Approximately 80% of engineers in India are unemployed
“Approximately 80% of engineers in India are unemployed”Rahul Gandhi, Chhatron Ki Goonj rally, Kota, 17 June 2026
Rated False
The facts
The 80% figure is not an unemployment figure. Aspiring Minds’ 2019 report said around 80% of engineering graduates were not employable for knowledge-economy jobs because of skill gaps; it did not say 80% were unemployed.10
Aspring Mind's 2013 report also highlights the engineering employability crisis, stating that only 18.43% of engineers were employable for software jobs, with major gaps in programming, domain, and communication skills.12
The current Government has sought to address this through multiple initiatives such as Skill India. As a result, the share of youth aged 15–29 who had received vocational training rose from 7.1% in 2017–18 to 26.1% in 2023–24.13
The emerging AI economy is also creating more jobs than it is displacing in India so far. A 2026 Nomura analysis identified about 83,100 AI-related hires against 31,921 AI-linked layoffs/attrition—roughly 2.6 hires for every job affected. Nomura nevertheless cautions that entry-level workers and freshers are facing greater pressure as routine tasks are automated.
Skilling capacity has expanded alongside this shift. FutureSkills PRIME had over 34 lakh registrations by August 2026, including more than 9.58 lakh registrations in AI and Big Data Analytics, with courses developed in consultation with industry.14
#1 globally in AI talent acquisition: Stanford’s AI Index 2025 says India had the highest annual AI hiring rate, about 33%.
#1 in growth of AI talent concentration: India’s AI talent concentration increased 252% between 2016 and 2024, the highest among countries tracked.
At the same time, the Government has expanded manufacturing employment through PLI schemes. As of March 2026, PLI schemes across 14 sectors had generated over 14 lakh direct and indirect jobs, alongside more than ₹2.4 lakh crore of actual investment.