3 in 4 Indian firms feel AI/ML skill gap hampering innovation

Nearly three in four Indian enterprises (74 per cent) feel that the lack of skills impede overall innovation and about 30 per cent of organisations plan to focus on artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) as key areas to hire or reskill their workforce in the next six months, an IDC report said on Monday.

With an aim to meet business goals along with accelerated digital transformation, the IDC report showcased how lack of skills impacts meeting the business objectives.

"About 76 per cent of respondents said that lack of skill sets in employees impacts customer experience/customer satisfaction and profit growth. Reskilling workforces would help them in staying ahead of the technology adoption curve, meet changing business demands, and customer expectations," explained Rishu Sharma, Associate Research Director, Cloud and AI at IDC India.

About 50 per cent of those surveyed find it significantly difficult to develop softer, non-technical skills in the next six months.

"Organisations must start with relatively small training investments, and should examine outcomes to understand how well skill development initiatives are working," added Swapnil Shende, Senior Market Analyst, Artificial Intelligence at IDC India.

Enterprises should identify skill shortages and target areas/departments that should undergo skill enhancement.

"While technology skills such as AI, ML, and cloud become critically important for organizations to target new revenue opportunities, enterprises are becoming aware of employee reskilling and upskilling," the report noted.

The report provided insights into organizations' skill development goals, the importance of technology skills in digital transformation goals, and the overall business impact arising from lack of skills.