India Leads Global Upskilling in Prompt Engineering, Copilot, and Human Skills.
Udemy has unveiled its 2026 Global Learning & Skills Trends Report, revealing how enterprises worldwide are accelerating AI fluency, embracing human-centered skills, and transforming their workforces for the AI-driven future of work.
Based on insights from over 17,000 enterprise customers, the report highlights an extraordinary rise in AI-related learning. The standout finding: a 13,534% year-over-year growth in GitHub Copilot training, making AI skills development the fastest-growing learning category on Udemy.
India Emerges as a Global AI Upskilling Powerhouse
The report underscores India’s rapid strides in AI adoption and technical skill advancement. Udemy recorded a 1,526% increase in Prompt Engineering learning and an 89% surge in Vector Database training among Indian learners—reflecting the nation’s aggressive move toward generative AI integration, automation, and cloud-based infrastructure.
Microsoft data supports this trend, with 59% of organizations in India already leveraging AI agents to automate workflows. “In 2026, AI fluency and adaptive human skills are no longer optional—they’re essential,” said Hugo Sarrazin, CEO of Udemy. “While AI drives efficiency, human intelligence powers effectiveness—through leadership, creativity, and ethical decision-making.”
The Rise of AI + Human Skills Synergy
Udemy’s findings show that Indian learners are increasingly focusing on AI productivity tools, system design, and automation frameworks such as Pytest (980%), Microsoft Playwright (217%), and FastAPI (108%). This trend reflects a mature understanding of AI integration, testing automation, and reliability engineering.
Simultaneously, soft skills like communication, relationship building, risk management, and change leadership are seeing up to 90% growth—highlighting the growing recognition that AI-powered organizations need emotionally intelligent, agile professionals to manage ethical, data, and security risks.
“AI fluency will be the new standard in 2026. Professionals must go beyond technical awareness to develop a deep understanding of AI’s applications, risks, and ethical implications—skills that will define leadership in the digital economy,” said Vinay Pradhan, Country Manager & Senior Director Sales, India, Udemy.
“Change is constant, but agility determines success. By aligning AI readiness with leadership and business outcomes, organizations can thrive in uncertainty,” said Paul Kent, Senior Learning & Development Manager, PepsiCo.
Global Upskilling Priorities for 2026
Udemy identified four key opportunities shaping the next wave of enterprise skill acceleration:
- AI Fluency as a Core Competency: Professionals who understand and apply AI responsibly—using tools like Microsoft Copilot (up 3,400%) and GitHub Copilot (up 13,534%)—are driving measurable business impact.
- Learning in the Flow of Work: With AI-powered role plays and contextual learning modules, over 3,300 new role plays have been added to Udemy Business in just three months, promoting real-time skill application.
- Leadership and Ethics Drive AI Adoption: Courses in AI governance and ethical leadership saw a 98% increase, as companies focus on responsible innovation.
- Adaptive Skills for Resilience: Critical thinking (+37%), decision-making (+38%), and creativity remain vital, proving that adaptability outlasts any single technology trend.
