India Skills Report 2025 has been prepared by Wheebox along with Confederation of Indian Industry, All India Council for Technical Education and Association of Indian Universities. This report is based on data collected from over 6.5 lakh candidates who participated in the Global Employability Test (GET) across India, along with insights from more than 1,000 corporations spanning 15 industries.
Key Findings
Employability Rate:
The employment ratio of the Indian graduates has risen to 54.81% in 2025 from 51.25% in 2024. This is an increase that can be noted in the last decade taking the employability rate from 33% to over 50%.
Sector-wise Employability:
- Management Graduates: Have the highest employability chart at 78%.
- Engineering Graduates: Follow in tandem with an employability rate of 71.5%.
- MCA Graduates: Also possess a high employability rate of 71 % for those who completed their training.
- Science Graduates: Employment ratio of 58 %.
Regional Trends:
- Maharashtra: in terms of employability it scored highest with eighty four percent.
- Delhi: At 78%, Karnataka 75%, Andhra Pradesh at 72%.
- Pune, Bengaluru and Mumbai are phenomenal centres for skilled human capital.
Gender Disparity:
The projected employability rate of men is 53.5% in 2025 compared to 51.8 % in 2024. However, the employability of women is expected to reduce from 50.9 % to 47.5 % the statistics revealing that the disparity between genders is set to widen.
Interest in Internships:
Students interviewed expressed a 93% interest in internships clearly supporting our assertion that practical experience goes a long way in supplementing text book learning.
Vocational Training:
According to the current estimates, about half of the secondary and tertiary students are expected to get the vocational training by 2025, which would consolidate the presence of India in the International talent realm even more.
Global Talent Mobility:
It demonstrates that India is prepared to meet the need for talent on a global scale, with the potential for talent mobility across borders to contribute Five hundred billion dollars to the global economy by the year 2030. India has large talent base especially in fields of IT, engineering & healthcare can well fill skill gaps in the world.
Emerging Technologies:
The report mentions that markets like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cloud computing & Automation are defining new roles and opening new frontiers. Thanks to such and similar trends as digital nomadism and the mixed working model, gifted Indians have the chance to contribute worldwide with no physical constraints.
Implication and Recommendation
The India Skills Report 2025 highlights the need for quality skill development and certified courses with built-in language development as a means of stream in order to boost the international migration. Long-term and internally certified skill programs are identified as key to providing early work opportunities and ensuring that Indian talent remains competitive on a global scale.
To this, the report also captures the need for constant training, both for initial skills acquired and upgrading on other aspects in new age job economy. Roughly a quarter of them believe that in the next five years a third of all occupations will be altered considerably, which makes it crucial to have a workforce that reflects these flexible, skills-for-the-future.
Problems Associated with Quality Skill Training & Certified Programs in India
India is a country with a rapidly growing economy as well as being home to a very young population networking with its great potential to cultivate the workforce. Nevertheless, where there have been numerous efforts to improve skill development and certification processes, there are still some issues. These issues affect the functionality and coverage of these programmes thus quality of the workforce. Here are some of the key problems associated with quality skill training and certified programs in India:
1. Shortfall in between Courses in Training Institutions and the Employing Industry
The ineffectiveness of training programs is a major issue; and one of the major ways in which this manifests itself is that the skills embodied in training programs do not effectively match the requirements of various industries. Most of these skill development programs are designed on curriculum that is irrelevant to what is current in the market. This leads to underemployment, thus resulting in poor employees-employer match and employee dissatisfaction.
2. Lack of infrastructure, personnel, funds and equipment
Quality skill training cannot be affected on mere makeshift structures training centres, outmoded tools and technology. Most training institutes in India are deficient in these important amenities. This places the training and development programmes that are being offered at the risk of not preparing trainees for job markets since they cannot copied actual modern infrastructure that they would want to place them in.
3. Limited Access to qualified Trainers
Two more factors that remain problematic include quality of trainers and availability of trainers. One common problem is inadequate number of qualified trainers who will help inculcate the knowledge and skills to the trainees. This gap can be attributed to poor training and development of trainers themselves, hence producing poor trainings all over.
4. Regional Disparities
India has a wide chasm in terms of the availability and quality of skill training programmes depending on the region. The current network of training facilities and resources reflect this where by urban regions are favoured over the rural regions. Consequently, urban-rural rift widens existing disparities and hinders residents from rural regions to advance their employable workforce and obtain value added incomes.
5. Lack of collaboration with the industry
Appropriate development of skill training programs calls for input from both training organizations and the market. Unfortunately, it is noticed that there is no integration or cooperation with these above-designated entities in many cases. Lack of input from industry players may mean that the current training programs fail to capture the right skill and competencies needed in the workplace, thus the current training are irrelevant and ineffective.
