BT India@100: For Ola's Bhavish Aggarwal, AI is not just about adapting to change, but about leading it

Indian companies are at a crossroads as they face the transformative challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Bhavish Aggarwal, the founder and CEO of Ola, believes that India has the potential to lead the AI revolution just as China dominated global manufacturing. With the largest pool of developers, silicon designers, and vast amounts of data, India is uniquely positioned to harness AI for economic growth. However, Aggarwal warns that this transformation won't happen on its own—it requires deliberate effort and strategic action from both the government and the private sector.

In a recent post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Aggarwal emphasized India’s strengths, stating, "India has the largest number of developers and silicon designers in the world, and the largest amount of data. India can do to AI what China did to manufacturing." His message is clear: India’s vast resources in technology and data can be leveraged to make the country a global hub for AI, but only if the right steps are taken.

Aggarwal has been vocal about the need for India to embrace AI, not just as a tool for enhancing productivity, but as a driver of job creation. He envisions a future where India can multiply its current job offerings by tenfold through AI-driven productivity gains. In an interview with ANI, he remarked, "Today, millions of IT professionals are doing work for global clients. With AI, their productivity can increase tenfold, which means we can bring ten times more jobs to India." For Aggarwal, the embrace of AI is not just about adapting to change, but about leading it.

However, Aggarwal also acknowledges the potential downsides of AI, particularly in the job market. He notes that while AI will undoubtedly create new job opportunities, it will also lead to job displacement, especially in white-collar sectors. "AI will create new jobs, but it will also take away jobs," he said, highlighting the dual impact of AI on employment. In the near term, he predicts that white-collar jobs will bear the brunt of AI’s disruptive power, while blue-collar roles may be less immediately affected.

Beyond the technical and economic aspects, Aggarwal has also criticized the cultural shifts driven by big tech companies, particularly what he describes as "wokeism." He has voiced concerns about how companies like Microsoft, Google, and Meta are imposing their own rules and philosophies on the world. Citing an example from LinkedIn, Aggarwal expressed frustration with being pressured to declare pronouns, which he sees as part of a broader agenda that he disagrees with. “They’ve become their own sovereigns, setting the rules of the world in their own mind,” he said.

As India navigates the complexities of AI adoption, insights from industry leaders like Aggarwal will be critical. He will be among the key speakers at the "Adani BT India@100" forum on August 20 at the Leaders Lounge, Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, where he will share his vision for India’s AI future.

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