As India moves toward an AI-powered economy, Agentic AI is driving a historic shift in job roles, industry priorities, and workforce strategy.
India is on the brink of a generational workforce transformation. Agentic AI—a form of artificial intelligence that supports and enhances human decision-making while automating repetitive tasks—is set to redefine more than 10 million job roles by 2030. According to the ServiceNow AI Skills Research 2025 report, conducted in collaboration with Pearson, this technological shift will not only disrupt existing structures but will also create over 3 million new tech roles. This transition, while promising, presents significant challenges that Indian enterprises must navigate to unlock the full potential of AI-driven growth.
What is Agentic AI and Why It Matters
Unlike traditional automation systems that merely follow scripted instructions, Agentic AI operates as a decision-making partner to humans. It enables businesses to shift from static process execution to dynamic, goal-driven operations. This form of AI is embedded into workflows, augmenting human capabilities and creating smarter, faster, and more scalable systems.
This evolution means AI will no longer be limited to backend automation but will increasingly play an active role in decision-making, customer interaction, and innovation. The result is a seismic redefinition of roles across industries.
Key Findings: Indian Workforce and AI
According to the AI Skills Research 2025 report, India’s workforce is undergoing a pivotal change:
- 10.35 million job roles will be redefined by Agentic AI across sectors.
- Over 3 million new tech jobs will emerge, supporting India’s digital economy.
- 25% of Indian enterprises are already in the advanced transformation phase, outpacing markets like Singapore (20%) and Australia (21%).
- 13.5% of enterprise tech budgets are now allocated to AI projects.
The adoption of AI is no longer experimental. Indian businesses are shifting from pilot programs to full-scale operational deployments, fundamentally transforming how work is done.
Five Pillars of AI Maturity
The ServiceNow AI Maturity Index has identified “AI Pacesetters”—companies in India that are leading in large-scale AI adoption. These enterprises are focused on five strategic pillars:
- A Clear AI Vision – Roadmaps aligned with long-term business strategy.
- Platform-First Thinking – Integrated tech ecosystems that scale.
- AI-Skilled Talent – Upskilled employees ready to co-work with AI.
- Ethical Governance – Transparent frameworks that ensure responsible use.
- Scaled Deployment – Wide implementation of Agentic AI in workflows.
These pillars are not just theoretical. Companies applying them report a 57% improvement in operational efficiency and up to a 63% productivity gain.
Industry Breakdown: Who Will Be Most Affected
Some industries are more susceptible to rapid transformation than others. The three most impacted sectors include:
- Manufacturing: Approximately 8 million roles will be transformed. AI will streamline production, predictive maintenance, and logistics.
- Retail: Around 7.6 million jobs will be affected, particularly in customer service, inventory forecasting, and supply chain optimization.
- Education: Estimated 2.5 million roles will evolve as AI personalizes learning, enhances content delivery, and automates administrative tasks.
These changes are not about job losses alone; rather, they mark a shift toward redefined roles, where human intelligence and AI co-exist and complement each other.
Emergence of New Roles in the AI Economy
In parallel with job redefinition, new high-value tech roles are emerging. These include:
- AI Configurators: Prioritized by 66% of Indian firms.
- Data Scientists: Demanded by 65% of enterprises.
- Experience Designers: Highlighted by 57% of respondents.
These positions require a blend of technical, creative, and strategic thinking, illustrating the need for hybrid skill sets in the future workforce.
Indian Enterprises: Challenges on the AI Roadmap
Despite rapid progress, Indian businesses face several significant hurdles:
- Data Security: Cited by 30% of Indian firms as their top concern—the highest rate in the Asia-Pacific region.
- Skills Gap: 26% of organizations are unclear about which skills to train their workforce in.
These challenges point to a need for structured, long-term reskilling programs and robust cybersecurity strategies. Without these, the AI transformation risks creating inequality and operational vulnerabilities.
The Human-AI Collaboration Imperative
Agentic AI will not simply replace workers; it will redefine how tasks are approached. Roles like change managers and payroll clerks, traditionally based on routine coordination, are being redesigned for higher-level strategic involvement. Meanwhile, roles such as system administrators and implementation consultants are being augmented—not displaced—by AI.
To make this transition meaningful, companies must ensure that AI is built on transparency and trust. Employees must be trained not only to use AI tools but also to understand how AI arrives at its decisions.
India’s Unique Opportunity
India stands at a unique intersection of opportunity and responsibility. With one of the world’s youngest workforces and a dynamic digital economy, it is ideally positioned to lead the global AI workforce transformation. Yet, this leadership will require bold moves:
- Unified AI Strategies: Enterprises must go beyond isolated pilot programs.
- Cross-functional Training: Employees across all departments must be upskilled.
- Policy and Regulation: Government and industry must collaborate to build ethical frameworks.
If these are addressed with urgency and foresight, India can emerge not just as a participant but as a global benchmark in responsible AI innovation.
The arrival of Agentic AI marks a watershed moment for India’s economic and technological evolution. With over 10 million jobs expected to be redefined and 3 million new tech roles emerging, the country is entering a future where human ingenuity and machine intelligence work hand in hand.
To thrive in this new era, Indian enterprises must commit to building AI-ready cultures—ones that prioritize skills, trust, ethical governance, and a shared vision for the future. In doing so, they won’t just adapt to the AI revolution—they will lead it.
