INDIA RANKS 11TH IN MAJOR AI STUDY

INDIA RANKS 11TH IN MAJOR AI STUDY – WITH COMMONWEALTH’S SECOND-LARGEST POTENTIAL GDP GAIN OF US$79 BILLION AND YOUTH JOBS OPPORTUNITY

Home to more than half the Commonwealth’s young people, India ranks among 15 AI-ready nations as government targets AI skills training for 10 million young people.

India ranks 11th of 56 Commonwealth countries in the Ayre Index, scoring 60.6 out of 100 against the study’s youth AI readiness benchmark of 53.
With approximately 382 million people aged 15 to 29, India accounts for more than half of the Commonwealth’s 732 million young people.
Researchers calculate a potential US$79.1 billion AI-related increase in the level of India’s GDP after ten years, rising to US$118.7 billion in the optimistic scenario.
Drawing on 1,128 research sources, the Ayre Index examines the conditions facing young people across all the Commonwealth’s 56 countries.

St John’s, 6 November 2026: India has ranked 11th out of 56 Commonwealth countries in a major new study of youth AI readiness, which identifies a potential US$79 billion boost to its economy after ten years – the second-largest economic opportunity of any country in the Commonwealth.

The Ayre Index, launched at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, scores India 60.6 out of 100, well above the study’s readiness benchmark of 53. Only 15 Commonwealth countries meet or exceed that threshold, while 41 fall below it.

India’s position carries particular significance because of its scale. The study estimates that approximately 382 million Indians are aged 15 to 29, more than half of the 732 million young people across the Commonwealth.

Research by the Ayre Think Tank, founded by Antiguan-Canadian philanthropist Calvin Ayre, also reveals considerable enthusiasm for AI among young Indians. In a survey examined by researchers, 88.8% expected to use the technology for education or work within the following year, while 60.1% expressed confidence in their ability to control their interactions with it.

India also has substantial digital infrastructure, including widespread 4G coverage and comparatively inexpensive mobile data under the Index’s selected measures. Yet only 66.5% of young people were found to own a mobile phone, showing how national coverage does not necessarily mean that every young person has the device or reliable access needed to participate.

The largest challenge may lie in translating technological potential into livelihoods. The research records 30.4% of young people outside employment, education or training, while 85.8% of young workers were in informal employment.

The possible economic benefits are considerable. Applying scenarios developed by the International Monetary Fund to India’s economy, the researchers calculate that AI could increase the level of the country’s GDP by US$79.121 billion after ten years under their moderate scenario. The conservative illustration is US$39.561 billion, rising to US$118.682 billion under the optimistic case.

Calvin Ayre, founder of the Ayre Think Tank, said: “I’ve spent my life in businesses where new technology changes everything, and I know you can’t stand still. AI is going to change how we work, how we do business and how wealth is created. But this is not a race that only the biggest or richest countries can win. What matters is giving young people the skills and the chance to get ahead – whether to start businesses, find jobs or build something for themselves. Some Commonwealth countries are ahead, others have catching up to do. Nobody can afford to be complacent. That’s why we created this Index. It shows countries where they stand, what they’re getting right and where they need to do better. Governments now have to decide what they’re going to do about it.”

India is already taking major steps to turn its technological strengths into employment opportunities. In August 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced plans to train ten million young people in AI skills within a year. The following month, the government launched new AI training programmes with Intel India to equip young people with practical skills for the emerging jobs market. These initiatives demonstrate how India is working to turn its enormous enthusiasm for AI into new employment opportunities, stronger businesses and economic growth.

The White Paper identifies five priorities: affordable and reliable access to technology; education that develops practical skills; stronger routes from training into employment and enterprise; AI tools suited to local languages and needs; and safeguards that enable young people to question automated decisions.

It calls on governments, educators and development partners to examine the particular barriers young people face in each country before deciding where investment could make the greatest difference.

Professor C. Justin Robinson, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal of the University of the West Indies, Five Islands Campus, said: “We need to make sure that the next generation will be able to do more than just consume AI products made elsewhere. Access must come with its own agency and a real equitable stake in how these systems are governed. Young people should be equipped to question these new tools, to improve them and to be supported in building alternatives suited to their own needs. Whether that happens, however, will depend on choices made now. This index gives us a clearer view of where those choices are most urgent. We should use it.”

The White Paper, The Ayre Index: The 2026 Commonwealth Youth AI Readiness Index, can be downloaded here:

White Paper for media distribution

Photos, logos and graphics for publication including a graphic card for every country featured on the list (crediting the Ayre Think Tank) can be downloaded here:

Photo, logos and graphics for every country download link

For media enquiries and interview requests please contact:

Joy Wambura at Joy@ayrethinktank.com and on +254 725 991 228

THE AYRE INDEX: 56 COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES

Published ranking, out of 100. The study’s readiness benchmark is 53 points, between Nigeria (15th) and Seychelles (16th).

Rank	Commonwealth country	Index score	Scoring coverage (of 102)	Data Gap Index (of 100)
1	Singapore	77.6	75	37.7
2	Malta	75.0	68	41.4
3	Australia	71.0	76	26.2
4	United Kingdom	70.8	84	20.1
5	Canada	70.2	76	31.8
6	Malaysia	69.0	72	29.0
7	Cyprus	67.4	74	34.1
8	Mauritius	64.4	61	49.4
9	New Zealand	63.9	55	50.1
10	Brunei Darussalam	62.3	57	56.3
11	India	60.6	80	20.7
12	Fiji	56.9	60	47.9
13	South Africa	56.8	75	32.0
14	Trinidad and Tobago	56.5	58	56.6
15	Nigeria	54.5	82	17.4
16	Seychelles	51.8	39	73.1
17	Ghana	51.2	73	31.7
18	Jamaica	50.7	61	51.2
19	Sri Lanka	49.9	54	52.7
20	Zambia	48.8	65	40.5
21	Bangladesh	48.7	84	14.4
22	Kenya	48.7	66	42.9
23	Uganda	47.0	61	50.0
24	Pakistan	46.4	84	15.7
25	Tanzania	45.5	63	41.0
26	Gabon	45.3	43	67.1
27	Antigua and Barbuda	45.2	41	70.6
28	Maldives	44.9	41	71.4
29	Cameroon	44.9	54	53.9
30	The Bahamas	44.7	35	78.5
31	Guyana	44.5	49	65.5
32	Papua New Guinea	44.1	38	67.9
33	Sierra Leone	43.6	64	46.5
34	Barbados	43.0	43	70.5
35	Belize	42.8	50	65.2
36	Namibia	42.7	52	56.2
37	Togo	42.6	58	51.8
38	Grenada	41.7	45	66.2
39	Nauru	41.6	44	69.2
40	Dominica	41.3	37	75.1
41	Samoa	41.0	47	65.1
42	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	39.5	38	72.1
43	Saint Kitts and Nevis	39.0	37	75.1
44	Mozambique	38.9	53	58.1
45	Botswana	38.9	63	53.8
46	Kiribati	38.4	44	66.9
47	Rwanda	38.1	60	50.2
48	Tonga	37.9	49	62.8
49	Saint Lucia	37.5	52	61.6
50	The Gambia	37.3	63	41.9
51	Vanuatu	37.1	48	64.7
52	Eswatini	36.9	51	62.7
53	Solomon Islands	32.0	36	75.6
54	Tuvalu	31.6	42	69.1
55	Lesotho	27.8	55	54.9
56	Malawi	26.3	59	53.0

Scoring coverage is the number of the 102 scored indicators with a usable value, including permitted estimates. The Data Gap Index is a separate weighted measure of missing qualifying evidence across all 111 indicators.