Artificial intelligence is reshaping India’s entry-level workforce at a faster pace than the global average, with AI already performing 37 per cent of entry-level tasks across organisations, according to a joint study released by Cognizant and Pearson.
The report, The AI Workforce Pulse: The Adaptability Imperative, is based on a survey of 750 HR leaders across India, the United Kingdom and the United States, including responses from Indian organisations. The findings suggest that while AI is accelerating workforce transformation, it is also creating new job categories and driving demand for a broader set of skills.
According to the study, AI now performs a greater proportion of entry-level work in India than the global average of 33 per cent. Nearly one in five HR leaders surveyed reported that AI currently handles at least half of entry-level tasks within their organisations.
Entry-level roles shifting towards AI supervision
The report indicates that organisations increasingly view entry-level roles as evolving beyond task execution towards managing and working alongside AI systems.
Nearly all respondents expect entry-level employees to take on responsibilities related to supervising, validating and managing AI outputs over the next five years. At the same time, 94 per cent of HR leaders anticipate the emergence of new entry-level roles that do not exist today.
The findings suggest that employees will increasingly be expected to apply human judgement, interpret AI-generated insights and oversee automated decision-making processes rather than perform routine operational tasks.
In India, 80 per cent of organisations reported that AI is enabling employees to focus on higher-value activities, slightly above the global average.
Human skills gain strategic importance
As automation takes over repetitive work, employers are placing greater emphasis on human-centred and interdisciplinary skills.
The study found that 97 per cent of HR leaders believe soft skills such as adaptability, critical thinking, communication and problem-solving are becoming increasingly important in an AI-enabled workplace.
There is also evidence of changing hiring preferences. Two-thirds of respondents said they now place greater value on liberal arts education, while nearly seven in ten reported that broad, interdisciplinary backgrounds are becoming more important than narrowly specialised qualifications for early-career talent.
In India, 91 per cent of organisations said AI capabilities are now important even for non-technical roles, reflecting a wider redefinition of what constitutes job readiness in the AI era.
Skills demand outpaces organisational readiness
Despite growing demand for AI capabilities, many organisations acknowledge that they are struggling to keep pace with the rapid rate of change.
More than 90 per cent of HR leaders reported increased demand from employees for AI-related training over the past year. However, 60 per cent said their learning and development programmes are unable to evolve quickly enough to match changing workforce requirements.
The challenge is particularly evident in India, where 63 per cent of organisations reported difficulties keeping training programmes aligned with the pace of AI-driven transformation.
While more than half of organisations globally are proactively investing in AI upskilling initiatives, a significant proportion remain focused on reactive approaches to workforce development.
The study also found that 61 per cent of Indian organisations continue to face challenges in identifying and recruiting talent with the skills required for AI-enabled roles.
Middle managers emerging as key enablers
The research highlights the increasingly important role of middle management in successful AI adoption.
Ninety-five per cent of respondents described middle managers as critical to ensuring effective use of AI within organisations, while 92 per cent said they play a central role in redesigning jobs and workflows as AI becomes more deeply embedded into business operations.
Industry observers note that managers are increasingly expected to bridge the gap between executive AI strategies and day-to-day operational implementation, helping teams adapt to changing ways of working.
AI driving broader workforce transformation
Commenting on the findings, Rajesh Varrier, President – Global Operations and Chairman and Managing Director, Cognizant India, said organisations are witnessing a fundamental redesign of entry-level roles as AI becomes embedded within business operations.
The study reinforces a broader trend identified across industries, where AI is moving from experimental deployments to operational use at scale, requiring organisations to rethink hiring, learning and workforce development strategies.
Ali Bebo, Chief Human Resources Officer at Pearson, noted that organisations will increasingly need to focus on enabling effective collaboration between people and AI systems rather than viewing automation solely through the lens of task replacement.
The findings suggest that while AI is transforming traditional workforce structures, it is also creating opportunities for new forms of work centred on oversight, decision-making, creativity and human judgement. For organisations, the challenge will be ensuring that workforce development, skills programmes and management practices evolve quickly enough to keep pace with technological change.