Bengaluru has emerged as a frontrunner in India’s upskilling landscape, with 88% of its professionals planning to pursue certificate programmes in FY26 to strengthen their technical expertise. Findings from Great Learning’s Upskilling Trends Report FY 2025–26 indicate that the city’s workforce is responding to rapid technological shifts with renewed determination, even as it has faced significant turbulence due to layoffs in the tech sector.
According to the report, 93% of professionals consider upskilling essential to securing their careers, while 78% remain confident of retaining their jobs over the coming year. Though seven in ten acknowledge that artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies are disrupting their roles, 77% see these changes as creating positive opportunities for growth rather than obstacles.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (ML) lead the demand for new skills, with 43% of professionals prioritising this domain. Within AI and ML, specialisations such as Agentic AI, Large Language Models, Natural Language Processing, and Python programming are attracting the highest interest.
The report also notes that 64% of Bengaluru professionals are already using Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Bard in their daily work. Adoption is particularly strong in product development, software engineering, research, marketing, and customer support, with many also looking to enhance GenAI proficiency on cloud platforms such as Azure and AWS.
Job mobility is another defining trend: 56% of Bengaluru professionals are actively looking for new opportunities, while 38% are passively open to switching roles. Work-life balance and job security top the list of considerations, followed by salary, benefits, and leadership prospects.
However, unmet salary expectations, higher competition, and additional certification requirements are seen as barriers to securing desired roles. The report, based on a survey of over 1,000 professionals across India, underscores Bengaluru’s role as both a technology hub and a testing ground for how AI is reshaping the workforce.
