Indian edtech platforms are witnessing a surge in enrollments for AI courses. Professionals are actively upskilling in areas like agentic AI, genAI and cybersecurity. Edtech platforms in India are seeing an unprecedented surge in enrolments for AI courses from professionals looking to upskill in emerging technologies and stay ahead in a competitive market.
Platforms like Simplilearn, upGrad, Udemy, Emeritus, and Coursera are witnessing a spike in demand for courses – particularly for agentic AI, genAI, and cybersecurity – and are doubling down on offerings through more courses, expanded learning options, more university partnerships, and accessible pricing through alumni discounts and flexible payment options, to address critical and emerging skill gaps.
AI’s transformative potential has created urgent upskilling needs as organisations integrate these capabilities into operations, product development, and customer experiences, said industry executives. Big tech firms and Indian IT services firms explicitly seek AI fluency for traditional roles while creating specialised positions demanding deep AI expertise.
At Simplilearn, demand for AI-specific programmes has grown by over 60 per cent in the past year, with more than half the demand coming in from Indian learners.
“We’re seeing strong enrolment from professionals with 5-15 years of experience, collectively representing over 47.6 per cent of learners, who recognise that traditional skills alone no longer suffice in an AI-driven economy, and want to proactively upgrade their expertise to transition into specialised, high-value roles,” said Krishna Kumar, founder and CEO, Simplilearn.
Demand for Indian AI talent is projected to grow from 600,000–650,000 to more than 1,250,000 between 2022–27, with two of three Indians planning to learn at least one digital skill. AI and machine learning top the list, according to a Deloitte-Nasscom report.
At Udemy, demand for AI-related programmes has zoomed up by 859 per cent in one year.
“We’re seeing high demand for courses across the AI spectrum in both the B2B and B2C segments. This year, we established partnerships with global organisations like Emtrain and HSM to promote AI-powered skills acceleration across key regions,” said Vinay Pradhan, country manager – India and South Asia, Udemy.
Emeritus has been expanding its portfolio to include agentic AI and generative AI productivity programmes, alongside CXO-level offerings focused on AI strategy and governance.
“Agentic AI programmes are among the fastest growing on the platform, with enrolments nearly three times higher than other technology offerings,” said Avnish Singhal, president -India & APAC, consumer business, Emeritus.
At upGrad, there is substantial traction for emerging tech courses, with over 90 per cent of the learners opting for dedicated AI-focused programmes.
“We are expanding foundational GenAI literacy programmes on the B2C side, integrating applied AI modules across high-demand tracks such as data, cloud, product, and digital marketing. We have also been working on strengthening our offline footprint through learning support centres that deliver 4-6-month programmes in data science, AI/ML, and full-stack development,” said Rohit Sharma, president – consumer business, international markets, upGrad.
Demand for applied, advanced learning
While younger professionals form a large chunk of the demand, many of whom are beginning their digital and AI journeys through entry-level courses, there is also a steady shift towards more applied and advanced learning, signalling that learners and professionals are increasingly moving from AI awareness to real-world implementation and deeper skill-building.
This year, Coursera introduced 2,700+ new courses, specialisations, and certificates across AI, technology, business, data, and leadership.
“We now have more than 1,000 Generative AI courses on the platform – double the number from last year. The traction for emerging-skills content – especially Generative AI, data, and technology – has been exceptionally strong in India, with AI course enrolments growing 450 per cent between 2023 and 2025,” said a spokesperson.
At upGrad, there is a clear trend among mid- and senior-level professionals navigating transitions or role redundancies.
“At that stage, traditional upskilling isn’t enough; it’s about repositioning themselves as domain experts. Senior decision-makers now seek clarity on which projects to bet on, how to scale AI systems, and how to navigate build-vs-buy decisions,” said Sharma.
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