Artificial intelligence is creating new, lucrative roles for skilled tradespeople in India, with demand for electricians, HVAC technicians, and robotics specialists surging. This 'labour flip' sees blue-collar wages growing faster than entry-level white-collar salaries, as AI's physical infrastructure requires human expertise for installation and maintenance.

The AI data center boom is running into an old-fashioned problem: not enough electricians, line workers, and grid engineers to build the infrastructure it needs.

NEW DELHI: Most of the conversation around AI has been about the jobs it could disrupt. What the technology has also triggered, far less visibly, is an unprecedented surge in…