India is becoming a global IT powerhouse with 17 million developers on GitHub, with a notable emphasis on AI and open-source contributions. According to GitHub, India's developer community has grown to over 17 million members, increasing by 28% in 2024, making it the nation with the fastest-growing developer base in the world.
According to GitHub's most recent “Octoverse " report, India has taken the lead in utilizing AI development tools and participating in open-source projects. GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke stated, "Our most recent October report confirms that India's developer community is the fastest growing on the planet." "The next big multinational is increasingly likely to come from India as the country's growing developer community uses AI to build AI in record numbers."
AI Drives India’s Development Leap
According to the research, India is currently the second-largest contributor to public generative AI projects on GitHub after the United States. This shows a significant increase in generative AI activity. Over the previous year, contributions to AI-driven projects increased by 79%.
According to GitHub data, contributions have increased by 95% yearly, putting India in third place internationally, behind the US and Hong Kong.
Open Source for Good
India has significantly contributed to open source, spearheading social projects that tackle specific issues. For instance, the open-source software project ERP Next, developed in India, actively participates in GitHub's For Good First Issue campaign, which links contributors with sustainable development-focused projects.
GitHub Copilot, a well-known AI tool for developers, is helping projects like Open Healthcare Network OHC, an open-source movement to increase healthcare access in India, find popularity. To meet the increasing demands in healthcare and other vital fields, small teams use GitHub Copilot's generative AI capabilities to speed up such efforts.
Developer Education on the Rise
India's National Education Policy, which requires coding and artificial intelligence abilities in schools, has greatly supported young developers' use of GitHub. India currently has the second-highest number of GitHub Education users worldwide.
According to new Udemy research, GitHub is one of India's most desired talents. This suggests it is becoming increasingly important in early software education alongside core courses like English grammar.
The Road Ahead
In the future, GitHub predicts that by 2028, India will overtake the US as the country with the largest developer community, a prediction that was initially made for 2027. India is well-positioned to continue its rise in the global technology ecosystem because of its steady increase in developer skills and concentration on open source and artificial intelligence.
2024 Edition of GitHub’s October Report
According to the 2024 edition of GitHub's October report, as Indian developers and organizations emphasize outcomes above experimentation, generative AI activity has increased in India. This indicates that AI has passed past the 2023 hype.
With a 79% rise from the previous year, India now has the second-largest developer community on GitHub, right behind the US, contributing to public generative AI projects. In addition, India's donations to these initiatives increased by 95% yearly, ranking third in the world behind the US and Hong Kong SAR.