AI, AI Sir! Indian execs back in the classroom for a fresh chapter

Artificial intelligence (AI) is fuelling a fresh boom in India's upskilling market as professionals across industries rush to acquire new skills to stay relevant in a workplace being disrupted by automation and generative AI.

Online education companies such as Coursera, Eruditus, upGrad and Simplilearn are reporting a sharp rise in enrolments over the past year $2 trillion a year over the next five years - with generative AI, agentic AI and AI-led business transformation emerging as the most sought-after areas of learning.

Coursera's India operation has recorded five GenAI enrolments a minute in 2026, taking total enrolments to more than four million $2 trillion a year over the next five years - the highest globally. The comparable figure was three a minute in 2025.


upGrad said more than 90% of its learners now opt for AI-focused programmes across formats, underscoring AI's growing centrality to professional learning. At Simplilearn, GenAI courses account for more than 60% of revenue, while over 80% of its curriculum carries an AI-first focus. Eruditus said its strongest-performing programmes are those that integrate AI applications into traditionally non-technical fields, including leadership, healthcare strategy, executive communication and financial decision-making.

The surge extends beyond software engineers and data professionals. Mid-career managers, consultants, marketers, finance professionals, product leaders and senior executives are increasingly enrolling in AI courses.

"Upskilling has shifted from 'what do I want to learn' to 'what can I apply at work effectively and immediately', and that shift is driving professionals to move swiftly and more deliberately," said Chaitanya Kalipatnapu, co-founder, Eruditus.

The company recorded close to a 25% year-on-year increase in enrolments in the March quarter alone.

"This behaviour also tells us about the growing appetite for outcome-linked upskilling amongst professionals to either get career acceleration, job switch, or stay relevant in the current AI-heavy job market," he said.

According to Ashutosh Gupta, managing director, India and Asia Pacific at Coursera, motivation for learning in India has become far more career-led.

"AI, data analytics, cybersecurity and cloud computing continue to see strong demand, but learners are now moving towards more applied and specialised skills that help them use these technologies in real workplace scenarios," Gupta said. A clear example is agentic AI.

"In May 2026, enrolments in agentic AI courses in India have increased three times compared to May 2025, showing growing interest in AI agents, automation and autonomous workflows," he added.

Industry executives said that as companies embed AI into everyday workflows, professionals increasingly view upskilling as essential to future-proof their careers and improve productivity.

Simplilearn co-founder Kashyap Dalal said 90% of learners over the past year were working professionals who were taking ownership of their upskilling journeys. Nearly 89% were self-funded rather than relying on employer mandates.