Large IT services firms and global capability centres are actively hunting for talent in agentic AI with demand exceeding supply in positions such as agent ops, agent architect, prompt engineer and agent trainer. Traditional roles such as process designers, architects, data specialists, re-engineering experts, natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) programmers are also extendable to agentic AI, said Jaideep Kewalramani, COO and head of employability business, TeamLease Edtech.
The shortage of agentic AI professionals is a key concern. There are fewer than 100,000 such professionals in the country, while demand is projected to double to 200,000 by 2026, according to research and recruitment services firms such s BCG, Everest Group, TeamLease and Adecco, ET had reported. Demand for these skills is growing at 300%, although that’s on a low base, TeamLease said. Annual salary levels are at par with other AI roles. Entry-level tech positions can command `3-18 lakh, mid-level pay is at `10-45 lakh and it’s upward of `40 lakh for senior roles, depending on expertise. Exceptionally skilled talent commands a 100% premium.
Global recruitment firm Deel said it’s seeing a growing number of contracts with the job titles of agent ops, agent architecture and technical lead. The top five countries hiring for these roles are India, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and the UK, Deel said. IBM said it is actively hiring for new job roles such as experience designers, agile coaches, design thinking, D&I specialists, digital data security and privacy, content managers, automation architects, organisational psychologists and prompt engineers.
“In India, one of the growth areas for agentic AI that we see is in software, driven by the need for professionals who can not only work in development, but work in implementation to make agentic AI systems that are fair, transparent, accountable and explainable,” said Vishal Chahal, vice president, IBM India Software Labs.He added intuitive or imaginative skills to envision how the agent will respond in various scenarios are also crucial. While most open roles are currently centred around the metros, IBM said it’s tapping talent in cities such as Gandhinagar, Bhubaneswar, Kochi, Mysuru and Coimbatore. IBM recently announced a software lab in Lucknow focussed on advancing GenAI and agentic tech.
AI agents are gaining rapid traction across industries due to their transformative potential in automating complex tasks, improving efficiency, and cost savings. Software industry grouping Nasscom says the market for AI agents is projected to grow to $47.1 billion in 2030 from $5.1 billion in 2024. Over 60% of Indian enterprises were in active deployment or the pilot stage in FY25 with BFSI, telecom, and IT services leading adoption, followed by retail and healthcare. IDC expects India’s AI agent market to grow at a CAGR of 35%, reaching $2.5 billion by 2027. By 2026, AI agents are projected to be the default interface for customer interaction, employee onboarding and low-code app building, IDC said.
Global estimates by McKinsey say AI agents could automate routine tasks such as scheduling, data retrieval, summarisation and customer responses, saving up to 70% of employees’ time. AI copilots can lead to a 30-40% increase in productivity in software development, HR and customer service. Capgemini noted the need for full-stack AI architects responsible for aligning agentic tech within existing enterprise architectures. “These distinct roles necessitate a blend of deep technical expertise with a nuanced understanding of complex, multi-disciplinary environments,” said Padmashree Shagrithaya, EVP and head, insights and data, global business line, India, Capgemini.
Global AI solutions provider Findability Sciences said investment in data-driven operations is now a priority for medium and large enterprises in North America, Japan and Latin America. “For the past 10+ years, the focus has been on applications such as ERP, customer, relationship management and business intelligence to monitor operations, where data was generated as a byproduct,” said Sagar Mahurkar, vice-president, Findability Sciences. “However, with agentic AI, data will be at the centre of enterprise operations, autonomously driving decisions.”
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Global recruitment firm Deel said it’s seeing a growing number of contracts with the job titles of agent ops, agent architecture and technical lead. The top five countries hiring for these roles are India, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and the UK, Deel said. IBM said it is actively hiring for new job roles such as experience designers, agile coaches, design thinking, D&I specialists, digital data security and privacy, content managers, automation architects, organisational psychologists and prompt engineers.
“In India, one of the growth areas for agentic AI that we see is in software, driven by the need for professionals who can not only work in development, but work in implementation to make agentic AI systems that are fair, transparent, accountable and explainable,” said Vishal Chahal, vice president, IBM India Software Labs.He added intuitive or imaginative skills to envision how the agent will respond in various scenarios are also crucial. While most open roles are currently centred around the metros, IBM said it’s tapping talent in cities such as Gandhinagar, Bhubaneswar, Kochi, Mysuru and Coimbatore. IBM recently announced a software lab in Lucknow focussed on advancing GenAI and agentic tech.
AI agents are gaining rapid traction across industries due to their transformative potential in automating complex tasks, improving efficiency, and cost savings. Software industry grouping Nasscom says the market for AI agents is projected to grow to $47.1 billion in 2030 from $5.1 billion in 2024. Over 60% of Indian enterprises were in active deployment or the pilot stage in FY25 with BFSI, telecom, and IT services leading adoption, followed by retail and healthcare. IDC expects India’s AI agent market to grow at a CAGR of 35%, reaching $2.5 billion by 2027. By 2026, AI agents are projected to be the default interface for customer interaction, employee onboarding and low-code app building, IDC said.
Global estimates by McKinsey say AI agents could automate routine tasks such as scheduling, data retrieval, summarisation and customer responses, saving up to 70% of employees’ time. AI copilots can lead to a 30-40% increase in productivity in software development, HR and customer service. Capgemini noted the need for full-stack AI architects responsible for aligning agentic tech within existing enterprise architectures. “These distinct roles necessitate a blend of deep technical expertise with a nuanced understanding of complex, multi-disciplinary environments,” said Padmashree Shagrithaya, EVP and head, insights and data, global business line, India, Capgemini.
Global AI solutions provider Findability Sciences said investment in data-driven operations is now a priority for medium and large enterprises in North America, Japan and Latin America. “For the past 10+ years, the focus has been on applications such as ERP, customer, relationship management and business intelligence to monitor operations, where data was generated as a byproduct,” said Sagar Mahurkar, vice-president, Findability Sciences. “However, with agentic AI, data will be at the centre of enterprise operations, autonomously driving decisions.”
