AI drives a new wave of Upskilling

There is a power surge of skills, partially stimulated by the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), among Indian workers under the conditions of exponentially increasing technological disruption and automation. Great Learning pointed out in its Upskilling Trends Report 2025- 2026 that optimism regarding the effects of AI is high: 78 percent of the surveyed professionals feel positive about AI and are engaged in upskilling: notably in AI and machine learning. It is a significant transformation in the way the workforce is gearing up to face the future and upskilling is not an option, but a must in order to have a successful career.

The growing value of upskilling

The survey that was conducted on more than 1,000 professionals in India indicates that 85 percent of the professionals are now realising the significance of continuously upskilling as a way of future-proofing their career opportunities; this is a significant rise in comparison to the 79 percent in the previous year. The desire to reskill is high as 81 percent intend to learn new technical skills within a year. AI and machine learning are the most in-demand interest areas, followed by software development and cybersecurity, demonstrating how workforce requirements are evolving. 

A significant growth is noted in shorter and affordable certificate programs instead of the traditional degree programs, where professionals want broad knowledge and skills that can be used right away and are sought by employers. Bernard Marr, a global workplace trends analyst, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) “In 2025, adaptability and continuous learning will be crucial for both organisational success and individual career resilience.”

The statistics indicate that motivation to increase skills is not specific to one industry, or to one level of experience. Even as 92 per cent of the senior professionals with more than 17 years of experience believe in continuous learning, 83 % freshers also intend to upskill in 2022 which is high as compared to last year. This demand is particularly high in such disciplines as AI, machine learning, data science and cybersecurity, which have lately become the most wanted to develop competencies in.

Nevertheless, the issue that the professionals struggle with is also addressed in the report: 34% attribute their problem to a heavy workload, whereas others bring up an inability to afford it and family obligations. Nevertheless, the desire to learn persists and there is an intention to spend on new technical abilities in 2025-26 and 81%  plan to do this.

Notably, perceptions of the effect created by AI differ depending on the level of education. The B.E/B. Tech graduates (64%) are less upbeat as compared to the MBA graduates (89%) and B.Com graduates (84%). Such disparity can be attributed to recent reductions in hiring in tech positions, as businesses plan to automate additional operations and decrease hiring in the conventional areas of IT. It was also discovered in this report that job confidence is recovering: 73 percent of the professionals are confident in their jobs, which is an 11-percentage-point increase over last year. The confidence is also the highest in large firms and employees in tier-I cities and the lowest in smaller firms as well as tier-II cities.

Barriers to upskilling: Time, cost, and workload

However, notwithstanding this optimism, certain obstacles to upskilling exist. The greatest challenge is office workload as 37 percent of professionals noted that they have no time to learn because of work pressures. Women, especially, encounter extra family burdens, and cost effectiveness is yet another factor among young and beginning career men. Nevertheless, the urge to upskill is overwhelming based on the need to elevate earning capacity, have promotions, and meet dynamics in the requirements of jobs.

Upskilling is no longer solely a matter of keeping a job, it is about surviving in a world where AI is quickly changing and altering jobs, decision-making, and creating new professions altogether.  To be successful in such an environment, upskilling is a must. Learning and adapting professionals are stronger, more employable, and more likely to take the advantage of emerging opportunities when they come across. Employers are also seeing the benefits of lifelong learning as they tend to choose candidates holding micro-credential and the latest certificate rather than those with a traditional degree.

Future outlook

To conclude, what is happening in India in terms of skills, and the increasing role of AI, demonstrates the resilience and adaptability of the working population. Upskilling, at least in the areas of work such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, has now become a necessity of those who seek to remain relevant, safe, and prosperous in the dynamic work environment.

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