AI Upskilling in India is emerging as a central priority as artificial intelligence moves from experimentation to real-world deployment, according to Puneet Chandok, President of Microsoft India and South Asia.
Speaking about the future of work and technology, Chandok underlined that while AI is transforming organisations, people, skills, and continuous learning will remain the most important safeguards.
His remarks come shortly after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced a landmark $17.5 billion investment in India earlier this month. The investment, Microsoft’s largest ever in Asia, is aimed at building cloud and AI infrastructure to support the country’s AI-first future. For Microsoft, the scale and momentum of AI adoption in India signal that the country is ready for the next phase of transformation.
Chandok said AI has clearly moved beyond hype and is already delivering measurable impact across sectors. However, he stressed that the way AI is scaled will matter more than the speed alone. According to him, the next phase of growth will be defined by how responsibly, inclusively, and thoughtfully organisations adopt and deploy AI technologies.
One of the key ideas shaping Microsoft’s outlook is what Chandok described as “unmetered intelligence.” In this model, intelligence shifts from being scarce to abundant, as computing power increasingly translates directly into cognition for organisations. This means businesses can embed intelligence across workflows, enabling faster decisions, better insights, and more adaptive operations.
At the same time, Chandok emphasised that humans will remain firmly in control. AI agents, often described as human-supervised “digital colleagues,” will collaborate with people rather than replace them. These systems can handle tasks, analyse large volumes of data, and support decision-making, but accountability and judgement will continue to rest with humans.
This human-led approach is particularly important as outcomes become central to how businesses operate. Chandok noted that value creation is shifting away from effort and delays toward clear, measurable results. AI, when applied correctly, helps organisations focus on outcomes rather than processes, reshaping business models across industries.
India’s digital public infrastructure plays a crucial role in enabling this shift. Chandok highlighted how platforms built at population scale allow AI adoption to happen rapidly and broadly. From classrooms to boardrooms and from farms to factories, the combination of digital infrastructure and AI creates an opportunity for impact at national scale.
Examples of this transition are already visible. Across aviation, healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing, Indian organisations are redesigning how they operate. Air India is reimagining customer engagement, Apollo Hospitals is supporting clinicians with intelligent tools, ICICI Lombard is reshaping core processes, and Asian Paints is accelerating innovation. These changes, Chandok said, reflect how decisively India has moved from AI trials to real deployment.
However, as AI reshapes work, the nature of jobs is also changing. Roles are increasingly breaking down into tasks, and careers are becoming more flexible and dynamic. In this environment, Chandok believes the most durable advantage for individuals and organisations alike is the ability to keep learning.
That is why AI upskilling in India is central to Microsoft’s long-term strategy. Chandok described skilling as the most essential form of resilience in the AI era. Without continuous learning, he warned, workers risk being left behind as technology evolves faster than traditional career paths.
To address this challenge, Microsoft has doubled its commitment to skill development in the country. The company aims to equip 20 million people in India by 2030 with the skills needed to participate in and shape the AI-driven economy. This includes technical skills, but also the ability to work alongside AI systems in responsible and effective ways.
Looking ahead, Chandok said the momentum India has built forms the foundation for what comes next. With strong digital infrastructure, growing AI adoption, and a focus on skilling, the country is well positioned to turn technological momentum into long-term economic and social impact.
As AI continues to redefine work and value creation, Microsoft’s message is clear: technology alone is not enough. The future will belong to those who invest in people, learning, and trust alongside innovation.
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