The UK government, under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, is currently evaluating changes to its visa policy, aimed at attracting highly skilled overseas Artificial Intelligence (AI) professionals. The UK recently published its AI Opportunities Action Plan, in which it outlined the broader strategy to position itself as a global leader in AI. The Action Plan has almost 50 recommendations that seek to enhance AI adoption and give a push to economic growth in the country.
India to benefit the most: Here's why
As the UK is set to relax its visa restrictions, India is poised to benefit the most given the pool of talent it has to offer in the AI domain.
Speaking to Business Standard, Ramesh Alluri Reddy, CEO of TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship, said that the AI workforce in India has grown, and the Indian professionals show skills 2.8 times higher than the global average. Due to these factors, India finds itself among the pioneers of data analytics, cloud computing, machine learning, and others.
He added that the announcement by the UK government positions India as a key provider of AI talent.
The plan, endorsed by British PM Starmer, underscores the need to revise the immigration system, which is aimed at attracting top talent from institutions like Carnegie Mellon University as well as the Indian Institutes of Technology.
What is recommendation 21 of the Action Plan?
According to recommendation 21 of the Action Plan, new visa pathways will be developed with an emphasis on addressing barriers, including cost and complexity. Notably, these barriers are known for deterring startups and international talent.
In its response, the UK government has revealed that it partially agrees with this recommendation, while it relies on the Industrial Strategy to set out how the country will attract overseas skilled AI talent.
The new Action Plan will facilitate easy recruitment of international AI experts by employers in the UK. This will encourage businesses to explore the best talents from different parts of the world, including India.
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