TLDR: Shaadi.com founder Anupam Mittal has issued a strong caution against India’s overemphasis on deep-tech AI, urging a shift towards practical AI skilling that generates tangible job opportunities. He highlights the disparity between Western AI narratives and India’s unique socio-economic realities, emphasizing the critical role of the gig economy in providing employment for millions.
In a recent thought-provoking LinkedIn post, Anupam Mittal, founder of Shaadi.com and a prominent judge on Shark Tank India, voiced significant concerns regarding India’s burgeoning focus on deep-tech in Artificial Intelligence. Mittal argues that the nation’s current skilling infrastructure is critically misaligned with its ambitious AI goals, advocating instead for a pragmatic approach to AI education that prioritizes the creation of ‘real jobs’ for its vast workforce.
Mittal’s critique stems from a perceived tendency for India to ‘mimic Western narratives’ around AI without adequately addressing its distinct socio-economic landscape. He underscored this point with a sarcastic yet poignant observation, sharing a photo of an elderly woman in a delivery jacket and remarking, ‘Saw this woman the other day, and thought maybe she should learn Python. Perhaps she can fine-tune an LLM too, while delivering your groceries.’ This statement served to highlight the stark contrast between high-end AI aspirations and the everyday realities of a significant portion of India’s population.
He further elaborated on his frustration, stating, ‘Every time I say India needs jobs along with deep-tech, someone sends me a whitepaper on AI skilling. Basically parroting the West without understanding our own reality.’ Mittal acknowledged the transformative impact of AI globally, noting that ‘AI replacement and automation is happening at the top cos in the world including Microsoft, Meta, Google,’ with leaders predicting 40-50% of processes becoming AI-driven in just a few years. However, he stressed that Western economies, characterized by lower populations, high formal employment, and robust reskilling systems, differ vastly from India’s context.
In contrast, India has a predominantly self-employed population and a less developed widespread skilling infrastructure. Mittal, drawing from his experience in the U.S., explained that effective skilling involves real-time training across an entire organization as new technologies emerge, a level of preparedness he believes India is far from achieving. Consequently, he championed the gig economy, often criticized for its precarious nature, as a ‘blessing’ for India. This sector, he noted, provides employment to millions who might otherwise be jobless in a country that accounts for nearly 20 percent of the world’s population.
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Mittal’s core message is a cautionary one: prioritizing deep-tech as the sole solution risks endangering the livelihoods of a billion-plus nation. While acknowledging India’s capacity to produce talented individuals who will build future tech giants, he firmly asserts that the immediate need is to focus on job creation and practical skilling for the masses.
