India has secured 11th place among 56 Commonwealth countries in a major new study of youth AI readiness, and the numbers behind the ranking are striking. The study estimates that artificial intelligence could add $79.1 billion to India’s economy over the next ten years, the second-largest potential gain of any Commonwealth nation.
The findings come from the Ayre Index, formally titled The 2026 Commonwealth Youth AI Readiness Index, which was launched at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda. India scored 60.6 out of 100, comfortably above the study’s readiness benchmark of 53. Only 15 of the 56 countries assessed met or crossed that benchmark, while 41 fell below it.
For a country with the world’s largest young population, the stakes are high. The study estimates that around 382 million Indians are aged between 15 and 29, more than half of the 732 million young people across the entire Commonwealth. How this generation learns, works and adapts to AI will shape not just India’s economy but the Commonwealth’s as a whole.
$79 billion opportunity, and what it depends on
The headline figure comes from scenarios developed by the International Monetary Fund and applied to India’s economy by the researchers. Under the moderate scenario, AI could raise the level of India’s GDP by $79.121 billion after ten years. The conservative illustration puts the gain at $39.561 billion, while the optimistic case reaches $118.682 billion.
These are projections of the change in the level of GDP after a decade, not annual growth figures and not guaranteed gains. What they measure is the scale of the opportunity if India gets the pieces right: access, skills, jobs and safeguards, in that order.
The enthusiasm is already there. The research found that nearly 89 per cent of young Indians are keen to use AI for education or work within the next year, a level of interest that puts India among the most AI-enthusiastic youth populations in the study.
What the index actually measures
Published by the Ayre Think Tank, founded by Antiguan-Canadian philanthropist Calvin Ayre, the index draws on 1,128 research sources. It assesses how prepared young people aged 15 to 29 are to benefit from artificial intelligence, across five areas: digital access, education, employment, enterprise and AI safeguards.
India’s strengths, according to the study, are familiar ones. The country has extensive digital infrastructure, widespread 4G coverage and some of the cheapest mobile data in the world. That foundation is what pushes its score above the benchmark, even though only 66.5 per cent of young people were found to own a mobile phone, a gap the report flags clearly.
The white paper sets out five priorities for governments that want to turn AI readiness into real jobs and incomes:
- Affordable and reliable access to technology, so that connectivity and devices reach young people beyond the big cities.
- Education that develops practical skills, not just familiarity with AI tools but the ability to use them for real work.
- Stronger routes from training into employment and enterprise, so that skills lead to paychecks and startups, not just certificates.
- AI tools suited to local languages and needs, built for the way Indians actually live and work.
- Safeguards that let users question automated decisions, so that young people can challenge an AI system when it gets something wrong.
India is already moving on AI skills
The ranking lands at a moment when India is already pushing hard on AI training. 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.
That push matters because the index is not really about technology. It is about whether a generation can turn a new general-purpose technology into livelihoods. A country can have cheap data and still miss the moment if its young people cannot use AI to learn faster, work smarter or build businesses.
FAQs
What is the Ayre Index?
The Ayre Index, formally The 2026 Commonwealth Youth AI Readiness Index, is a study by the Ayre Think Tank that ranks all 56 Commonwealth countries on how prepared their young people are to benefit from artificial intelligence.
Where does India rank in the Ayre Index?
India ranks 11th out of 56 Commonwealth countries, with a score of 60.6 out of 100, above the study’s readiness benchmark of 53.
How much could AI add to India’s economy?
The study estimates AI could raise India’s GDP by $79.1 billion over ten years under a moderate scenario, $39.6 billion under a conservative scenario and $118.7 billion under an optimistic one.
How many young people does India have?
Around 382 million Indians are aged 15 to 29, more than half of the 732 million young people across the Commonwealth.
What is the government doing on AI skills?
In August 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a plan to train ten million young people in AI skills within a year, and in September the government launched AI training programmes with Intel India.
India’s 11th-place finish is a promising start. Whether it becomes a $79 billion reality will depend on what happens in classrooms, training centres and workplaces over the next few years.
