World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 Highlights

Context: The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 and QS’s World Future Skills Index contain critical insights into the state of India’s workforce and its preparedness for the future.

Key Insights of the Future of Jobs Report 2025 on India’s Workforce Preparedness

Major Disruptions Expected

• Global labour markets will be shaped by technology, climate action, economic shifts, and geopolitical changes.
• 170 million new jobs could be created, but 92 million roles may become obsolete by 2030.

Upskilling is Critical

• 59% of workers will need retraining, especially in:
  • Analytical thinking
  • Resilience
  • Technological literacy
• High-growth roles include AI engineers and Big Data specialists.

India’s Strengths

• Ranked 2nd globally in AI and green skill preparedness.
• Scored 1 in ‘Future of Work’ (ability to identify and recruit future-focused skills).

Gaps Identified

Weak performance in ‘Skills Fit’ (score of 59.1): Mismatch between available workforce skills and job market demands.

• Poor Academic Readiness (ranked 26th globally).
• An alarmingly low score (6/100) in future-oriented innovation and sustainability.
• Insufficient investment in R&D hinders India’s edge in green technologies and innovation.

Opportunities for India

Curriculum Reform

• Shift focus to creativity, problem-solving, entrepreneurship, and adaptability.
• Use interdisciplinary and experiential learning models (e.g., design thinking, hackathons).

Green and Sustainable Education

• Introduce a green curriculum and create centres for sustainability research.
• Promote student-led environmental projects at the community level.

Strengthening Academia-Industry Linkages

• Co-create curriculum with industry.
• Enable internships, skill centres, and mentoring
• Align graduates with market-ready competencies.

Faculty and Infrastructure Upgrades

• Invest in faculty development, international exchange, and teaching innovation.
• Build digital infrastructure, especially in rural and semi-urban India, to reduce the digital divide.

Government’s Role

• Increase investment in skill development, R&D, and innovation.
• Create an enabling policy ecosystem for a dynamic and future-ready higher education system.

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