NASSCOM President Rajesh Nambiar on Thursday, 9 July called for artificial intelligence to become a core pillar of India's education system, arguing that the technology must move well beyond the IT sector if the country is to establish itself as a global AI leader. Nambiar made the remarks in Thiruvananthapuram, where he outlined the industry body's ongoing collaboration with national academic institutions.

Curriculum Overhaul in the Works

Nambiar said NASSCOM is actively working with the University Grants Commission (UGC) and other national education agencies to embed AI into academic curricula at multiple levels. 'We are working with several agencies to ensure that the latest developments in AI are incorporated into the curriculum across levels,' he said, underlining that equipping students for an AI-driven future has become a strategic priority for the industry body.

Kerala's AI Push and Centre-State Synergy

Nambiar revealed he had recently met Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan to discuss a broad range of issues spanning information technology and artificial intelligence. He described Kerala as a state with considerable talent and noted that both the state and the Centre have distinct yet complementary roles in advancing India's AI ambitions. 'Policies have to be in place, and it is encouraging that Kerala has made AI a separate cabinet portfolio,' he said. The move, he argued, reflects the kind of institutional commitment needed to build a robust AI ecosystem, one that requires governments, academia, and industry to work in concert.

AI as a Geopolitical and Cross-Sector Imperative

Nambiar observed that AI is fundamentally reshaping economies and societies globally, presenting both significant uncertainty and unprecedented opportunity. He stressed that the technology has evolved into a strategic instrument capable of influencing geopolitical power and global competitiveness. 'AI should not be limited to the IT sector alone,' he said, calling for adoption across industries including governance, healthcare, education, and manufacturing to unlock its full economic potential. This comes amid a broader global race among nations to secure AI leadership, with countries like the United States and China making multi-billion-dollar public investments in the field.

Industry-Academia Linkages and Mandatory Internships

Another speaker at the event noted that successive governments in Kerala have introduced progressive IT policies that have steadily strengthened the state's technology ecosystem. The speaker also argued that internships should be made mandatory for students, emphasising that stronger industry-academia linkages are essential to build a workforce capable of navigating the rapidly evolving demands of the AI era. Notably, the call for mandatory internships aligns with a broader national conversation around bridging the gap between academic output and industry readiness — a challenge that has persisted across India's engineering and technology institutions.

What Comes Next

With NASSCOM deepening its engagement with the UGC and state governments, the immediate focus will be on translating policy intent into curriculum reform at scale. Whether India can convert its talent base into a durable AI advantage will depend on how quickly these institutional collaborations move from dialogue to implementation.