Gen AI Training A Priority For Over 50% Of Enterprises: Great Learning Report

Interest in generative artificial intelligence rose across sectors in 2024, driven by its potential to enhance decision-making, foster innovation and improve competitiveness. In 2025, at least 50% of Indian organisations plan to advance their teams' skills in generative AI, responding to strong market demand, according to a report by edtech company Great Learning.

Enterprises are also set to broaden generative AI training beyond technical roles, aiming to include a wider array of functions to automate repetitive tasks and boost efficiency, the report showed. Operations was the leading non-tech function targeted for generative AI upskilling, followed by customer service and human resources.

"Organisations now recognise that generative AI training is crucial for achieving business objectives across all employee levels. By extending this training beyond traditional tech roles, companies are adopting a strategic L&D approach that enables their workforce to streamline processes, automate routine tasks and drive innovation more effectively," said Ritesh Malhotra, enterprise head at Great Learning.

In the last fiscal, four out of five companies reported reduced hiring costs due to effective internal talent development. For 64% of these enterprises, the main goal of investing in workforce training was to cultivate emerging skills among early-career professionals to fuel business growth.

Meanwhile, 36% of organisations focused on enhancing productivity, innovation and creativity to improve overall effectiveness and foster a culture of innovation. Building on these trends and recognising the value of a skilled workforce, 58.5% of organisations in India have increased their learning and development budgets in the current fiscal.

Over 76% of Indian enterprises prioritised training in AI, machine learning, data science and data engineering. The IT sector led these investments, followed by firms specialising in analytics and digital solutions. This focus is expected to continue in the current fiscal, as most organisations plan to increase their investment in training employees in these fields, the survey showed.

Data science and AI/ML remained top priorities, particularly in the consulting (44.4%) and energy (41.7%) sectors, highlighting their importance for decision-making and innovation.

Cybersecurity continued to be a focus area in banking, financial services and insurance for the current fiscal, reflecting the need to protect sensitive data and comply with regulations. Cybersecurity is also significant in the IT/ITeS sector due to the extensive volume of digital transactions and data. Additionally, cloud computing is a key priority in IT/ITeS and energy sectors, the survey showed.

In the last fiscal, global capability centres concentrated their L&D strategies on areas such as AI, ML and data science. In the current fiscal, GCCs are set to broaden their L&D initiatives to include technologies like generative AI, data analytics and cloud computing. According to the report, this expansion aims to drive global innovation and boost organisational efficiency, positioning the GCCs as pivotal hubs of technological advancement and operational excellence.

"Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are evolving from being mere recipients of change to active enablers of it. They are investing heavily in training for cutting-edge technologies like generative AI, data analytics, and cloud computing to fuel global innovation and enhance organisational efficiency," Malhotra said.