India’s genAI enrolments double, yet skills proficiency lags at 89th place

India recorded the largest increase worldwide in generative AI (GenAI) course enrolments, with a 107% year-on-year rise to approximately 2.6 million, according to the Global Skills Report 2025 published by Coursera. Despite this increase, the country ranked 89th out of 109 nations for overall skills proficiency.

The report, which utilises data from the Coursera platform combined with third-party assessments, indicates that India’s total learner population has grown to over 31 million, overtaking Europe in total course registrations.

Enrolments in professional certification courses increased by 23% year-on-year to about 3.3 million. The report highlights growing demand for skills in technical areas such as full-stack development and DevOps. Generative AI and machine learning were identified as rapidly expanding fields of interest among Indian learners.

Coursera introduced an AI Maturity Index within the report to assess countries’ preparedness for AI adoption. India ranked 46th, placing it in the mid-tier. The index suggests that while learner engagement is significant, the country’s overall innovation ecosystem and research output in AI remain uneven.

Gender disparities in learning participation were also noted. Women accounted for approximately 30% of generative AI course enrolments in India, compared to roughly 40% participation across all courses on the platform. Over half of course access in India occurred via mobile devices.

Proficiency scores among Indian learners were reported as modest: around 18% in business skills, 22% in technology, and 20% in data science. The report comments that many workers do not meet current job qualifications in these areas.

The Global Skills Report 2025 calls for increased public-private collaboration, incorporation of micro-credentials in formal education, and initiatives to improve women’s participation in emerging technologies.