Building an AI-Ready Workforce: Anthony Salcito on the future of skills, learning, and the Indian opportunity

As artificial intelligence (AI) transforms the global workplace, the need to create an AI-ready workforce has become a strategic priority for nations and organisations alike. Few countries are responding to this challenge with as much energy and scale as India. With a burgeoning population of learners and a growing appetite for digital skills, India stands at the forefront of a global skilling revolution. To explore how organisations, individuals, and educational institutions can navigate these seismic shifts, People Matters sat down with Anthony Salcito, General Manager-Enterprise at Coursera.

Drawing on years of experience in both education and technology, Salcito offers a candid perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing India’s workforce. In this interview, he shares insights on the changing landscape of skills, the critical role of lifelong learning, and how platforms like Coursera are partnering with institutions to bridge the gap between education and employability. He also discusses emerging trends in AI adoption, the importance of human-centric skills, and what the future holds for both learners and employers. Edited excerpts

The idea of an AI-ready workforce is truly global, but India is uniquely positioned to lead in this space. For me, AI readiness is not just about having the right technology in place but about preparing people to embrace and thrive amidst rapid transformation. At Coursera, we see skilling as the foundation for unleashing AI's potential. Leaders in India are increasingly aware that this is more of a human journey than a technological one. The data speaks for itself: India saw a 21% year-over-year growth in learners on our platform and had the highest number of enrolments worldwide in 2025. There’s a remarkable focus on both generative AI and broader AI skilling.

It’s a twofold challenge. On the one hand, there’s a pressing need for foundational AI skills—understanding the basics, learning how AI systems work, and using them responsibly. On the other hand, we are witnessing a surge in demand for more advanced competencies, such as agentic work in AI, prompt engineering, natural language queries, and retrieval-augmented generation. But it’s not just about technical prowess. Human skills, such as critical thinking and creativity, are more important than ever. In India, we have seen a 125% year-over-year increase in enrolments in critical thinking courses. These abilities are essential for driving organisational transformation alongside technological change.

There’s a growing recognition that learning can’t stop at graduation—it must be a lifelong endeavour. Organisations are looking for more verified, demonstrable skills, and individuals are hungry for continuous upskilling. This is where micro-credentials come into play. They are increasingly valued by both employers and job seekers, as candidates with micro-credentials often stand out over those with only traditional degrees. The focus is shifting from mastering a single skill to building a broad umbrella of abilities—technical knowledge, leadership, collaboration, and, crucially, critical thinking. The pace of change means we all need to keep moving, keep learning, and keep adapting.

India is experiencing remarkable growth. Since January 2020, the country has added 28 million new learners on Coursera, an 8.5-fold increase since 2019. There’s been a significant uptick in enrolments for generative AI courses and professional certificates. What’s especially encouraging is the engagement from both the government and the private sector. Large businesses are increasingly using Coursera to drive workforce transformation, and there’s a palpable sense of urgency around embracing AI and digital skills. Indian learners are curious, ambitious, and eager to stay ahead of the curve.

The mindset has shifted from simply tracking learning hours to focusing on tangible business outcomes. Learning and Development (L&D) leaders are now asking, “What’s the impact of learning on our bottom line? How does it drive innovation, productivity, and growth?” Companies in India have used Coursera to deliver targeted AI skilling and drive organisational change. They are interested in job-ready outcomes, critical thinking, and leadership development. It’s about aligning learning initiatives with broader business strategies and measuring real-world impact.

Honestly, it’s a bit of both. Some organisations are keen to “catch the bus” by adopting platforms like Coursera, but we strongly encourage treating skilling as a strategic priority rather than a checkbox exercise. The organisations that see the greatest impact are those that integrate learning tools thoughtfully, set clear expectations for learners, and, when needed, customise courses to address specific priorities. For example, one large organisation in India uses our Course Builder to blend industry-leading content with its own internal objectives. Additionally, our CareerGraph tool helps learners map their current skills to career aspirations, providing prescriptive learning paths that don’t always require course customisation. The key is intentionality and a willingness to iterate.

Every major technology shift brings both excitement and anxiety. There are always concerns about displacement, but history shows us that new technologies also create industries and roles we can’t predict. AI will lead to even greater specialisation and new types of work. However, it’s not just about the technology itself—the real drivers of change are entrepreneurship, organisational transformation, and, above all, human skills. We have to put people at the centre of this journey. If we prioritise continuous learning and adaptability, we’ll not only survive, but thrive.

There are striking parallels. The pandemic forced organisations to rapidly adopt digital learning and shifted the value proposition towards hybrid and remote engagement. With AI, we see a similar pattern—there’s a lot of initial focus on the technology, but the true value will come from how humans use these tools to create, innovate, and connect. That’s why foundational skills and adaptability are so important; they’re the bridge between technology and meaningful impact.

We are proud to partner with some of India’s leading universities, including the IITs in Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Bombay. These collaborations bring world-class faculty and cutting-edge content to Indian learners, while also enriching our global catalogue. Indian universities are producing outstanding online courses valued not only locally but also by learners in over 190 countries. This cross-pollination is incredibly powerful—it enables Indian institutions to influence global education while also raising the bar for quality and relevance.

The momentum in India is extraordinary. Since 2019, learner numbers have grown by 8.5 times, with a 21% year-over-year increase. We expect this trajectory to continue, but we are also paying close attention to how learner and employer priorities are evolving. The skills that are in demand today may not be the same tomorrow, so we are committed to tracking these trends and ensuring our offerings remain relevant. We will continue to expand partnerships, invest in new content, and use data to inform our approach.

In December last year, we announced plans to merge with Udemy. The goal is to combine the strengths of both companies—to accelerate platform innovation, embrace AI tools like CareerGraph and Course Builder, and offer an AI coach for learners. Together, we hope to deliver even greater impact for organisations and individuals in India and around the world. The merger is still in progress, but we’re excited about the potential to broaden access, deepen engagement, and support the next generation of learners and leaders.