New Delhi, March 10 (IANS) The artificial intelligence (AI) sector is poised to surpass 2.3 million job openings by 2027, according to a report on Monday.

The report by Bain & Company showed that reskilling and upskilling existing talent is key to meeting the growing demand in the country.

It showed that the AI talent pool in India is expected to grow to around 1.2 million, presenting an opportunity to reskill more than 1 million workers.

“India has a unique opportunity to position itself as a global AI talent hub. However, by 2027, the job openings in AI are expected to be 1.5-2x of the talent availability. The challenge — and opportunity — lies in reskilling and upskilling a significant portion of the existing talent base on emerging technology tools and skillsets,” said Saikat Banerjee, Partner and leader in Bain & Company’s AI, Insights, and Solutions practice in India.

Banerjee noted that while “AI talent shortage is a significant challenge, it is not invincible”.

“Addressing it requires a fundamental shift in how businesses attract, develop, and retain AI talent. Companies need to move beyond traditional hiring approaches, prioritize continuous upskilling, and foster an innovation-driven ecosystem,” he said.

Globally, AI-related job postings have surged by 21 per cent annually since 2019, with compensation growing 11 per cent annually over the same period. Yet the number of qualified candidates has not kept pace, creating a widening talent gap that is slowing AI adoption worldwide.

Nearly half (44per cent) of executives cited a lack of in-house AI expertise as a key barrier to implementing generative AI. This talent gap is expected to persist through at least 2027, with its impact varying in severity across global markets.

The report predicted that in the US, one in two AI jobs could be left unfilled by 2027. In the next two years, AI job demand in America could reach up to more than 1.3 million, while supply is on track to hit less than 645,000 — implying the need to reskill up to 700,000 workers in the country.

Germany could see the biggest AI talent gap, with around 70 per cent of AI jobs unfilled by 2027. With an estimated 62,000 AI professionals available to fill 190,000 — 219,000 job openings in 2027, there is a clear opportunity for reskilling employees in Germany.

The UK may also see talent shortfalls of more than 50per cent, with just 105,000 AI workers available to fill up to 255,000 AI jobs in 2027.

Similarly, Australia is also expected to see a shortfall of more than 60,000 AI professionals by 2027, with just 84,000 AI specialists available to fill up to 146,000 jobs, said the report.

–IANS

Mumbai, March 10 (IANS) India is witnessing strong growth in its Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) market, driven by increasing demand for high-quality commercial properties, growing investor interest, and evolving regulations, a new report said on Monday.

According to CareEdge Ratings, India presents significant opportunities for the development of REIT-able assets, with new REIT launches expected in the coming years.

The availability of premium real estate properties is also expected to support the expansion of the country’s REIT portfolio in FY26 and beyond.

The Indian office REIT segment has grown steadily, with total operational stock expanding at a 7 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the last six years.

REITs now account for over 9 per cent of the total office stock across India’s top eight cities, highlighting their increasing importance in the country’s commercial real estate sector.

India entered the REIT space in 2019 with the listing of Embassy REIT, followed by Mindspace REIT and Brookfield REIT in 2020.

In 2023, Nexus REIT became India’s first retail-focused REIT, marking a significant milestone for the sector.

Another REIT, Knowledge Realty Trust, backed by The Blackstone Group and The Sattva Group, is expected to be listed by H1 FY26.

This new addition will further expand the REIT market in the country, providing investors with more opportunities.

Financially, Indian REITs maintain a conservative debt profile. As of December 31, 2024, the Net Debt to Gross Asset Value (GAV) ratio stood at 28 per cent, indicating financial stability.

Additionally, SEBI’s strict regulations have helped strengthen the structure of REITs, making it easier for them to secure external funding at competitive interest rates.

The growing demand for Grade A commercial real estate in India is creating new opportunities for the development of REIT-worthy assets, the report said.

Major cities already have a large inventory of high-quality office spaces leased to blue-chip multinational corporations (MNCs), ensuring a stable rental income for investors.

The expansion of the IT, BFSI, and Global Capability Centres (GCCs) sectors is further increasing the demand for well-located, sustainable, and technology-enabled office spaces.