6. Lack of funding and support
Most skill training interventions are characterized with limited financial resources and backing from the government and the private sector. This financial loss is a hindrance to the capacity of training providers in terms of resources to put in place quality facilities, adequately qualified trainers and relevant curricula. Also, when there is poor funding it becomes difficult to replicate proven training models to other individuals to impact the population in a big way.
7. Certification and Quality Assurance
Certification and the certifying body must therefore enjoy the confidence of the general public in order for skill training programs to succeed. However, the certification processes vary incompletely and exist in blanks across the different training institutions. Sometimes certification seems less important and recognized or not a significant factor for employment status. Therefore the proper certification of skills and other relevant courses should be standard and consistent to uphold organizational quality as well as people’s perceived value in the training programs offered.
8. Awareness and Perception Issues
These programs even within the developing countries are not well recognized or perceived negatively. Indeed, a large number of people, particularly in rural areas, may be unaware of the possible opportunities or have low perception of vocational training as compared to academic education. This mentality reduces the numbers of people who take part in skill development exercises, thereby diminishing the scope of such efforts.
Possible Solutions to Eradicating Challenges of Quality Skill Training and Certified Courses in India
India is at crossroads in its efforts to transform its youthful demography into human capital of tomorrow. Despite some challenges facing the current skill training and certification paradigm there are ways that these challenges can be addressed. Here’s an exploration of possible solutions:
1. Training for Career Enhancement: A Study in Relation to Industrial Requirements Industry Collaboration:
- Set close links between the training facilities and industries; so as to frequently revise the curriculum so that it meets the current market requirements.
- Devise expert panel for students, industries, government and academia in skill sectors or sectors of specialization.
Skill Gap Analysis: Ensure to make the necessary skill gap analyses from time to time with a view to establishing the particular skills that are expected of industries. It assists in the development of training that suit the shortcomings.
2. Enhancing infrastructure and resources
Investment in Modern Facilities:
- Increase expenditure to create better training facilities which are optimized with today’s equipment and technologies. It involves both the avails of urban and that of rural in an attempt to close the gap between the two regions.
- The development and subsequent maintenance of such services should be promoted through public-private partnerships (PPPs) to extend sustainability and to provide the populace with access to adequate physical infrastructure.
Digital Learning Platforms: Promote the use of technology to deliver on line training modes, virtual labs and simulation exercises. If well implemented, this may supplement physical structures for learning and provide for the flexibility of learning in regions that are difficult to reach.
3. Improving Trainer Quality
Trainer Development Programs:
- It’s also important to initiate formal training sessions for the trainers so that he/she gets up-gradation in his/her profession regularly.
- Work towards the understanding of a national accreditation system of trainers for as a pass mark equivalent in every institution that offers training services.
Incentivizing Trainers: Offer handsome salaries, promotion and reward policies, and other incentives to trainers in order to ensure the training sector attract qualified and experts trainers.
4. Bridging Regional Disparities
Decentralized Training Centres:
- Develop training centres outside key urban centres in order to offer quality skill training within local remote regions. This can be done through mobile training depots, and satellite training camps.
- Engage stakeholders in the particular communities to advice on needs for training as well as the program compatibility.
Awareness Campaigns: There is therefore the need to begin conducting awareness campaigns to educate members of the rural populations on the importance of skill training and the available opportunities. Part of this involves using the local media, local leaders and educational institutions to get the word out.
5. Increasing interaction with the industry
Apprenticeship Programs:
- Increase labour market quality in which there are teaching workshops that allow trainees to practice in actual working environments. This also assists to narrow the gap between known and unknown in terms of practice.
- To motivate industries into supporting or participating in these programs offer inducements like tax exemptions, corporate awards for the support they offer towards enhancing the skills of employees.
Industry-Led Skill Competitions: Promote job themed competitions and industrial sponsored skills and Hackathons to embrace talent. Such events may also determine those individuals who possess the talents and skills in the respective field deserve to be seen and recognized.
6. Ensuring adequate funding and support
Government Schemes and Grants:
- Enhance the number of skill development programs and schemes through public grants and subsidies. This entails grants for training organisations and funds for learners.
- Promote the private sector investment through CSR in the sectors primarily for the skill development.
International Collaboration: Try to find skills development partners at the international level especially for funding from global organizations. Components of institutional cooperation may comprise of technology support, exchange of students and professors, or sharing of ideas concerning best practice.
7. Standardising Certification Procedures
National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF):
- Establish entrench the National skill qualification framework that enhances conformity with accreditation processes in training institutions.
- Establish a quality assurance procedure that will enable the identification of effectiveness of the certification programs.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): This means that there should be Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) programs in order to capture and formally assess skills and knowledge acquired informally. This is actual for raising employability to persons who already possess certain skills.
8. Change perceptions and raising awareness
Value of Vocational Training:
- Ensure that skills development and vocational training has a central theme in nationwide campaigns. Use cases of the increase in the number of skilled people and their achievements to encourage others.
- Blend technical and vocational education into the normal education system so that the learners are enabled to have several chances of success.