With over 27 million registered learners, India has emerged as the global leader in generative AI (GenAI) enrollments on Coursera, surpassing Europe, according to the annual learner trends report released by the ed-tech platform.
The report highlighted that two dominant trends marked 2024- a significant surge in demand for GenAI learning and an increasing preference for role-specific courses tailored for specific job roles- that led to a fourfold surge of 1.1 million in GenAI enrollments in India, the highest globally.
Notably, an enrollment occurred every minute on average, a striking improvement from one every three minutes in 2023.
Indian learners prioritised practical applications of GenAI, moving beyond foundational courses to focus on workplace integration. This shift underscores the growing importance of AI skills, with 60 per cent of India’s top courses this year centered on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), the report stated.
Raghav Gupta, managing director for India and Asia Pacific at Coursera, said, “Indian learners embraced the future of work in 2024, focusing on mission-critical skills to remain competitive. Their adaptability amidst GenAI’s disruption demonstrates resilience and a commitment to global leadership.”
Additionally, foundational courses in finance, project management and data analytics remained popular, while entry-level certificates from Google and IBM, aligned with India’s National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF), ranked among the top 10.
Preliminary insights from Coursera’s forthcoming Job Skills Report 2025 further highlight India’s focus on GenAI, cybersecurity, and HR technology. As India drives forward in AI literacy, it cements its position as a leader in building future-ready workplaces aligned with global demands.