AI has been baked into hiring in India now. Igniting fresh disputes about where jobs are headed. Arindam Mandal, of Marcellus Investment Managers, made a splash on September 20, 2025, cautioning that AI may impede long-term job growth and economic growth. Arindam’s word is significant. He’s renowned for his research at premier investment firm. As AI automates these repetitive tasks in hiring, support, and even creative work, millions of Indian jobs could be threatened. The existential debate — will AI generate sufficient new jobs to displace those it destroys. India’s labor force is about to experience some serious disruption, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
How AI is disrupting India’s Employment Market
AI is now used, by many Indian startups, for hiring. Right from CV parsing to first round interviews. Although this time and money saving, Arindam Mandal notes, it can also edge out the demand for certain positions. Repetitive work in IT, customer support and data entry is most vulnerable, recent reports said. Arindam cautions that if AI displaces too many workers, this historical link between growth and job creation could fracture. That’s huge in India, where a booming economy has always translated to more work.
Arindam doesn’t sees negatives only. He proposes that AI might generate new tech, coding, and AI ethics employment—provided employees are able to reskill. Arindam says retraining is key, because millions of Indians rely on refuges in IT and services. While businesses will be recruiting for new positions, if individuals can’t evolve, many will leave themselves behind. The battle is real: indians have to re-skill remaining in the labor pool.
The data, directions, and implications
The statistics support Arindam’s cautions. Industry reports find that AI could make as much as 15% of India’s tech jobs vulnerable by 2030. There aren’t just entry level positions though– mid-level coding, design, and business analyst types could be impacted too. It’s the same story in other industries, from finance to e-commerce. Says X for tech more frequently nicks jobs than makes jobs. The Industrial Revolution eliminated a lot of manual work, but ultimately introduced new manual work. India can follow this route, Arindam says, but only if it makes a comparable investment in skills and policy.
The govt’s ‘AI for Viksit Bharat’ mission seeks to rocket-fuel India’s tech supremacy but upskilling workers could make or break it. Arindam argues companies too — they need to reskill staff not just downsize. Global experience shows that countries with top scores on the AI Preparedness Index adjust more effectively. India, though, still trails on digital infrastructure and training availability.
He notes the AI could power productivity and growth, but the benefits must flow to everyone. Without universal skills and support, plenty of Indians can be left behind. The next few decades will challenge India’s capacity to endure fast change.
Conclusion
AI could strangle job growth if not handled wisely, Arindam Mandal provides us a sobering caution, but it also reveals fresh opportunity. His opinion is that India have to bet on abilities, training, and coverage so that AI does further good than damage. The decisions taken today – by companies, employees and executives — will mould India’s destiny. Arindam’s clarion call is simple, seize the moment or risk getting left in the AI era’s dust. The future isn’t static, but India’s reaction to AI will decide if it’s boon or another source of fragmentation.
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