Nirmal Singh, CEO of Wheebox , an ETS company highlights that India’s workforce is rapidly moving toward a digital-first, inclusive, and soft-skill-driven future. Talent is rising beyond metros, with employability hinging on tech fluency, adaptability, and global benchmarks.
CIO&Leader: What are the top 3 employability trends you’re observing across high-growth sectors in India and what do they reveal about where India’s talent demand is heading?
Nirmal Singh: At Wheebox, through our continued research and the annual India Skills Report (ISR 2025) developed in collaboration with AICTE, CII, Taggd, and the United Nations we are observing three major employability trends shaping India’s high-growth sectors:
a. Digital & Emerging Tech Skills Are Non-Negotiable
ISR 2025 highlights a consistent rise in demand for technology-enabled job roles across industries. Skills in AI, data science, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and software development are now fundamental not only in IT/ITeS, but also in BFSI, healthcare, and manufacturing sectors.
- Over 45% of employers in ISR 2025 identified digital proficiency as a top hiring priority.
- There’s growing integration of AI and GenAI across verticals, signalling a workforce shift toward tech-centric roles that blend domain knowledge with digital fluency.
What it reveals: India is moving toward a technology-first workforce, where digital skills are essential even in non-tech roles.
b. Talent Hotspots Are Shifting to Tier 2 & 3 Cities
A key trend in ISR 2025 is the rise in employable talent from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Cities like Pune, Lucknow, Nashik, and Mangalore now top the charts for talent readiness, challenging the long-held metro dominance.
- For the first time, non-metro cities are being prioritized by recruiters for their cost-effectiveness and skilled candidate pools.
- These cities also show a growing base of female candidates, contributing to more inclusive hiring.
What it reveals: India’s talent demand is geographically diversifying, creating opportunities beyond traditional urban hubs.
c. Employability Is No Longer Just Technical It’s Behavioral
ISR 2025 confirms that soft skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, communication, adaptability, and emotional intelligence are as critical as technical qualifications.
- Over 50% of employers emphasized behavioral competencies as crucial for success in hybrid and digitally transformed workplaces.
- There is an increasing emphasis on attitude and learning agility over just academic scores.
What it reveals: The future workforce must be holistically skilled, with a balance of cognitive, digital, and interpersonal strengths.
The Road Ahead:
These trends show that India’s talent demand is heading toward a blended future digital, inclusive, and agile. At Wheebox, we believe this underscores the urgent need for outcome-based skilling models, industry-academia collaboration, and assessments that go beyond resumes to measure real job readiness.
Through initiatives like the Global Employability Test (GET) and the Unified Competency Framework, we aim to align India’s workforce with global benchmarks and the future of work.
CIO&Leader: Based on Wheebox’s latest assessments, which core skill gaps are widening the most in India and what urgent interventions are needed at the education or policy level to close them?
Nirmal Singh: Based on Wheebox’s assessments across 6.5 lakh students, several key gaps have emerged:
a. Digital Skills Deficit
Despite growing demand, the supply of talent proficient in AI, cybersecurity, data analytics, and cloud computing remains low. Job postings in data science have surged by 50% YoY, yet qualified candidates are limited particularly outside metros.
b. Communication and Analytical Reasoning Deficiencies
These remain persistently low across the board. Even among engineering students, over 60% lack proficiency in business communication and real-time reasoning a major concern in client-facing and leadership roles.
c. Uneven Soft Skills Across Regions
Skills like collaboration, empathy, and adaptability crucial in hybrid work environments are particularly lacking in Tier II and III cities and rural belts.
Recommended Interventions:
- Embed NSQF-aligned skills into school and university curricula.
- Expand AICTE’s International Certification Program, which is targeting millions of engineering students with globally recognized credentials.
- Invest in teacher and faculty re-skilling and digital infrastructure in underperforming districts.
CIO&Leader: With the rise of AI and automation, how can young professionals future-proof their careers? What are the top 2-3 foundational skills that will remain in high demand across domains?
Nirmal Singh: With AI and automation redefining work, early-career professionals must build a resilient and adaptive skill base. Three foundational skills stand out:
a. Digital Fluency (AI, Cloud, Data Skills)
This is now basic literacy. Without understanding digital systems, future roles even in HR or marketing will be out of reach.
b. Critical Thinking & Complex Problem Solving
According to Wheebox’s recruiter insights, problem-solving is now the #1 desired skill, surpassing even technical expertise.
c. Communication and Collaboration in Remote Settings
With remote roles expected to hit 30 million in India by 2025, self-management, asynchronous communication, and cross-cultural etiquette are now career essentials.
