Quote of the Day by N Chandrasekaran: 'AI will empower more people with…'

“Actually in a country like us, it (AI) will create jobs because it will empower people with the little skill or no skill, will empower them with information skill so that they can perform a higher level of jobs,” Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of TCS, said highlighting AI empowerment.  

Chandrasekaran emphasised that AI would act as a tool to uplift workers rather than replace them, enabling them to handle more complex tasks by providing access to better information skills. 

He argued that in a country like India, AI will act as a significant job creator, assisting low-skilled individuals to increase their productivity and enhance their role value. 

Who is N Chandrasekaran 

Born in 1963 in Mohanur (Tamil Nadu), into a farming family, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, widely known as ‘Chandra’, is the Chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company and promoter of all Tata Group companies. Appointed in January 2017, he is the first non-family and non-Parsi professional executive to lead the group. 

He joined Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) as an intern in 1987 and spent his entire career within the group. He rose through the ranks to become the CEO and Managing Director of TCS in 2009. Under his eight-year leadership, TCS became India’s most valuable company and a global IT powerhouse. 

He received the Padma Bhushan in 2022, France’s Legion of Honour in 2023, and was conferred as an Honorary Knight Commander (KBE) by the UK in 2025. 

When was this quote said    

Chandrasekaran, who is also the Chairman of Tata Sons, stated that AI will empower people with little or no skill to perform higher-level jobs on August 25, 2023. He made these remarks during a panel discussion at the B20 Summit India 2023 in New Delhi. 

He emphasised that AI is crucial for India’s development, allowing for increased access to services and boosting GDP and per capita income.  

What does this quote mean?      

Chandrasekaran said that the impact of AI will play out in different markets and different segments of the society differently. He cited the example of a nurse using AI to take on responsibilities previously handled by doctors, thereby increasing productivity and scaling healthcare services. 

While discussing on the ‘mixed bag’ impact of AI, including potential job losses due to automation, Chandrasekaran maintained that the overall impact of AI, if embraced for upskilling, would be positive and empowering.