India Inc Prioritizes AI-Ready Workforce: Major Companies Invest in Upskilling Initiatives

AI-ready workforce top priority for India Inc

India Inc companies like Wipro, Genpact, and Ericsson are investing heavily in AI-ready workforce initiatives, creating personalised training programmes and partnerships with universities. These efforts have resulted in substantial employee upskilling, particularly in AI, with a notable impact on employee retention and readiness for future workplace demands. India Inc is investing heavily in an artificial intelligence (AI)-ready workforce. Companies such as Wipro, Genpact and Ericsson are creating personalised AI training programmes for employees, partnering with universities, setting up skilling academies and enhancing internal learning platforms to build a future-ready workforce. At Wipro, more than 55,000 employees have become advanced AI practitioners, and at Genpact, 60,000-70,000 employees dedicate eight to nine learning hours each month on new-age skills like AI. According to 'The Workforce Wishlist' survey of more than 8,000 Indian professionals by upGrad Enterprise, shared exclusively with ET, eight in 10 respondents said they consider AI skills crucial, and nine in 10 said they value employer-supported training. "Workforce dynamics are undergoing a significant transformation - upskilling and skilling have really evolved beyond 'good to have'. Our data shows that nearly half of the surveyed professionals are more likely to stay with an employer that invests in their development, showing a clear correlation between upskilling initiatives and retention," Srikanth Iyengar, CEO of upGrad Enterprise, told ET. According to the report, standardised programmes no longer work; a customised and collaborative approach is the potential way forward, and 44% of respondents want AI safety training. With AI fundamentally changing the roles and skills required to stay ahead in the modern workplace, companies are launching a slew of AI upskilling initiatives. Wipro has created multiple personalised and contextualised AI training programmes for employees which are tailored according to role, skill sets and domain. The tech firm has launched 35 persona-based learning pathways for its developers, engineers, architects and sales and business teams. "Since the launch of our ai360 strategy in July 2023, over 230,000 of our employees have been made proficient in basic GenAI fundamentals. Working with partners like Microsoft, Google, AWS, among many others, we have provided training and certifications to more than 25,000 employees," said Sanjeev Jain, chief operating officer, Wipro. Agentic AI is also expected to play a pivotal role in transforming industries and sectors, and its introduction into the workforce will drive efficiency and innovation, according to companies. In January, Genpact launched the 'Gigaacademy', which aims to cultivate 25,000 AI builders or employees proficient in developing AI solutions. The company has also partnered with AdaSci for specialised AI training for entry-level talent and enhanced Genome.ai, its internal learning platform with nano-learning videos, AI assessments and role-play simulations. "As advanced tech and AI solutions start getting embedded into client operations, we're focusing on driving foundational AI literacy, with 12,000 employees currently classified as AI users and targeting almost 90% of our workforce trained and ready for this shift," said Shalini Modi, global L&D leader, Genpact. At Ericsson, more than 30,000 of the company's 100,000-plus employees worldwide have been upskilled in AI. The company has launched programmes like the Digital Academy to make sure employees become proficient in AI. "The focus areas for AI upskilling also include developing critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving skills. By focusing on these areas, we're not just preparing our workforce for today's challenges but also for the unpredictabilities that lie ahead," said Priyanka Anand, head - HR, Southeast Asia Oceania and India, Ericsson.

As AI takes centre stage, hands-on upskilling by employers becomes top Wishlist priority for Employees: upGrad Enterprise Report

Corporate Skilling Leader Surveys over 8,000 Indian Professionals, unveils key workplace motivators across corporate hierarchy upGrad Enterprise, the corporate skilling leader and the Enterprise division of one of Asia's largest integrated and forever learning majors upGrad, today unveiled The Workforce Wishlist 2025, a comprehensive report capturing the evolving skilling aspirations and work motivators of Indian professionals in an AI-driven workplace. A survey of over 8,000 Indian professionals across 28 industries - including automotive, banking, e-commerce, education, healthcare, IT, manufacturing, and retail reveals a significant correlation between upskilling initiatives and employee retention, with 42% of respondents indicating they remain with organisations that invest in their learning and development. Despite 91% valuing employer-supported training, 78% report a lack of relevant opportunities. The demand for AI skills is evident, as 83% consider them crucial, yet 65% identify as novices. Other key Findings include: Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud computing, cybersecurity, green skills, and data analytics remain at the top of the upskilling agenda. 51% of respondents favor hybrid learning, 48% seek role-specific training, while 40% prefer mixed learning methods. Standardized programs no longer work, a customized and collaborative approach is a potential way forward One in three professionals lacks leadership, negotiation, and problem-solving skills, while only 20% actively work on developing them. This jeopardizes leadership pipelines, highlighting the need for a company-wide push to bridge the gap and unlock growth opportunities. 44% want AI safety training, 57% seek sustainability skills and 63% prioritize cybersecurity in today's modern-day workplace parlance Decision-making, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence need focus Companies must balance employer-led and self-driven learning, move AI skilling from intent to action, and ensure AI safety training Commenting on the report, Srikanth Iyengar, CEO of upGrad Enterprise, said, "Workforce dynamics are undergoing a significant transformation - upskilling and skilling have really evolved beyond 'good to have'. Hence, these trends mirrors individuals' work motivators and while we have built a very strong industry-backed primary research repository for us, it supports us in servicing our clients with much sharper and accurate skilling solutions - that nudges the right leadership chords, enabling GCCs and global organisations to build a powerful and future-ready talent pipeline across domains." The report reveals that 45% of respondents are Millennials (ages 29-44), 31% are GenX (ages 45-60), 22% are GenZ (ages 13-28), and 2% are Baby Boomers (ages 61-79). This demographic distribution underscores the need for employers to integrate structured, action-driven learning opportunities -- ensuring that upskilling is not just an HR mandate but a shared leadership vision to future-proof careers. About upGrad Enterprise upGrad Enterprise, the Corporate Skilling and Development division of upGrad -- Asia's leading integrated skilling and workforce development company with over 10 million learners enrolled to date -- creates impact at scale through its world-class learning programs and tailor-made training solutions. upGrad Enterprise partners with mid and large organisations to equip their workforce with market-ready skills and mindsets that drive success. With a network of 3000 corporate partners and an impressive 90%+ training completion rate, upGrad Enterprise excels in delivering tailored skilling programs in high-demand fields such as AI and technology. Our offerings include corporate upskilling, government projects, and a train-and-deploy model for Global Capability Centres (GCCs) of leading and Fortune 500 brands, strengthening organisational leadership with new-age skill sets as they spread their footprint across Indian metropolitan cities. These solutions span the employee lifecycle to facilitate digital and business transformation in alignment with organisational goals, leading to capability building and value generation. A two-gold Awards recipient at the Brandon Hall, upGrad Enterprise trained over 600,000 professionals in a single year during FY24.