Increased digital access, geopolitical tensions and climate-mitigation efforts are the primary trends expected to shape the future of jobs in India by 2030, according to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025.

“Similar to their global peers, companies operating in the country are heavily investing in AI, robotics and autonomous systems, and energy technologies. Employers are also planning to outpace global adoption in certain technologies, with 35 per cent expecting semiconductors and computing technologies and 21 per cent expecting quantum and encryption to transform their operations,” the report said.

The country’s projected fastest-growing job roles – including Big Data specialists, AI and machine learning specialists, and security management specialists – align closely with these trends. To address talent needs, companies operating in India expect to tap into diverse talent pools (67 per cent compared to 47 per cent globally) and adopt skill-based hiring by removing degree requirements (30 per cent compared to 19 per cent globally) to be effective.

Corporate sponsorship

“Demand for AI skills has accelerated globally, with India and the United States leading in enrolment numbers. However, the drivers of demand differ. In the US, demand is primarily driven by individual users, whereas in India, corporate sponsorship plays a significant role in boosting GenAI training uptake,” the report said.

The world is currently experiencing two fundamental demographic shifts: an aging and declining working-age population predominantly in higher-income economies, due to declining birth rates and longer life expectancy, and a growing working-age population in many lower-income economies, where younger populations are progressively entering the labour market. In higher-income nations, aging populations are increasing dependency ratios, potentially putting greater pressure on a smaller pool of working-age individuals and raising concerns about long-term labour availability. In contrast, lower-income economies may benefit from a demographic dividend.

“These demographic shifts have a direct impact on global labour supply: currently balanced between lower-income (49 per cent) and higher-income (51 per cent) working-age populations, this distribution is expected to shift by 2050, with lower-income countries projected to hold 59 per cent of the global working-age population. Geographies with a demographic dividend, such as India and sub-Saharan African nations, will supply nearly two-thirds of new workforce entrants in the coming years,” the jobs report said.