Akash Ambani breaks down how AI will affect jobs, drive India's double-digit growth

From entrepreneurs to tech workers, almost every earner is worried about the advent of AI and its ability to disrupt traditional industries, making existing business models obsolete. For instance, sectors like retail, logistics, and customer service are increasingly incorporating AI, which could lead to loss of jobs and market share for businesses that fail to adapt. However, AI will drive India's double-digit growth, says Akash Ambani at Mumbai Tech Week 2025.

During Mumbai Tech Week 2025 at the Jio World Centre on Friday, he emphasised that AI will play a crucial role in driving India's economic growth, potentially enabling the nation to reach a 10 percent or double-digit growth rate in the years ahead. In a conversation with Dream11 CEO Harsh Jain, he highlighted the significance of AI in influencing the future.

"I think AI is the biggest technology change that we have seen in our lifetime till date. And in my view it is the engine that will empower India to grow at 10 per cent or double digit growth numbers for the foreseeable future," he said. 

To make India a leader in AI, Ambani pointed to three fundamental areas of focus, namely AI infrastructure, research and development, and skilled talent. He explained that building world-class AI infrastructure is necessary for India's digital transformation.

Apart from infrastructure, Ambani talked about the need to invest in AI research and development. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for AI and said deep research and development efforts would be essential for India to lead in this space. 

"We continue to invest in deep research and deep development come that comes from that research. And then finally I think the proof of the pudding is to invest in the right talent," he said. 

The third key element highlighted by Ambani is talent. He emphasized the need to recruit leading AI experts and promote innovative ideas. He noted that Jio has developed a robust AI team, which includes more than a thousand data scientists, researchers, and engineers. 

Ambani responded to worries regarding AI's potential to eliminate jobs, asserting that AI will change jobs instead of replacing them. He likened the effect of AI to the advent of the internet, pointing out that technological progress has led to the creation of new sectors, such as fintech, e-commerce, and the creator economy.

"When the Internet was created, no industries were born. You know, fintech was born, e-commerce was born, a creator economy was born," he explained. 

Ambani spoke about content creators on platforms like YouTube and Instagram are now able to make a full-time living, something unimaginable a few decades ago. Similarly, AI will lead to the creation of new job opportunities. " I'm a firm believer that AI will transform jobs," he said.