Marcellus Investment Managers’ founder Saurabh Mukherjea has said that artificial intelligence (AI) could potentially displace up to 40 million middle-class jobs in India over the next 15 years. Speaking during an interview on The BarberShop with Shantanu Mukherjea, candidly admitted, “Even I’m not safe,” highlighting the sweeping reach of AI across industries.
Mukherjea, known for his sharp insights into macroeconomic trends, drew attention to the middle tier of white-collar employment comprising lawyers, consultants, analysts, accountants, designers, and various service-sector professionals as the segment most at risk.
“AI is unlikely to impact the top 1% of job creators or the bottom 10% of labour-intensive work. But the large, educated middle — that’s where the disruption will be brutal,” he warned.
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AI’s Advance: White-Collar Displacement Not a Distant Threat
Mukherjea’s comments come amid growing anxiety in India’s urban workforce, particularly among sectors that have historically relied on knowledge-based services. With generative AI models like ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini now capable of producing content, generating code, and analysing data at scale, the need for repetitive white-collar roles is rapidly shrinking.
“Technology tends to hollow out the middle,” Mukherjea said. “The top and bottom survive — the top due to intellectual capital, and the bottom because machines can’t yet clean or cook with finesse. But the middle, which scaled in the last 30 years, will face existential threats.”
He emphasised that Indian professionals should urgently reskill and adapt, developing creative, strategic, or deeply human-centric abilities that AI cannot yet replicate.
What Can Be Done? Adaptability is Key
Mukherjea stressed the importance of evolving skill sets. “Learn prompt engineering, human-centric design, or work that requires real-world nuance. Build agility. Because the AI tide is rising fast, and it doesn’t wait.”
As India aims to become a $5 trillion economy, the future of its middle class — the bedrock of consumption and democratic stability — is at a crossroads. Mukherjea’s forecast is not just a prediction; it’s a wake-up call.