The GLMC’s report “Navigating Tomorrow: Mastering skills in a dynamic global labour market” emphasises India’s key role in the Global South’s response to AI and automation
As ministers, academics and experts gather in the Saudi Arabian capital to discuss the challenges facing the global labour market, a report has positioned India as the leader in the Global South’s response to disruptions such artificial intelligence (AI) and automation.

is a flagship event of the Saudi government. (Representative file photo)
The Global Labour Market Conference (GLMC), a flagship event of the Saudi government, has attracted participants from some 150 countries, including International Labour Organization (ILO) director-general Gilbert Houngbo and representatives of leading Indian players such as Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to discuss practical strategies for the sustainability of labour markets.
The GLMC’s report “Navigating Tomorrow: Mastering Skills in a Dynamic Global Labour Market” emphasises India’s key role in the Global South’s response to AI and automation and says the country’s workers have been frontrunners in skill development and technological adaptation.
The report focuses on technological advancements, demographic shifts and climate change as factors reshaping employment trends across 14 countries, including India. It states that more than 70% of Indian professionals actively seek opportunities to upskill, making the country a global leader in technological adaptation.
While global trust in governments to support upskilling remains low at 20%, Indian respondents (31%) and Saudi Arabian respondents (35%) showed significantly higher confidence in their governments. The figures for the US (15%) and the UK (12%) were lower.
Indian professionals are concerned about the urgency of reskilling due to technological advancements, with 55% fearing their skills could become partially or fully obsolete within five years. This puts India in line with similar concerns expressed by 61% in Brazil and 60% in China, compared to lower levels in developed markets such as the UK (44%) and Australia (43%).
“The world is witnessing rapid technological advancement, fundamental demographic changes and emerging issues such as climate adaptation. These developments require us to take proactive and bold steps to prepare humanity for the future,” Al-Rajhi said.
Al-Rajhi announced a key initiative: the launch of the Riyadh-based Global Labour Market Academy, in partnership with the World Bank. The academy will provide policymakers worldwide, especially in middle—and low-income countries, with tools to implement effective labour market reforms.
“Our vision remains clear and our goals steadfast to work together to build a flexible and inclusive labour market that can adapt to future challenges and changes efficiently and effectively,” he said.
West Asian countries are key for the Indian labour force as they host nine million expatriates. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) each host almost three million Indians, including blue-collar workers engaged in construction and a growing number of professionals in fields such as IT, engineering, medicine, architecture and services.
The GLMC’s report also noted that climate change has spurred upskilling and reskilling in India, with 32% of respondents identifying it as a factor influencing their reskilling decisions over the next five years. However, barriers to upskilling and reskilling remain consistent globally, with Indian respondents citing a lack of time (40%) and financial constraints (38%) as primary challenges.
This aligns with patterns in Brazil, where 43% reported a lack of time and 39% financial constraints, and South Africa, where 45% and 42%, respectively, cited these barriers. The report indicated that India’s proactive stance on upskilling (55%) for the next five years contrasts with trends in more developed markets such as the US (51%), UK (44%), and Australia (49%), where fewer workers reported an urgency to reskill due to technological changes. Additionally, 26% of Indian respondents expressed anxiety about job automation, reflecting a more optimistic outlook compared to 36% in China, which ranked as the “most technologically anxious market.”