New Delhi, March 31 (IANS) AI, Cybersecurity, digital and data skills emerged as India’s most critical capabilities for the next three to five years for students, employees, recruiters, CXOs and academia, a report said on Tuesday.

Mid‑career professionals with 6–15 years of experience in India’s talent pipeline were the most constrained talent pool, according to 38 per cent of recruiters even as 46 per cent of employers actively recruit from this segment, the report from NIIT Limited in partnership with YouGov said.

Early‑career professionals demonstrated higher confidence than students in cybersecurity basics (64 versus 57), cloud tools (66 versus 56) and data analysis (67 versus 56), while senior management reported the highest overall confidence levels.

Recruiters and CXOs continue to prioritise technical and domain-specific expertise, supported by project management and organisational skills, as organisations accelerate technology-led transformation.

The report highlighted that 86 per cent of recruiters and CXOs are confident of accessing skilled talent over the next 3–5 years. They cited internal reskilling and upskilling capacity (26 per cent) as well as industry‑academia partnerships (24 per cent) as key enablers of hiring confidence.

Around 69 per cent of organisations increased their learning and development budgets in the past year, driven by business growth and digital transformation priorities while 54 per cent of employers run structured apprenticeship or internship programmes, the report noted.

Employers reported that early-career and first-generation graduates (53 per cent) and women professionals (48 per cent) are the primary beneficiaries of D&I-linked skilling.

“Meanwhile, organisations are recognising that sustainable talent growth requires inclusive skilling strategies that expand access to these capabilities across diverse talent pools,” Pankaj Jathar, CEO, NIIT Ltd said.

Nearly half of students and employees reported willingness to dedicate 2-5 hours per week to upskilling, aligning closely with what 49 per cent of employers and academic heads consider a desirable range for staying job-ready.

Roughly 69 per cent of organisations increased their learning and development spend per employee last year, reflecting a strategic push toward building internal capabilities amid talent shortages.

Around 62 per cent of students prefer hybrid work models, yet only 38 per cent of employers offer fully remote roles across all functions, causing an expectation gap for new entrants.

The report is based on a survey of 3,500 respondents across students, working professionals, recruiters, CXOs and academic leaders.

—IANS

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