India is seeing a sharp rise in AI-related hiring, with AI engineering jobs growing 51% year-on-year, LinkedIn CEO Dan Shapero said in an exclusive interview with The Economic Times. During his first visit to India as LinkedIn CEO, Shapero also said the global hiring slowdown appears to be driven more by higher interest rates than by AI.
AI Is Reshaping Jobs And Skills
While global hiring remains slower than pre-pandemic levels, LinkedIn’s data does not point to AI as the main reason, Shapero told The Economic Times. He said higher interest rates have had a bigger impact on hiring trends.
At the same time, AI is opening up new opportunities in India. AI engineering roles are growing 51% year-on-year, while hiring for data centre-related jobs has tripled over the past decade.
Shapero said AI is reshaping existing jobs as well, with the skills needed for many roles changing even if job titles remain the same. In India, the skills required for a job are evolving by around 12% every year, he said.
According to LinkedIn data in the interview, it also showed India’s share of overseas R&D hiring by US companies rose from 27% in 2019 to 41% in 2025. Shapero also pointed to a surge in entrepreneurship, with the number of LinkedIn members identifying themselves as founders more than doubling, up 104% year-on-year.
Also Read: AI Is Creating More Jobs Than It Cuts In India, Nomura Says
AI Agents Transforming Recruitment
Shapero said AI can enable individuals and smaller businesses to accomplish more with fewer resources. Hiring from small businesses on LinkedIn has increased by more than 250% over the past few years, he said.
LinkedIn is also expanding its use of AI agents in recruitment. Its Hiring Assistant, launched less than 12 months ago, is designed to reduce administrative work for recruiters and allow them to focus on higher-value tasks.
According to Shapero, LinkedIn’s Talent Solutions agentic products have crossed a $450 million annual revenue run rate and continue to grow rapidly.
He said the biggest risk for workers and companies is not AI itself, but failing to adapt to the changes it is bringing. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in workplaces, professionals will need to rethink their careers, jobs and skills, Shapero told ET.
Also Read: India’s AI Momentum Index Climbs To 63 in Q3, Pulls Ahead Of Global Average
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