The contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) industry in India is experiencing a quick reorientation of employment towards AI-enabled capabilities, with a 178 percent increase in AI-linked skill demand over the previous two years.

The HR solutions company CIEL HR stated in its research that although the total sectoral hiring increased by 52% between 2023 and 2025, the demand connected to AI surged from 6. 2% to 17. 2% in 2025.

At over 38%, the digital and technology positions had the greatest AI demand. Demand for skills led by AI is expanding into essential roles like quality, analytics, and research and development outside of standard technological positions.

Due to growing complexity in outsourced pharmaceutical programs and sustained capacity growth, overall recruiting saw a shift in momentum from manufacturing to capability-intensive positions.

According to the study, manufacturing and operations will continue to be the largest segment in 2025, accounting for 1,820 positions. At around 8% year-over-year, these roles had the lowest growth among all role families, though.

More and more, hiring is moving away from labor intensity and toward automation, accuracy in planning, and predictability in quality.

Especially in high-value scientific jobs, the analysis noted a growing execution difference between demand and available talent.

The current supply of talent with AI abilities in these jobs is still under 1% despite the increase in demand for AI skills in research and development positions to 24%, which poses a major execution limitation.

The CDMO industry is approaching a stage where the capacity to incorporate intelligence into each level of operations will be the foundation of competitive advantage. “AI is becoming essential to how research is hastened, manufacturing is optimized, and client obligations are met,” stated Aditya Narayana Mishra, CIEL HR’s MD and CEO.

Out of almost 1,44,000 manufacturing experts, the survey found that only roughly 0. 8% possess AI abilities. Nearly 0. 1 percent of the almost 1,19,000 professionals in commercial positions have AI ability. Approximately 15% of the data and analytics positions had AI skill penetration.