India has ranked 13th globally for AI-economy readiness in the QS World Future Skills Index 2027, released by global higher education consultancy QS Quacquarelli Symonds.

The report assesses the preparedness of 89 economies to develop, align and apply skills needed for an AI-driven economy. India achieved an overall score of 89.4 out of 100, placing behind Singapore and ahead of Sweden in the global rankings.

According to the report, India received the highest global score of 100 for economic capacity, reflecting strong GDP growth, labour market investment and infrastructure development. The country also ranked fifth worldwide in the Future of Work category, highlighting its potential to benefit from AI-led economic transformation.

However, the report identified a gap between workforce demand and graduate skills. India ranked 18th for Skills Alignment and 73rd in the Human Capital Index, indicating challenges in producing sufficiently skilled graduates at scale.

QS President Nunzio Quacquarelli said India’s large digital workforce and extensive higher education system provide a strong foundation for future growth. He noted that improving the quality and consistency of graduate skills remains a key challenge and emphasised the need for wider implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 across regions.

The report highlighted that India has the world’s largest IT workforce, with around 5.8 million professionals, and AI-related investments reaching an estimated $90 billion by February 2026. It said stronger alignment between higher education and labour market needs would be essential to meet growing demand for AI, digital and green skills.

Among lower-middle-income economies, India ranked first and was also the highest-ranked country in South Asia.

The United States topped the overall rankings, followed by Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany and Canada. India was the only South Asian nation to feature in the top 15.

The report comes amid projections that successful adoption of AI could add $500 billion to India’s economy by 2030.

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