India Tops AI Course Enrollments, But the Skills Gap Still Looms Large

See All Articles

5 Key Takeaways

• India saw a 107% year-on-year surge in generative AI course enrollments, leading the world with about 2.6 million sign-ups.
• Despite high enrollment, India ranks only 89th out of 109 countries in overall skills proficiency.
• Demand for job-focused credentials is rising, with professional certificate enrollments up 23% and strong interest in full-stack development and DevOps.
• India ranks mid-tier (46th) on the new AI Maturity Index, highlighting a gap between learner interest and national readiness for AI.
• Significant gender and access gaps persist, with only 30% of GenAI learners being women and proficiency levels in business, technology, and data science remaining low.

India Leads the World in AI Course Sign-Ups, But Skills Gap Remains Wide
India is making headlines for its enthusiasm in learning about artificial intelligence (AI), especially the new wave of generative AI (think ChatGPT and similar tools). According to the latest Global Skills Report 2025 from Coursera, India saw a massive 107% jump in people signing up for generative AI courses over the past year. That’s about 2.6 million new enrollments—more than any other country in the world!
In fact, India now has over 31 million people registered on Coursera, surpassing even Europe in total users. This shows just how quickly Indians are embracing digital learning and technology.
Rising Demand for Tech Skills
It’s not just AI that’s getting attention. More Indians are also signing up for job-focused courses, like Professional Certificates in full-stack development and DevOps (the skills needed to build and manage modern software). These enrollments grew by 23% in the last year, reaching about 3.3 million.
Interest in AI, machine learning, and other workplace skills is booming, reflecting a national push towards a tech-driven workforce.
But Skills Proficiency Still Lags
Here’s the catch: while millions are eager to learn, India still ranks only 89th out of 109 countries in overall skills proficiency. The average scores for Indian learners are just 18% in business, 22% in technology, and 20% in data science. This means many workers still don’t have the skills employers are looking for.
The report also introduced an “AI Maturity Index” to measure how ready countries are for the AI revolution. India sits in the middle at 46th place, suggesting that while interest is high, the country’s research and innovation systems need to catch up.
Gaps in Access and Gender
Another concern is that only about 30% of those taking generative AI courses are women, compared to 40% female participation in all courses. Plus, more than half of learners access courses via mobile phones, which is both an opportunity and a challenge for making tech education more accessible.
What Needs to Change?
Experts say India needs to turn this huge interest in learning into real, job-ready skills. This could mean more partnerships between government and private companies, adding short tech courses (micro-credentials) to formal education, and encouraging more women to join the tech field.
In short, India is leading the world in signing up for AI courses, but there’s still a long way to go in turning that enthusiasm into real-world skills and better job opportunities. The next big step? Making sure everyone, regardless of gender or background, can benefit from this digital revolution.

Read more