India ranks 67th globally in data skills; lags behind Singapore and Japan, says report

Despite high skills proficiency in Machine Learning (ML) and Maths, India trailed in data skills as it ranked 67th overall globally, a report said on Wednesday.

Coursera's latest Global Skills report reveals that, overall, India ranks 67th globally, with 38 per cent proficiency, with mid-rankings in each domain, 55th in business and 66th in both technology and data science.

In Asia, India ranks low, placed at 16th, ahead of countries such as the Philippines and Thailand, but below others like Singapore and Japan.

"The pace of skills transformation is slower than the pace of digital transformation in India, as is the case in several countries across the world," Coursera's Managing Director, India and APAC, Raghav Gupta, said in a statement.

"Learners must invest in both soft and technical skills to prepare for jobs of the future," he added.

According to the report, Indians have 52 per cent proficiency in ML and 54 per cent in mathematical skills.

However, there is significant room for improvement in two key skills for digital transformation -- Data Analysis and Statistical Programming, ranked only at 25 per cent and 15 per cent skills proficiency, respectively.

The report said that, as the demand for data scientists outstrips supply worldwide, India is also grappling with a shortage of data science professionals.

India also shows evidence of evolving gender dynamics as women adopt online learning at one of the fastest pace globally, the report said.

The share of overall Coursera course enrollments as well as in STEM courses from women learners in India saw an unprecedented increase, it added.

The study draws on performance data since the onset of the pandemic from more than 77 million learners on the platform to benchmark skills proficiency across the business, technology, and data science for over 100 countries.

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