Developers are now focusing on building REIT-ready assets that cater to the needs of corporate occupiers.

According to Divyesh Shah, Director & Rating Head – Real Estate at CareEdge Ratings, while the current REIT market is mostly office-focused, there is growing interest in diversifying into retail and hospitality sectors.

“Organised retail is witnessing rapid growth due to increasing e-commerce penetration and demand for modern retail spaces,” he noted.

This shift provides an opportunity for developers to create REIT-able assets in the retail sector.

To further expand the market, SEBI has introduced Small and Medium (SM) REITs, lowering the minimum asset value for investment to Rs 50 crore, compared to Rs 500 crore for traditional REITs.

As per the report, this move will increase market participation, improve liquidity, and boost real estate development in Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities.

–IANS

Govt extends duty-free import of yellow peas to keep inflation in check New Delhi, March 9 (IANS) The Government has extended the duty-free import of yellow peas by three months till the end of May and clamped a duty of 10 per cent duty on imports of lentils (masur) with immediate effect, according to an official notification.

The government has imposed a 10 per cent import duty on lentils (mosur) and extended the duty-free import of yellow peas by three months till May 31 this year to increase domestic availability of the pulses and keep prices in check.

The government has levied a 5 per cent basic customs duty and 5 per cent Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) on lentils with effect from Saturday.

The government has been tuning its tariff policy on pulses to keep inflation in check in the case of shortfalls and at the same encouraging domestic production.

The government had allowed the duty-free import of yellow peas in December 2023 to control local prices as the domestic production of ‘chana’ was falling short. This relaxation was extended from time to time till the end of February.

India’s yellow peas imports stood at 30 lakh tonnes out of 67 lakh tonnes of overall pulses imported during 2024.

The Centre has also been procuring pulses at MSP from domestic farmers after approval for the continuation of the integrated Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) Scheme during the 15th Finance Commission cycle up to 2025-26. The scheme is aimed to help farmers get higher prices for their produce.

The Government is committed to purchasing 100 per cent of Tur produced by farmers through central nodal agencies namely NAFED and NCCF, according to the official statement.

In order to incentivise the farmers to contribute to the enhancement of the domestic production of pulses and to reduce the dependence on imports, the Government has allowed the procurement of Tur, Urad and Masur under PSS equivalent to 100 per cent of the production of the State for the procurement year 2024-25.

The Government has also announced in Budget 2025 that procurement of Tur (Arhar), Urad and Masur up to 100 per cent of the production of the State will be continued for another four years through Central Nodal Agencies to achieve self-sufficiency in pulses in the country.

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan recently said the Centre has approved the procurement of Tur (Arhar) in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh under Price Support Scheme for the Kharif 2024-25 Season for a total quantity consolidating to 13.22 LMT. –IANS sps/svn

New Delhi, March 10 (IANS) The domestic commercial vehicle (CV) industry’s wholesale volumes is set to witness a year-on-year growth of 3-5 per cent in FY26, demonstrating some recovery, a report showed on Monday.

This follows a flat volume movement estimated in FY2025, marred by the demand slowdown in the first half of the fiscal due to the Lok Sabha elections, according to an ICRA report.

Commenting on the outlook for the industry, Kinjal Shah, senior vice president at ICRA, said: “Resumption of construction and infrastructure activities, steady rural demand along with higher replacement sales stemming out of ageing fleets and Government mandates are the likely driving factors to propel this volume expansion towards the end of FY2025 and through FY2026.”

ICRA expects the long-term growth drivers for the domestic CV industry to remain intact. The sustained push in infrastructure development, evidenced by the higher infrastructure capital outlay in the recent budgetary allocation, a steady increase in mining activities and the improvement in roads/highway connectivity are expected to support volumes going forward.

The replacement demand would also remain healthy, primarily due to the ageing fleet, estimated at around 10 years for the medium & heavy commercial vehicles (M&HCVs) and is expected to aid the industry volume expansion in the medium term, according to the report.

Among the various sub-segments, the M&HCV (trucks) wholesale volumes are likely to grow by up to 3 per cent YoY in FY2026 after seeing a flattish growth or marginal contraction in FY2025.

