BCG: India among top 3 destinations for AI talent

NEW DELHI: India is strengthening its position in the global race for skilled talent even as international mobility of professionals slows sharply, according to Boston Consulting Group’s (BCG) Top Talent Tracker Q2 2026.The report shows that cross-border movement of highly skilled workers fell 11.6% in 2025, dropping from 3.7 million to 3.3 million. The decline was sharper in specialised categories, with STEM talent mobility down 13%, AI talent down 12% and research professionals down 19%, reflecting tighter immigration policies and shifting global demand.Despite the slowdown, India emerged as one of the biggest gainers across all major talent segments. It now ranks among the top three global destinations for both AI and STEM talent, accounting for about 6% of globally mobile AI professionals and 7% of STEM talent.

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India also recorded the strongest annual increase in AI talent share among major destinations, rising by 1.3 percentage points. Overall, it posted gains across highly skilled talent (+0.2 percentage points), STEM (+0.7), AI (+1.3) and research talent (+0.3), signalling broad-based momentum rather than sector-specific growth.BCG attributes part of this rise to the return of highly skilled non-resident Indians, which is helping deepen the country’s domestic talent base and strengthen its innovation ecosystem.At the same time, India continues to remain the world’s largest net exporter of highly skilled professionals, indicating that outward migration remains significant even as inflows improve.The report also highlights intensifying competition for AI expertise globally, even as overall mobility slows. Traditional hubs such as Canada and the UK are losing ground, while destinations like the UAE, Saudi Arabia and select European economies are gaining share.