To be sure, some experts downplayed the impact of AI, saying the productivity benefits of the technology remain uncertain and recent layoffs may owe to a host of other factors, including a wider economic slowdown. Many economists expect AI to add new job opportunities, even as it eliminates others, they noted.

Last year, India’s Economic Survey 2023-24 had flagged that AI could cast a “huge pall of uncertainty” on workers across skill segments in India, with those working in more backend operations such as...