India Skills Report 2026: Women Lead in Employability
Why in the news
The India Skills Report 2026 points to a changing job market shaped by AI, automation and digital change, with women overtaking men on employability after five years.
Key facts
- Women: 54% employability versus men: 51.5%, helped by BFSI, healthcare, education and new roles in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
- Around 92.8% of students want internships; interest is strongest in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
- IT sector accounts for 35% of fresher hiring, up from 29%.
- Pharma, healthcare, BFSI and FMCG recruit mostly people with 1-5 years’ experience.
Employability by qualification
| Group | Employability |
|---|---|
| Computer science graduates | 80% |
| IT engineers | 78% |
| Commerce graduates | 62.81% (from 55%) |
| Science graduates | 61% |
| Arts graduates | 55.55% |
| ITI graduates | 45.95% |
| Polytechnic diploma holders | 32.92% |
Gender interest by field
- Women: legal services 96.4%, healthcare 85.95%.
- Men: graphic design 83.11%, engineering design 64.67%.
Concerns
- Shortage of specialists in AI, cloud, cybersecurity and data science.
- Response: micro-credentials, stackable certifications and AI-driven personalised upskilling.
Exam angle
- Headline finding: women ahead of men in employability.
- Top graduate group: computer science at 80%.