upGrad Report says upskilling increases appraisals of Indian Professionals by 2.5x

upGrad, a leading integrated learning, skilling, and workforce development company in Asia, has recently released its first volume of the India Career Upskilling Report. This report was created by upGrad Insights, an internal division dedicated to uncovering industry trends via independent surveys.

Upskilling increases the appraisal of Indian Professionals by 2.5x, says upGrad Report

The report, based on data from over 3,500 white-collar professionals in urban India, offers insights into key trends in appraisals, promotions, and market opportunities, particularly after a career hiatus. It also provides a detailed comparison between self-funded and employer-sponsored learning and skills training.

Key highlights from the report include:

• Professionals who invested in upskilling in the last 3 to 5 years experienced a 2.5x increase in appraisals and 2.3x more frequent promotions.
• Upskilling benefits extended beyond financial gains, resulting in 1.7x improved job security.
• Women who upskilled found it easier to re-enter the workforce after a break and saw a 4.8x improvement in career stability.
• Two-thirds of professionals who upskilled were parents, indicating a higher upskilling rate amongst working parents.
• 48% of individuals funded their own upskilling journeys, focusing predominantly on technical skills (61%), online courses (55%), and professional certifications (35%).
• Employer-sponsored training primarily focused on industry-specific training (64%) and soft skills development (55%).
• Professionals who upskilled in the past 3-5 years stayed in their new careers six times longer.

Mayank Kumar, Co-founder & MD of upGrad, commented on the report’s launch, stating that upskilling has become a significant growth driver in the industry. He noted that the report reflects the achievements of India’s corporate ecosystem and highlights the emerging learning patterns across metros and non-metros.

This indicates broader adoption among senior professionals and parents, who understand the importance of lifelong learning for long-term success. He emphasized that the era of long-lasting jobs is fading and the key to seizing opportunities lies in continuous learning. He believes that this growing acceptance will continue to propel India’s transformation into a global talent capital.

upGrad, as a market leader, has consistently maintained a YoY enrollment growth of over 100% across its long and short-format courses. Young professionals from both tech and non-tech backgrounds continue to turn to Bootcamps to quickly refresh their hard skills, with Cloud Engineering, DevOps, and Full-Stack development remaining popular.