Across institutions, 2025 marked a visible shift in India’s higher education and skilling ecosystem as learning models moved rapidly toward skill-based outcomes, advanced AI integration, multidisciplinary frameworks, and deeper industry–academia collaboration. More than 40% HEIs adopted hybrid learning models, while nearly 35% integrated AI-driven tools into academic delivery. Demand for experiential and project-based learning rose by 20–25%, reflecting students’ growing preference for practical, job-ready education over theory-heavy instruction. This clear shift in student expectations from theoretical instruction to practical, hands-on readiness led institutions to recalibrate their curricula to align more closely with industry needs, and digital learning ecosystems expanded significantly, improving accessibility and outcomes for thousands of learners.
The conversation and institutional focus are gradually veering around workplace-relevant skills. The focus shifted from credentials to capabilities, signaling a structural change in how learning is designed, delivered and valued. Key trends included hyper-personalised blended learning, research-driven and innovation-led higher education along with internationalisation to boost global competitiveness. As India positions itself as a knowledge leader in the global economy, more decentralised learning and increased investment in Education 5.0 is anticipated.
At a national level, enrolment and graduation numbers reached record highs in 2025, supported by policy-led expansion. The Economic Survey 2024–25 reported that the share of employed individuals rose to 47.2%. Yet the data also exposed a persistent challenge: over 90% of India’s workforce remains low-skilled, with 88.2% concentrated in low-income roles.
Looking ahead to 2026, the priority is to move from fragmented initiatives to integrated, scalable and industry-aligned learning ecosystems, ensuring responsible AI adoption while building workforce-ready skills at scale. Reflecting on this likely shift, Anshumaan Prasad, Business Head, NIIT Digital, describes 2025 as a clear inflection point. “AI has moved far beyond being a supplementary feature; it has become foundational to how learning is conceived, delivered, personalised and assessed. As India enters 2026, the imperative is clear: we must shift from scattered, standalone initiatives to integrated, scalable and high-quality learning ecosystems that stay tightly aligned with industry needs. The year ahead will be defined by our collective ability to operationalise AI responsibly, build workforce-ready capabilities at scale, and create interoperable platforms that can continuously adapt to a rapidly transforming economy,” he says.
What Will Shape Higher Education in 2026
Looking ahead, Ajitesh Basani, Executive Director, Acharya Bangalore B-School, identifies three forces that will define higher education in 2026. First, employability-led education will accelerate, with nearly half of institutions expected to introduce micro-credentials and stackable certificates offering industry-validated skills. Second, technology-enabled pedagogy will move to the centre of the classroom, with a 30–35% rise in AI tutors, AR-enabled labs and data-driven learning tools, making education more personalised and adaptive. Third, global exposure within Indian campuses will expand, as institutions target 10–15% growth in international collaborations, virtual exchanges and joint research.
Project-based learning, once considered innovative, is set to become a pedagogical standard, with semester-long projects, live industry cases and capstones embedded across programmes. Institutions are also rediscovering the value of smaller class sizes, enabling deeper faculty engagement, personalised mentoring and collaborative learning—particularly in management and applied sciences.
“My hope for 2026 is that the sector not only advances technologically but does so inclusively and responsibly. As innovation accelerates, it is vital that quality education reaches students from all backgrounds. I look forward to a year where academia works more closely with industry, policymakers, and global partners to create a robust ecosystem that nurtures creativity, competence, and character. If these collaborative efforts continue, 2026 could be the year India strengthens its position as a global hub for impactful, future-ready education; one that empowers students not only to secure opportunities but to lead meaningful and purpose-driven careers,” he adds.
Sustainability, Design and the Rewriting of Curricula
A defining trend of 2025 was the maturation of sustainability from aspiration to execution. Organisations and institutions moved toward operational priorities, with greater emphasis on biodiversity, social equity within ESG frameworks, AI-driven sustainability insights, circular economy adoption and supply-chain decarbonisation. Prof. Narendra Raghunath, Dean School of Design & a former head of Program at the Contemporary Art Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology, Vidyashilp University, feels education is already shifting away from rigid, sectoral silos towards transdisciplinary learning that combines technology, design, policy, and social sciences. He adds: “As we reflect on 2025 and look ahead to 2026, two forces stand out clearly—climate change mitigation and artificial intelligence. These are not challenges waiting to overwhelm us; they are opportunities demanding new ways of thinking.”
Anirban Ghosh, Head – Centre for Sustainability, Mahindra University, notes that this momentum will continue into 2026, driven by investment in climate adaptation, resilient infrastructure and applied sustainability education.
“Looking ahead, we anticipate continued progress in resource management, environmental stewardship and emissions reduction, alongside greater investment in artificial intelligence, climate adaptation and resilient infrastructure. At Mahindra University, we remain committed to a comprehensive approach that advances environmental education and equips students to address sustainability challenges through practical, solution-oriented learning,” he adds.
Curriculum reform is also gaining urgency. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Vice Chancellor, World University of Design, describes 2025 as a year of deliberate disruption rather than incremental change. Education, he argues, must move beyond static syllabi to cultivate imagination, agency and critical intelligence. As institutions enter 2026, the challenge is not to follow established models, but to redesign them for an AI-driven, uncertain world.
Echoing the likely trend, Prof Raghunath says, “At Vidyashilp University, this approach allows students to take minors beyond their core disciplines—engineers exploring design or management, designers engaging with data science or psychology, and business students studying law or technology. Such integration equips graduates to address complex, real-world problems with agility, empathy, and purpose.”
Dr. Yajulu Medury, Vice Chancellor, Mahindra University, reinforces this outlook, emphasising a holistic, student-centric and interdisciplinary approach, anchored in experiential learning and global partnerships.