Resumption of construction and infrastructure activities is likely to aid the low YoY volume increase in FY2026. The segment reported an 7 per cent YoY contraction in the April-December period of FY2025, with the tipper volumes contracting by 11 per cent YoY, and the haulage and tractor-trailer sub-segments each declining by 5 per cent YoY.

Wholesale volumes for the domestic light commercial vehicles (LCV) (trucks) are expected to see a modest 3-5 per cent YoY expansion in FY2026, after registering a flattish growth or marginal contraction in FY2025.

Resumption of infrastructure and construction activities, coupled with an improving economic environment are likely to remain the key drivers for the segment’s growth in FY2026. The segment witnessed a decline of 3 per cent on a YoY basis in the nine months of FY25, on account of factors such as a high base effect, sustained slowdown in e-commerce and cannibalisation from electric three-wheelers (e3Ws).

The scrapping of older government vehicles has been driving replacement demand for the bus segment from the state road transport undertakings (SRTUs). The same is expected to result in an 8-10 per cent YoY growth for the segment in FY2026, after an anticipated 11-14 per cent YoY expansion in FY2025, thereby surpassing the historic high volumes of FY2013, in FY2025.

In terms of powertrain mix, conventional fuels (primarily diesel) continue to dominate the domestic CV industry with a penetration of 88 per cent in YTD FY2025, while alternative fuels (CNG, LNG and electric) accounted for the balance.

Relatively higher penetration of electric vehicles (EVs) has been witnessed in the buses segment, with a penetration of 5 per cent in YTD FY2025, the report stated. Formation of the dedicated freight corridors (DFCs) will add incremental capacity to the railways network — while ICRA anticipates the DFCs to largely impact container traffic on Western corridor, other road traffic is expected to remain relatively unimpacted.

Increasing freight rates are likely to support the industry’s demand prospects. While delinquencies for both new and used CV portfolios have moderated from their respective peaks from the pandemic period and have remained steady over the last four quarters, the movement in the same remains a key monitorable, the report added. –IANS

India’s digital economy grows 10 times, races towards $1 trillion mark Bengaluru, March 7 (IANS) India’s digital economy has grown 10 times, racing towards the $1 trillion mark amid an evolving IPO market which accounted for over 30 per cent of global listings last year, a report showed on Friday.

India contributed 31 per cent of the global IPO volume in the past year — with $3 billion raised in overall fundraising — as the country is aiming for a $13 trillion market capitalisation by 2030, driven by strong investor participation, according to a report by Redseer Strategy Consultants launched at an event here.

With over 100 unicorns and a booming pipeline of soonicorns, India’s startup ecosystem is evolving beyond hypergrowth, embracing profitability, premiumisation, and omnichannel adoption.

The event also included a deep dive into India’s IPO boom — a sector that saw over 330 listings in 2024, accounting for more than 30 per cent of global IPO volumes. The median revenue of unicorns has tripled since 2021, with many achieving EBITDA profitability in FY24. The number of retail investors in India has surged, lowering the average age of investors from 42-44 years to below 30, according to the report.

India has 350 brands with more than $100 million revenue, highlighting the under-branded nature of the market, where many categories remain fragmented and dominated by unorganised players.

The report stated that digital retail is projected to account for 12 per cent of all retail sales by 2030, unlocking significant opportunities in premium and luxury segments. Rural commerce is emerging as a major investment opportunity, driven by increased accessibility and growing aspirations.

India’s B2B sector is also witnessing a silent revolution, with technology-driven supply chain efficiencies unlocking new global opportunities. Sachin Bansal, Chairman, Navi said that line managers are now crucial in shaping employee experience and company culture.

He discussed the operational differences across industries, noting that while financial services prioritise technology investments, e-commerce demands a robust logistics and inventory backbone. “India’s digital and startup ecosystem is at a crucial inflection point.

The next decade will belong to companies that master omnichannel strategies, premiumisation, and capital efficiency. Ground Zero is about equipping founders, investors, and industry leaders with actionable insights that drive long-term success,” said Anil Kumar, CEO of Redseer Strategy Consultants. —IANS na/

Women participation in India’s semiconductor sector to reach 35 pc by 2030 New Delhi, March 7 (IANS) Women representation in the semiconductor sector in India is projected to rise from 25 per cent in 2025 to 35 per cent by 2030, a report showed on Friday.

