Abhimanyu Saxena, co-founder of Scaler and InterviewBit, says that upskilling is no longer an hr perk—it is the currency of competitiveness in an AI-driven economy.
The pandemic triggered unprecedented disruption in the workplace, reshaping the talent landscape through the Great Resignation, followed by the Great Reshuffle, and today, what many call the Great Stay. Employers are grappling with fast-changing skill requirements, while employees increasingly demand not just jobs but meaningful avenues for growth.
Against this backdrop, the imperative for upskilling has never been clearer. The Google.org–ADB report, AI for All, projects that artificial intelligence could add $3 trillion to Asia-Pacific’s GDP by 2030 but also cautions that inequality will widen if countries like India fail to make AI upskilling accessible to underserved groups. The message is stark: companies that still treat upskilling as a discretionary benefit risk being left behind. In today’s economy, upskilling is not optional it has become a key survival strategy.
Boards and investors must view workforce development not as a line-item expense but as a strategic lever for long-term value creation, on par with technology investments and market expansion.
Beyond Technology: Shifting Workforce Expectations
Upskilling is no longer limited to mastering the latest technical tools. It now encompasses adaptability, creativity, collaboration, and leadership mindsets. Employees want to future-proof their careers and grow holistically as professionals.
A recent Internshala report underscores this generational shift: 67% of Gen Z job seekers say they value learning and development opportunities above all else when evaluating employers, reflecting a hunger for continuous growth, not static roles.
Equally important is AI literacy. Today, senior leaders place as much value on employees’ ability to adapt and understand AI as they do on deep technical expertise. In effect, “learning agility” has become the new currency of employability.
The Strategic Dividend of Upskilling
The costs of neglecting skill-building are already visible. In 2025, over 137,000 employees across global tech giants like Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google were laid off as the industry restructured around AI-led capabilities. In India, TCS announced 12,000 job cuts, citing a growing mismatch between legacy skills, particularly in mid-to-senior management, and the demands of modern business models. These are not isolated events. They highlight a deeper structural issue: the gap between workforce skills and industry needs. In India’s AI sector alone, the demand-supply imbalance is staggering, with just one qualified engineer for every ten openings.
Companies that address this proactively are already reaping rewards. Research shows firms with higher digital and AI fluency outperform laggards by 2-6x in shareholder returns. Conversely, those who delay investment in skill-building risk losing their competitive edge, innovation capacity, and top talent. Upskilling, in other words, is not “feel-good HR”; it is a core driver of market leadership.
Building Culture, Not Just Perks
For too long, training has been treated as a checkbox activity, delivered through one-off workshops or generic e-learning modules. That approach no longer works.
Companies that embed learning into their culture, through mentorship, cross-functional projects, and real-world application, consistently see lower attrition (by up to 5%), more resilient profits, and greater adaptability during disruptions.
The role of leadership is crucial here. Boards and investors must view workforce development not as a line-item expense but as a strategic lever for long-term value creation, on par with technology investments and market expansion.
India’s Opportunity and Responsibility
India stands at a pivotal moment. EY estimates that the country will need 30 million digitally skilled professionals by 2026, with nearly half the workforce requiring some form of reskilling.
It is not just an economic issue anymore; it is a social one. Automation and AI-driven transformation pose a disproportionate risk to women, informal workers, and those in administrative roles. To prevent large-scale exclusion, inclusive upskilling programs must be treated as a strategic necessity, not a social good.
The solution lies in collaboration. Public-private partnerships across industry, academia, and government can ensure scale, accessibility, and outcome-driven learning. If India succeeds, it will not only harness AI but also lead the world in building inclusive and future-ready learning ecosystems.
A Call to Action
The mandate is clear: upskilling must be reframed as a core strategy, not discretionary spend. It should be embedded into business performance and innovation roadmaps, owned by leadership from the C-suite downward.
Companies that continue to treat learning as a perk will lose both talent and relevance. Those that make upskilling the backbone of their strategy will define the future of work and ensure they are not just surviving disruption, but thriving in it.