TeamLease Digital has launched POWER (Professional Opportunity for Workforce Empowerment & Reboot), a structured ‘returnship’ programme aimed at bringing experienced professionals, especially women, back into India’s AI and digital workforce, as companies grapple with a widening talent gap.

The initiative’s first offering, the AI Career Accelerator: Returnship Edition, has already completed its inaugural cohort, the staffing firm said, with participants graduating into a market where demand for AI talent continues to outstrip supply. Salaries in these roles have risen 2–4x, reflecting the intensity of hiring pressures.

The move comes against the backdrop of a 53% gap in AI-ready professionals in India, prompting companies to explore alternative talent pipelines. 

What did Neeti Sharma say?

“India doesn’t have an AI talent shortage—it has an access gap. A significant portion of experienced talent sits outside the workforce today: women on career breaks, ready to return. With structured returnship pathways, this cohort brings proven domain expertise, maturity, and execution discipline—making them high-impact contributors to AI and digital teams from day one,” Neeti Sharma, CEO, TeamLease Digital, said.

She added that research indicated a 25–50% talent shortage across AI, Cloud, and Cybersecurity, with just one qualified engineer available for every ten GenAI roles. This widening gap underscores a fundamental mismatch between supply and rapidly accelerating demand. 

“Addressing this requires activating new, scalable talent pipelines that focus on deployability and real business outcomes. In this context, structured re-entry programs present a timely and strategic opportunity—organisations that invest in them as serious talent engines will be far better positioned to compete in an AI-led future,” she said. 

What does industry data suggest?

Industry data points to a broader shift underway. Women’s participation in STEM upskilling programmes has increased from 22% in 2018–19 to 33% in 2023, while women now account for 36.2% of India’s tech workforce.

TeamLease Digital’s analysis suggests that organisations are increasingly viewing such initiatives as a business imperative rather than a diversity measure. With talent shortages spanning AI, cloud and cybersecurity, structured re-entry programmes are emerging as a scalable approach to unlock experienced talent that remains underutilised in the workforce.