Indian professionals are already using AI in their daily work and are optimistic about its productivity benefits. However, they also expect safeguards relating to human judgement and data protection.

He added that organisations need to provide employees with suitable AI tools and training to help them use the technology effectively.

The findings indicate that AI skills are becoming an important part of professional development in India. For employers, the focus will need to extend beyond introducing AI tools to providing relevant training and ensuring appropriate human oversight and data protection.