QS World Future Skills Index 2027, India Ranks 13th Globally

The QS World Future Skills Index 2027 was recently released by QS Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a global higher education analytics firm. The report ranked India 13th globally in AI-economy readiness, making it the highest-ranked country in South Asia and among lower-middle-income economies. The report also highlighted a significant gap between the rapidly evolving labour market and the quality of skills produced by higher education institutions.

About QS World Future Skills Index 2027

The QS World Future Skills Index is a global ranking released by QS Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a global higher education analytics organisation. It evaluates how prepared countries are for an economy increasingly driven by Artificial Intelligence, digital transformation and green technologies.

• It evaluates 89 countries based on five key pillars: Skills Alignment, Academic Readiness, Future of Work, Economic Transformation and Economic Capacity. 
• The index combines indicators relating to higher education quality, graduate employability, labour-market readiness, AI preparedness and economic competitiveness.

Global Rankings

The top-performing countries in the QS World Future Skills Index are:

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India’s Performance in the QS World Future Skills Index 2027

India secured the 13th position globally in the QS World Future Skills Index 2027, emerging as the highest-ranked country in South Asia and the top-performing lower-middle-income economy, reflecting its growing readiness for an AI-driven future. 

India performed strongly across most dimensions of the index, demonstrating significant progress in building a future-ready economy.

Major Strengths of India

India has emerged as one of the world’s most promising economies for AI-led growth due to several structural advantages.

Strong Economic Capacity

• India achieved a perfect score of 100, the highest globally, reflecting sustained GDP growth, labour-market investment and infrastructure expansion.
• India has remained the fastest-growing G20 economy for three consecutive years.
• AI-related investments reached around $90 billion by February 2026, indicating strong policy and industry support.

Future-Ready Workforce

• India ranked 5th globally in the Future of Work category.
• The country is well-positioned to benefit from AI adoption because of increasing demand for digital, AI and green skills.
• India possesses the largest IT services workforce in the world, employing nearly 5.8 million professionals.
• The IT sector contributes approximately $300 billion annually to the Indian economy.

Largest Talent Pool

• India has the largest number of tertiary-educated individuals in the world.
• Its vast engineering, technology and digital workforce provides a strong foundation for future economic growth.

Leadership Among Developing Economies

• India significantly outperforms comparable developing countries.
• Bangladesh ranks 67th, while the Philippines ranks 38th, highlighting India’s clear lead among its peer economies.

Key Challenges

Despite its impressive ranking, the report identifies several structural weaknesses that require urgent policy attention.

• Skills Mismatch: India ranks only 18th in Skills Alignment, indicating that graduate skills are not fully aligned with employer expectations. Demand for AI, digital and green skills is growing faster than universities are adapting their curricula.
• Human Capital Quality: India ranks 73rd on the Human Capital Index, suggesting that while graduate numbers are high, their average quality and employability remain uneven.
• Quantity Over Quality: The country produces graduates at an unprecedented scale, but many lack industry-relevant competencies required for emerging sectors.
• Higher Education Gaps: Universities continue to rely on traditional teaching models that often fail to keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies.
• Automation Risks: India’s large Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and call centre industries are particularly vulnerable to AI-driven automation. A significant share of the agricultural workforce also faces limited opportunities for AI augmentation.
• Regional Disparities: Implementation of reforms under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 remains uneven across states, creating disparities in educational outcomes.

Economic Opportunities for India

If India successfully addresses these challenges, the gains could be transformative.

• According to IBM projections cited in the report, AI adoption could add nearly $500 billion to India’s economy by 2030.
• AI can enhance productivity across sectors such as healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, agriculture and education.
• India’s digital workforce positions it as a potential global hub for AI innovation and knowledge services.
• Future-ready skills will support India’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and its commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070.

Way Forward 

• Accelerate implementation of NEP 2020: Ensure uniform implementation across all states to reduce regional disparities and create a future-ready workforce.
• Bridge the skills gap: Align higher education curricula with industry demand by integrating AI, digital technologies, green skills and emerging technologies.
• Promote AI-Augmented Jobs: Encourage sectors such as healthcare, financial services, agri-tech and business services where AI enhances human productivity rather than replacing jobs.
• Develop a Green Talent Pipeline: Build a workforce equipped with green skills to support India’s Net Zero 2070 commitment and the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
• Strengthen Industry-Academia Collaboration: Expand internships, apprenticeships, research partnerships and curriculum co-design with industry to improve graduate employability.
• Expand International Education Partnerships: Promote transnational education, branch campuses and global university collaborations to strengthen talent pipelines and improve educational quality.
• Invest in Lifelong Learning: Encourage continuous reskilling and upskilling so that workers remain competitive in an AI-driven economy.