India recorded the largest increase in global AI talent share in 2025 and joined the world's top three destinations for AI professionals, according to a study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
The country joined the United States and the United Kingdom among the world's top three destinations for globally mobile AI talent in 2025.
India accounted for about 6% of globally mobile AI talent and also ranked among the top three destinations for STEM professionals, with a share of around 7%. The country added 1.3 percentage points to its AI talent share during the year, the biggest increase among major destinations.
The findings were published in the BCG Top Talent Tracker Q2 2026, which analysed mobility data covering 221 million highly skilled professionals with at least a bachelor's degree across more than 200 destinations through the end of 2025.
India gained share across all four categories tracked by the study. Its share of highly skilled talent rose by 0.2 percentage points, while STEM talent increased by 0.7 percentage points and research talent by 0.3 percentage points.
The report said India was among a small number of major destinations that strengthened their position across every category. It also noted that the return of highly skilled non-resident Indians was adding to the country's talent base.
Globally, the movement of highly skilled professionals fell to 3.3 million in 2025 from 3.7 million a year earlier, a decline of 11.6%. Cross-border movement of STEM talent dropped 13%, while AI talent mobility declined 12%. Mobility among research professionals fell 19%.
"The headline numbers mask something more consequential beneath the surface," Johann Harnoss, partner and associate director at BCG and a co-author of the report, said.
"The US is extending its lead in highly skilled, STEM, and research talent, even against the backdrop of tighter immigration policy. But in AI, it is not. Whether this proves a temporary levelling or the start of a structural shift may become one of the defining questions of the next decade of the global technology race," he said.
BCG said countries that lead in talent for a particular technology are 17 times more likely to lead in that technology. The report said governments and companies need a combination of workforce upskilling, technology adoption and immigration policies to compete for skilled workers.