Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a generational shift, with its impact far greater than the internet, that touches almost every aspect of our lives, said Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, at the CII Annual Business Summit 2025. Highlighting its sweeping influence across sectors, Mittal cautioned that while AI promises new opportunities, it also presents significant challenges—particularly for employment in a young nation like India. He outlined four key areas requiring immediate focus.
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CII Annual Business Summit 2025
Speaking at the summit, the former president of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) noted that the emergence of AI is already disrupting traditional job roles, especially in software engineering. "Even a layperson can now speak to a machine to write code," he said, according to an Economic Times report.
"India has the largest workforce, the youngest developing in the world. There are 20 million children in the age group six to sixteen. In ten year's time, they will be sixteen to twenty-six, each wanting a job. AI will create difficulties in that area. Some parts are clearly visible today," Mittal reportedly said.
Despite the looming challenges, Mittal asserted that AI will also create new job opportunities and that leveraging this technology is imperative for India's growth. "Using AI will become absolutely important for everyone, especially in emerging countries like India," he said.
Call for Policy Support
Calling for stronger policy support, Mittal urged the government to create an enabling environment to drive industrial growth. He presented a set of recommendations to ease regulatory hurdles, including reforms in the Goods and Services Tax (GST), improvements in the Ease of Doing Business, and a more competitive corporate tax regime.
According to another report, calling for the co-creation of policies, he said, "The dream of Viksit Bharat needs acceleration. Industry must actively work with the government to identify policy gaps and suggest frameworks that create real velocity in building India. Let us hear the government's views, understand their expectations, and contribute meaningfully."
Talent Dividend
Mittal also underscored India's demographic advantage, pointing out that as developed economies age and immigration restrictions rise, India's young population stands as a strategic asset. "Industry and academia must go beyond surface-level collaboration and jointly build a globally competitive, job-ready workforce. Emerging fields such as AI, green energy, space communication, and next-gen telecom demand urgent attention," he said, as mentioned in the report.
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R&D Investment
The Bharti Enterprises chairman expressed concern over India's limited investment in research and development (R&D), which remains under 1 percent of GDP. He called on the private sector to step up and invest in deep tech and innovation. "Our large domestic market gives us scale, but we need intellectual leadership too. Only then can the government scale its R&D efforts with confidence," he reportedly said.
Trade Strategy
Mittal also advocated for a fundamental reset in India's trade strategy, emphasising the need to diversify exports and prioritise value addition. "We must diversify our export basket and focus on products and services that are needed globally. No raw material should leave our shores without value addition," he asserted, underlining the importance of a modernised and forward-looking export policy.
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