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According to Coursera’s latest Global Skills Report (GSR) 2022, India has slipped four places in terms of overall skills proficiency. India now ranks 68 globally, and 19 in Asia. India’s technology proficiency levels have gone up from 38% to 46%, with the country strengthening its position by six spots. On the other hand, proficiency in data science has dipped from 38% in 2021 to 26% in 2022, leading to a 12-rank drop, the report showed.
The Global Skills Report draws from the data of 100 million learners across more than 100 countries who have used Coursera to develop a new skill during the past year. The report benchmarks three of the most in-demand skill areas driving employment in the digital economy: business, technology, and data science. For the first time, this year’s report also highlights changes in ranking for each country, and state-specific data for the US and India. According to the GSR 2022, Indian learners in southern states perform better than those in states in the north across all the three domains.
“The Great Resignation and automation are mandating stronger investments in human capital, as institutions must prioritize developing the high-demand digital and human skills required to build a competitive and equitable workforce,” said Jeff Maggioncalda, Coursera CEO. “Our data shows these skills are not equally distributed, and students and low-wage workers need access to flexible, affordable, and fast-tracked pathways to entry-level digital jobs that offer a foundation for a stronger and more inclusive economy.”
Key India insights
- Cloud Computing is India’s strongest technology skill, with 74 per cent proficiency. India now ranks 56th globally in the domain compared to the 66th rank last year.
- Slipping by 12 ranks, India scores low on foundational and specialised data science skills. The strongest skill in India continues to be machine learning at 41 per cent
- West Bengal is ranked the #1 state across the three domains – data, business and technology
- Andhra Pradesh is one of the top 3 performing states with high proficiency in business and technology skills
“Industry reports estimate that 28 million new technology jobs will be created in India by 2025. This year’s GSR signals a significant need for Indian learners to bridge the critical skills gap, especially in data science, to ensure this digital potential does not turn into a lost opportunity,” said Raghav Gupta, Managing Director, India and APAC, Coursera. “Strong industry-academia-government collaboration that focuses on the rapid deployment of high-quality digital and human skills training would be key to ensuring that the Indian workforce remains resilient and competitive amid rapid technological transformation.”