Workforce Readiness: Finance, Projects and Communication
Automation and AI took over much of the routine work that young finance professionals traditionally started their careers with. This shift has made one thing clear: the roles that are growing today are the ones that require stronger judgment, analytical thinking and an understanding of global standards.
2025 marked a definitive inflection point for professional development. The velocity of industrial change has rendered the traditional ‘learn-once, apply-forever’ model obsolete. As skill lifecycles shrink, the need for agile, continuous capability building has become urgent.
In this landscape, Work-Integrated Learning has emerged not merely as an alternative, but as a strategic necessity. By dissolving the boundaries between the classroom and the workspace, it empowers professionals to translate rigorous academic concepts into immediate business value.
For many commerce students in India, this has also highlighted the limits of traditional pathways that offer very few career routes and little international mobility. According to Sripal Jain, CA/US CPA, Co-founder Simandhar Education, the larger opportunity now is to help students see that accounting and finance careers are evolving, not shrinking. With the right global qualifications and the ability to work alongside new technologies, commerce students can build careers that are future-ready and not limited by geography or legacy role definitions. “As we move into 2026, the demand for professionals with globally recognised accounting qualifications will continue to rise. These programmes give students both strong fundamentals and the ability to work with modern, tech-enabled finance systems. More importantly, they open doors to careers in audit, finance, consulting and analytics across markets. For a generation of Indian learners looking for stability, relevance and global opportunities, this combination of technical depth and international recognition will matter more than ever,” he adds.
At the enterprise level, project management emerged as a foundational capability rather than a specialised function. According to Amit Goyal, MD – South Asia, Project Management Institute (PMI), structured execution is now central to navigating uncertainty, integrating AI and delivering strategic outcomes. India’s large-scale infrastructure and digital ambitions—from UPI to Make in India—will increasingly depend on talent equipped with project management skills, digital fluency and adaptability.
“India’s ambitious progress—from world-class infrastructure and digital initiatives like UPI to ‘Make in India’—critically depends on robust project management. These mega-projects, shaping India’s future for 2026 and beyond, demand ‘future-ready’ talent skilled in project methods, digital fluency, and adaptability. Project management is the strategic backbone for India’s workforce readiness and sustained national progress,” he adds.
Communication skills are also gaining prominence. Amit Baveja, Managing Director – India & Southeast Asia, Burlington English India, notes that English proficiency is fast becoming the bridge between technical learning and workplace performance. From interviews to client engagement and cross-border collaboration, communication skills are accelerating employability across sectors, including in smaller cities where aspirations continue to rise. “As we look toward 2026, English communication is emerging as a key capability that strengthens this momentum. It consistently acts as the bridge between technical learning and workplace performance. Whether it is interviews, client engagement or collaborative work in diverse teams, strong communication builds confidence and accelerates career readiness. We are seeing this need across sectors and across learner segments, including in smaller cities where participation and aspirations continue to rise,” he says.
Prof. P.B. Venkataraman, Dean of Academic Affairs, BITS Pilani WILP, sums up this trend saying, “Employers today prioritize this duality: the depth of formal education combined with the agility of real-world application. As we approach 2026, the integration of flexible pedagogy and immersive, experiential learning will define professional success, ensuring that our workforce remains not just employable, but truly future-ready.”
The Road Ahead
Looking forward, online and tech skilling is set for sustained growth, with India’s edtech market projected to surpass USD 60 billion by 2035, implying strong momentum through 2026. Skill-based and vocational learning will grow fastest, driven by adoption in tier-2 and tier-3 cities and rising participation by women. At the same time, as AI-powered learning tools scale, rising concerns around AI ethics, data privacy, and responsible deployment are pushing platforms to prioritize transparent and accountable use of AI, making responsible innovation a key differentiator.
School Education: Foundations for the Future
School education in 2025 reached a clear inflection point. A renewed focus on foundational learning, the operationalisation of new curriculum frameworks, and the planned integration of AI across the K–12 journey together signal a more coherent and mature direction for the sector.
According to Prajodh Rajan, Co-Founder and Group CEO, expectations across the ecosystem are evolving in tandem. Parents are seeking deeper learning experiences in the early years; teachers are balancing academic rigour with socio-emotional and experiential learning; and schools are working toward greater continuity across the Pre-K to K–12 continuum. “This alignment across stakeholders is a positive indication of the sector’s steady evolution toward higher-quality and more inclusive learning environments. The system is well-positioned for its next phase, and our shared responsibility is to guide this transition thoughtfully, with a focus on sustained impact and the long-term wellbeing of learners,” he says.
Schools that have embraced competency-based frameworks are already seeing tangible benefits, including stronger teacher engagement, clearer learning pathways and more effective parent communication. Policy momentum around standards, career progression and accountability is also pushing institutions to take a more structured approach to teacher development, with the National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST) expected to play a pivotal role.
Ramya Venkataraman, Founder & CEO, CENTA (Centre for Teacher Accreditation), notes that AI adoption in classrooms has accelerated faster than anticipated. “Teachers are using AI, students are using AI, and schools are now building both opportunities and guardrails around it. This will continue into 2026, and digital pedagogy will become a baseline expectation for all teachers. When clear competencies, professional growth pathways and visible recognition come together, it creates a positive cycle—and teachers rise to the occasion.”
As the year draws to a close, one message is unmistakable: education is undergoing a fundamental shift. Families are no longer asking only where children learn, but how. Dinesh Gupta, Founder & CEO, Vikalp India, reflects that meaningful learning cannot be built on rote instruction, large classrooms or excessive screen exposure. Whether online or offline, education must be designed around how children truly learn—through exploration, discussion and hands-on engagement. In a world where skill lifecycles are rapidly shrinking, this shift from static instruction to continuous capability-building is becoming not just relevant, but essential.
