CHENNAI: As Artificial Intelligence skills become the most sought-after skill set among enterprises in India in a fast-evolving world, a global staffing solutions provider claimed that 82% of Indian employers are finding it difficult to fill roles in 2026.
According to US-based ManPower Group’s Global Talent Shortage Survey, more than eight out of 10 employers in India are reporting difficulties in finding skilled talent in 2026. It said that India’s talent shortage at 82% is significantly higher than the global average (72%).
For the first time, AI skills have surpassed all others to become the most difficult skills for employers to find, overtaking traditional engineering and IT capabilities. In India, the staffing solutions company surveyed 3,051 employers. AI literacy and AI model development emerge among the hardest skills to find. At 94%, the automotive industry has the highest scarcity of talent in India followed by sectors like finance & Insurance (85%), tech & IT services (84%), logistics (81%), manufacturing (79%), and hospitality (76%).
Sandeep Gulati, Managing Director, India and Middle East, ManpowerGroup India, said, “India’s talent shortage at 82%, significantly above the global average of 72%, signals a structural transformation in the labour market rather than a cyclical one."
He added, "The surge in demand for AI skills -- particularly AI literacy and model development -- reflects that AI is not replacing jobs but fundamentally reshaping how work gets done. Employers are no longer hiring only roles; they are hiring future readiness. To remain competitive in this new talent-scarce era, organisations must move beyond conventional hiring. With 37% already prioritizing upskilling and 35% expanding access to new talent pools, building AI capability at scale must become a long-term workforce strategy.”
According to the report, 37% of the surveyed enterprises are taking actions such as upskilling and reskilling employees to overcome the talent shortage followed by 35% employers expanding talent pools, 24% increasing wages, 18% using BPO services, among others.
The research, covering more than 39,000 employers across 41 countries, reveals that modest relief in global hiring (72% vs 74% in 2025) has been offset by fierce competition for AI capabilities. It also highlights a widening structural skill mismatch as organizations struggle to secure both advanced technical expertise and essential soft skills. India ranks among the most talent-constrained markets globally, alongside countries such as Slovakia (87%), Greece (84%), and Japan (84%).