The goal isn’t to beat AI it’s to partner with it through human-centric strengths.
CIO&Leader: As someone building India’s talent assessment ecosystem, do you think our skilling model can match global success stories like China or Germany? What needs to shift culturally or systemically to get there?
Nirmal Singh: Yes, but key structural changes are needed:
- Expand dual-system learning like in Germany: India’s NATS program is a good start but must scale from 3 lakh apprentices currently to over 1 million per year to match global peers.
- Strengthen industry-led curriculum development, moving beyond theory to outcome-based models.
- Create nationally portable credentials (e.g., skill passports), enabling learner mobility across states and employers.
Culturally, we must shift from qualification-centric hiring to skills-first hiring, and incentivize employers to invest in apprenticeships and microlearning at scale.
CIO&Leader: How can India’s education system especially its universities and skill institutions, better align with industry demands and global job readiness benchmarks?
Nirmal Singh: Wheebox ETS’s work with over 6,500 institutions shows that institutions must:
- Make internships and apprenticeships mandatory (currently only 22% offer industry-linked experience).
- Adopt global skill frameworks like OECD’s PISA, CEFR for English, and Digital India Skill Badges.
- Use feedback loops from employers and assessments (like GET) to continuously refine curricula.
States like Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Gujarat are leading with integrated dashboards, skill audits, and employer input.
CIO&Leader: ETS has committed to preparing 100 million people for the future of work by 2035. How is Wheebox contributing to this vision, especially for India’s youth and underserved populations?
Nirmal Singh: Wheebox ETS is playing a central role in ETS’s ambition to prepare 100 million learners by 2035. Key contributions include:
- Conducting over 17 million assessments, including 15 million proctored exams, making it one of the largest assessment platforms globally.
- Running the Global Employability Test (GET) for 6.5 lakh students in 2024, helping them benchmark against global standards.
- Partnering with over 10 Indian states, impacting rural, tribal, and underserved populations through state-led employability missions and diagnostics.
CIO&Leader: You often speak about India’s role in the emerging global, borderless workforce. What should Indian professionals do to position themselves competitively for global remote or cross-border work opportunities?
Nirmal Singh: Indian professionals need to work on skills and opportunities around it.
- Develop verifiable, digital credentials (e.g., GET, AICTE certified programs).
- Upskill in cross-cultural fluency, compliance, and sector-specific English.
- Build freelance and cross-border experience through global gig platforms, open-source projects, or virtual internships.
The GCC (Global Capability Centre) boom, along with India’s digital infrastructure, positions Indian talent well but we must invest in discoverability and readiness.
CIO&Leader: Could you share a state-wise view of who’s doing well in terms of employability and skill development? What can other states learn from the leaders?
Nirmal Singh: According to the 2025 report, top performers in employability are:
| Rank | State | Employability Score |
| 1 | Maharashtra | 79.9% |
| 2 | Tamil Nadu | 77.3% |
| 3 | Uttar Pradesh | 76.1% |
| 4 | Andhra Pradesh | 75.8% |
| 5 | Karnataka | 74.6% |
Best Practices:
- Kerala: Leveraging ASAP for AI-readiness, with micro-skilling in data, cloud, and analytics.
- Andhra Pradesh: State-wide skill census of 12 lakh youth, linked to Naipunyam portal for gap-specific interventions.
- Tripura: Focus on tribal inclusion through crafts and tourism skilling, reaching 60,000+ rural learners.
These states combine real-time data, scalable infrastructure, and localized skilling to drive better outcomes.
CIO&Leader: For early-career professionals overwhelmed by tech disruption, what’s your advice on how to upskill smartly without getting lost in the noise of online courses?
Nirmal Singh: To avoid getting overwhelmed by the abundance of courses:
- Prioritize industry-recognized credentials: Focus on 3–5 certifications relevant to your chosen domain (e.g., AWS, Google Data Analytics, TCS iON).
- Follow a T-shaped model: Depth in one area, breadth across adjacent domains.
- Use assessments like GET to benchmark and identify your personal gaps.