Reskilling Indian workforce for AI-native development

NTT DATA is set to transform its India operations by reskilling over 40,000 employees to become AI-native developers, as the global IT services provider looks to scale generative AI delivery capabilities worldwide. India remains one of the company’s most strategic talent hubs, powering major offshore engineering and global project delivery. 

The company’s reskilling initiative aims to significantly boost productivity, enabling the same workforce to support a much larger volume of AI-driven projects in the future. NTT DATA already leverages Indian talent across its research and development centres in Japan and Silicon Valley and plans to further strengthen its contribution to large-scale global programmes.

While the firm, at present, has no plans to establish a core R&D hub in India, it acknowledged the possibility of future expansion, similar to existing software development centres. It also emphasised that the Indian market requires a tailored approach to AI solutions, especially in the areas of cost competitiveness and data security. 

The company recognises India’s demand for private, secure infrastructure to ensure data confidentiality, particularly among large enterprises. At the same time, affordability remains a key factor influencing technology adoption in the country, including enterprise-grade AI services.

The organisation is actively supporting the evolving Global Capability Centre ecosystem in India by strengthening local AI engineering talent to address client requirements across locations.

Looking ahead, the company views the present generative AI wave as only the beginning of a larger transformation. The next phase of disruption is expected to be driven by quantum technologies and advanced robotics, pushing AI towards higher-order intelligence and accelerating innovations.