According to Microsoft India Managing Director and President Rajiv Kumar, the conversation among young engineers has fundamentally shifted from concerns about AI replacing them to finding ways to collaborate with the technology. Speaking in a blog post, Kumar emphasized that virtually every major technology wave in history has ultimately created more opportunities than it destroyed. He noted that the real question is not whether new jobs will exist but how ready the workforce is to step into those roles, with success dependent on the ability to adapt and learn new skills. As Kumar stated, "The key to success will be the ability to adapt and learn these new skills. For young engineers, the key will be to 'learn to learn'" - this ability will help them adapt and take on the new and redefined roles that AI is creating. The shift from command to collaboration represents the practical application of this philosophy, with AI serving as a thought partner for deeper cognitive tasks such as analyzing information, problem-solving, and creative thinking.
Citing the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025, which surveyed over 1,000 employers across 22 industry clusters and 55 economies, Kumar revealed that 39 per cent of core job skills are expected to change by 2030. In India specifically, an estimated 63 per cent of the workforce will need significant upskilling or reskilling by the same year. The rapid evolution of technology is shrinking the lifespan of technical skills, making continuous learning and adaptability crucial for the workforce. Kumar stated that employers are increasingly adopting skills-based hiring, prioritizing a candidate's potential and ability to learn over traditional credentials, as reported by NDTV Profit. The World Economic Forum report notes that 30 per cent of Indian employers have adopted skills-based hiring, well above the global average of 19 per cent, with over 85 per cent of organizations globally prioritizing upskilling and reskilling in direct response to AI-driven change.
According to Kumar, new roles like AI trainers, agent specialists, AI security experts, and many more are already emerging across Indian companies. As reported by Microsoft's latest 'Work Trend Index 2026', a majority of global AI users reported that the technology has enabled them to focus on high-value work and produce results they could not have achieved previously. The latest data shows that 66 per cent of AI users globally say technology has allowed them to spend more time on high-value work, and 58 per cent say they are producing work they couldn't have done a year ago. AI is increasingly being utilized as a thought partner for deeper cognitive tasks, with nearly half of interactions with AI co-pilot tools supporting deeper cognitive tasks like analyzing information, solving problems and creative thinking. Kumar observed that the conversation among young engineers is already shifting from concerns about AI replacing them to finding ways to collaborate with the technology, with the real challenge being the readiness of the workforce to step into these redefined roles.
Highlighting India's unique position, Kumar noted that the country combines the world's second-largest engineering talent pool with immense digital ambition and the ability to innovate at scale. He cited the Microsoft India Development Center (IDC) in Hyderabad, the company's largest research and development hub outside the US, as a prime example of Indian teams acting as architects of global innovation rather than mere participants. The IDC has been operational for 27 years and continues to shape world-class innovation, demonstrating that Indian teams are helping define the future rather than adapting to it. Kumar emphasized that judgment informed by experience, ethics, and empathy is what sets great professionals apart, as "AI can help you code; it cannot decide your goals, understand your customer, or define what matters."
