The increasing interest in
artificial intelligence
has led to a surge in demand for top AI talent among companies looking to manage their AI operations and plan for the future. Job portals and recruiters are currently inundated with requests from leading corporations seeking to fill the position of
chief AI officer
(
CAIO
).
According to Kapil Joshi, deputy CEO of Quess IT Staffing, job portals currently list over 350 openings for
AI leadership
roles in India, with 10 specifically for the CAIO position.
A study conducted by Nasscom and BCG in February revealed that approximately 70% of technology services companies in India have already established such leadership roles.
Companies from various industries, including Harman International, Blackrock India, American Express, Swarovski, Dolby Laboratories, Netcom Learning, IT services companies, and even some Big Four consulting firms, are actively seeking to hire for a variety of AI leadership positions, such as AI director, AI head, vice president or associate vice president for AI, AI engineering head, and practice head of AI, according to specialist staffing firm Xpheno quoted by ET.
In Demand: CAIO
On a global scale, companies like Accenture, SAP, Dell Technologies, and Deloitte have already appointed a chief AI officer. Srikanth Velamakanni, cofounder and CEO of AI company Fractal Analytics, emphasized the importance of having C-suite-level AI leadership as AI becomes more powerful. This is also increasingly becoming an expectation of boards, as AI is recognized not only as an enabler but also as a potential disruptor to businesses.
The actual count of available positions for Chief AI Officers is probably greater than reported. According to Joshi, “The true number (of openings for CAIO) is likely higher. Many companies might be filling these roles through internal hires or leveraging specialised recruitment channels.” He anticipates that some organizations will start hiring for these AI leadership positions within the upcoming quarter, with broader adoption occurring in the next year and a half.
Krishna Vij, business head at Teamlease Digital, stated, “As more companies mature in their AI adoption and the demand for AI talent grows, there will be a greater need for specialised leadership roles like CAIOs.” However, Vij noted that the position is still developing in India.
Sangeeta Gupta, senior vice president and chief strategy officer at Nasscom, emphasized the critical role of the CAIO in securing leadership support and leading the planning and implementation of AI readiness throughout the organization. “As AI becomes integral to core business operations, organisations are recognizing the need for dedicated AI leadership positions.”
Gupta further noted that with India’s AI market expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25-35% through 2027, the demand for such leaders will inevitably rise.
Mahesh Calavai, who was appointed as the chief digital and AI officer at TVS Motor Group in January 2022, shared that the company began its digital and AI transformation journey at that time. “We began recognising the growing significance of AI in reimagining business flows and models in the mobility industry. As AI becomes an integral part of our everyday lives, we see organisations across industries adopting it as a focus area with dedicated leaders to champion their AI strategies,” Calavai explained to ET.
Vij from Teamlease highlighted that beyond the chief AI officer, a range of new roles are emerging in response to the growing AI landscape. These positions include AI ethics specialists, AI governance policy analysts, AI solution managers, AI learning architects, AI curriculum developers, chatbot developers, learning experience designers, compliance specialists, supply chain optimisation specialists, and robotics engineers.
