India must build more research opportunities to retain its AI talent, said Yann LeCun, Meta’s Chief AI Scientist, on Thursday at an industry event organized by Nasscom in Delhi.
LeCun listed the challenges posed by limited research roles and the brain drain and urged Indian companies to create a research-driven culture similar to that of Metaโs FAIR team, Google Research, or Microsoft Research in the country itself.
To be sure, India’s brain drain is a phenomenon where Indian students and professionals with talent and skills leave the country to work or study elsewhere. It results in a loss of human capital.
India has grappled with the issue of brain drain for years, and the trend is only intensifying. From 2015 to 2022, around 1.3 million Indiansโmany of them highly skilled professionalsโleft the country. In 2022 alone, a record 225,000 Indians gave up their citizenship. The United States, Canada, and Europe were the top destinations for skilled workers who left India in the hope of better jobs.
On the other hand, Indians are increasingly going abroad for foreign education. With unemployment reaching 7.33% in 2022 (according to CMIE) and notable skill gaps, many young graduates are seeking opportunities abroad. A RedSeer report projects that by 2024, 1.8 million Indians will spend $85 billion on overseas education.
โGiving young, talented scientists a reason to stay in India is crucial, but the current research landscape offers limited options,โ
said LeCun.
During his India visit, which included stops at IIT Delhi and IIT Madras, he noted that strong research opportunities would push aspiring scientists to remain and build a strong AI ecosystem locally.
LeCun also weighed that the โambitious researchโ culture, which promotes research publications and open intellectual property, thrives mainly in the U.S., leading many Indian researchers to move abroad.
However, he suggested that if research careers expanded in India, more graduates would likely pursue PhDs and possibly launch startups, strengthening the domestic AI ecosystem.
Last but not least, he drew comparisons to Paris, where many researchers find roles within public universities, and said that a similar structure could help retain talent in India.