Key Takeaways
- AI engineering jobs in India are growing 51% year over year.
- Higher interest rates, not AI, are driving the global hiring slowdown.
- India’s job skills are changing about 12% annually as AI reshapes work.
AI engineering jobs in India are growing 51% annually as companies expand AI hiring, while higher interest rates are driving the global recruitment slowdown, LinkedIn CEO Dan Shapero said.
AI Hiring Accelerates In India
Shapero made the comments during his first visit to India as LinkedIn CEO in an interview with The Economic Times. He said LinkedIn data does not show AI as the main cause of the global hiring slowdown.
Higher interest rates have had a greater effect on recruitment, Shapero said. Global hiring remains below pre-pandemic levels, but AI is creating new roles and changing the skills employers seek.
AI engineering jobs in India are growing 51% year over year, while hiring for data center-related jobs has tripled over the past decade, according to data cited by Shapero.
The skills required for jobs in India are also changing by about 12% each year, Shapero said. He said job titles may remain unchanged even as the skills needed to perform those jobs evolve.
Overseas R&D Hiring Shifts Toward India
LinkedIn data cited in the interview shows that India’s share of overseas research and development hiring by U.S. companies increased from 27% in 2019 to 41% in 2025.
Shapero also pointed to rising entrepreneurship in India. The number of LinkedIn members identifying themselves as founders more than doubled, increasing 104% year over year.
He said AI can help individuals and smaller businesses complete more work with fewer resources. Hiring from small businesses on LinkedIn has increased by more than 250% over the past few years, according to Shapero.
The trends suggest AI engineering jobs in India are part of a broader transformation in the labor market. AI is affecting both the types of jobs available and the skills employers value, rather than simply replacing existing roles.
AI Agents Change Recruitment
LinkedIn is also increasing its use of AI agents in recruitment. Its Hiring Assistant, introduced less than 12 months ago, is designed to reduce administrative work for recruiters and give them more time for higher-value tasks.
Shapero said LinkedIn’s Talent Solutions agentic products have reached a $450 million annual revenue run rate and continue to grow rapidly.
He said the larger risk for workers and companies is failing to adapt to changes brought by AI. As AI becomes more common in workplaces, professionals will need to reconsider their careers, jobs and skills, Shapero said.
The comments come as Indian employers increase demand for AI-related talent, with AI engineering jobs in India continuing to expand while the broader global labor market remains affected by economic conditions.
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