At Github Universe 2024, the developer platform owned by Microsoft revealed that India has reached a significant milestone of 17 million active developers on its platform, marking a remarkable 28% increase from the previous year. This surge solidifies India’s position as the fastest-growing developer community globally, surpassing the US, which has approximately 20 million developers. The latest GitHub Octoverse report highlights India’s growing presence in the global technology sector, with significant contributions to generative AI and open-source projects. In fact, India ranks second globally in GitHub Education users and public contributions to generative AI projects, only behind the US. The country has also seen a significant increase in contributions to generative AI projects and overall contributions to these initiatives, placing it third globally behind the US and Hong Kong (SAR). According to GitHub chief Thomas Dohmke, this report confirms India’s developer community as the fastest-growing in the world, solidifying its position as a global tech powerhouse. He also believes that Indian developers are increasingly utilizing AI to drive innovation, paving the way for major multinational companies to emerge from India. The report also highlights India’s commitment to open-source projects, with the country being the second-largest contributor on GitHub. This dedication is evident in popular projects like ERPNext, which addresses societal challenges and promotes sustainable development. Indian open-source communities are also utilizing GitHub Copilot, an AI developer tool, to create impactful digital solutions. One such initiative is the Open Healthcare Network (OHC), focused on improving healthcare delivery and management in the country. The growth of GitHub Education users in India is partly driven by the National Education Policy of 2020, which emphasizes coding and AI in school curricula. A recent study by Udemy identified GitHub as one of the most sought-after skills in India, highlighting its significance in the nation’s educational landscape. Looking ahead, GitHub predicts that India will surpass the US to become the world’s largest developer community by 2028, a shift that was initially forecasted for 2027. This continued investment in software development and AI literacy positions India as a long-term leader in the global technology arena. Earlier this year, Dohmke visited India and announced that GitHub Copilot now supports coding in Hindi, further solidifying the platform’s commitment to the Indian developer community. With the support of Microsoft, GitHub aims to create a groundswell of developers in India, building and deploying in natural language. This will undoubtedly elevate India’s position as a global tech expert.