Women currently comprise a fourth of India’s 220,000-strong chip design and engineering workforce but this figure is expected to surpass 30 per cent by 2027, according to the report by NLB Services, a leading global technology and digital talent solutions provider.

The gender gap in India’s semiconductor sector can be bridged through upskilling programmes, pay parity, and inclusive employee benefits such as maternity leave, career break support, flexible work options and project-based roles. Amid India’s fast-growing semiconductor sector — expected to reach $79.20 billion by FY31, the global industry is poised to become a trillion-dollar market by the end of the decade.

This growth presents unprecedented opportunities for talent, with the Indian semiconductor sector projected to generate 1 million jobs by 2026. However, reaching this scale demands a more inclusive workforce as the industry cannot thrive alone as a male-dominated field.

Women’s participation will be essential in propelling its growth and innovation, the report mentioned. “There is a need for both mindset and infrastructural shifts to increase the participation of women. This implies that gender-neutral policies and equal opportunities need to be prioritised. Additionally, infrastructural shifts in the form of worker housing, healthcare facilities, and efficient transport will also play a pivotal role in attracting and retaining skilled workforce,” said Sachin Alug, CEO, NLB Services.

“Collaboration between the government and private sector will be key in building safe, sustainable, and worker-friendly environments. As India accelerates its electronics manufacturing ambitions, integrating women into the design and manufacturing ecosystem will be essential,” he mentioned. In the chip semiconductor fabrication, men and women engage stands at 60:40 (men to women); Chip design is at 70:30, ATMP (assembly, testing, marking and packaging) stands at 80:20, and so forth.

Bridging this divide is essential for building a sustainable and diverse semiconductor ecosystem in India, the report mentioned. With the right initiatives in place, India has the potential to bridge the gender gap and significantly increase women’s representation in the semiconductor sector, it added. —IANS na/

Mumbai, March 7 (IANS) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Friday, said Maharashtra has received the decades’ highest annual foreign direct investment (FDI) in just nine months of the fiscal year 2024-25.

A total of Rs 1,39,434 crore has been received in the first nine months of the financial year 2024-2025, said the Chief Minister, quoting the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

The cumulative FDI equity inflow during October 2019 and December 2024 is reported at Rs 6,71,863 crore, which is 31 per cent of the total FDI equity inflow in the country.

Maharashtra has thereby outpaced other competitive states, including Karnataka, Gujarat, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Haryana.

In his post on X, the Chief Minister said, “Record foreign investment in the last 10 years, came to Maharashtra in just 9 months! The central government’s DPIIT has released the foreign investment report for the end of December 2024, and Maharashtra has received the highest annual foreign investment in the last 10 years in just 9 months. A total of Rs 1,39,434 crore has been received in the first 9 months of the financial year 2024-2025. This is the highest foreign investment received in Maharashtra in any single year in the last 10 years.”

He further added, “In doing so, the Grand Alliance government has broken its own record for the financial year 2016-17. Of course, there is still one quarter left in this financial year.Heartfelt congratulations once again to the entire Maharashtra! Under the leadership of my colleague Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar and the cabinet, this race for our Maharashtra will continue.”

The Chief Minister’s statement comes days after Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan, in his address to the Assembly, said the state is a preferred destination for Foreign Direct Investment and it contributes over 14 per cent to the country’s total GDP, being one of the leading industrial States in the country.

He said that at the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2025, the government signed Memorandums of Understanding worth approximately Rs 15.72 lakh crore of investment with 63 national and international companies. This will generate more than 15 lakh employment opportunities in the State.

Further, the government has planned to disburse the Investment Promotion Subsidy of about Rs 5,000 crore to different industries in the state to attract investments, foster industrial growth, and generate employment opportunities.

The government enacted legislation last year to facilitate investments in a hassle-free manner through the effective implementation of the single window system to provide all the necessary approvals in a time-bound manner. –IANS