Brain Drain: Country’s AI professionals are going to America:Attracted by higher salaries, they are also establishing startups there

The country’s best AI talent is preferring to go to America instead of working in the country. The return home of those who have already left has also decreased. According to a Forbes India report, higher salaries in America and greater opportunities to work on advanced AI projects are attracting young talent. In Silicon Valley meetings, Indian researchers are clearly saying that they have no solid reason to return to India. The effect of this has been that many Indian founders are starting their new AI startups in America instead of India. As a result, India appears to be continuously falling behind in the global AI race. Some experts do consider India to be the world’s second-largest hub for enterprise AI talent, but despite this, the exodus of top talent continues. Hiring: AI Jobs Increased by 16%, But Total Recruitment Decreased by 3% Indian IT companies are increasing hiring after a long time. The problem is that most of the new hiring is for AI experts. According to JobSpeak’s June 2026 report, AI jobs have increased by 16 percent, while total hiring has decreased by 3 percent. Companies are focusing on selective hiring and reskilling of employees. Shortage: Shortage of 6 lakh AI professionals by 2027 According to NASSCOM, there could be a shortage of more than 6 lakh AI professionals in India by 2027. More than 90% of early-career tech professionals use AI tools, but only 23% of them have the technical depth to independently build and implement AI systems. According to Anand Mahurkar, CEO of Findability Sciences, graduates know machine learning or Python coding, but lack practical experience. There is a big gap between textbook knowledge and the actual work of companies.