IBM Targets AI, Cybersecurity Skills for 5 Million Learners in India

As India positions itself as a global hub for emerging technologies, the challenge is no longer just innovation; it is scale-ready talent. IBM has now put a concrete number behind that ambition.

The technology major on Thursday announced a commitment to skill 5 million learners across India by 2030 in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and quantum computing, signalling a long-term push to deepen India’s future workforce pipeline. The initiative will be delivered through IBM SkillsBuild, the company’s digital learning platform.

The programme targets students and adult learners, spanning schools, universities, and vocational and skilling ecosystems, as India faces rising demand for advanced digital skills across industries.

From Access to Application

IBM said the initiative will go beyond foundational courses to focus on hands-on learning pathways, working closely with academic and regulatory bodies such as the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). Planned collaborations include faculty enablement programmes, curriculum integration, hackathons, and internships aimed at bridging the gap between classroom learning and real-world application.

For enterprises, this approach addresses a persistent challenge: graduates who understand concepts but lack exposure to applied use cases in AI and cybersecurity environments.

Arvind Krishna, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer, IBM, said: “India possesses the talent and ambition to lead the world in AI & Quantum. Fluency in frontier technologies will define economic competitiveness, scientific progress and societal transformation. Our commitment to skill five million people is an investment in that future.”

Starting Early With AI Readiness

IBM is also extending its focus toschool-level education, co-developing AI curriculum for senior secondary students. This includes structured teaching resources such as the AI Project Cookbook, Teacher Handbook, and explainer modules designed to help educators introduce AI concepts with confidence.

The intent, according to the company, is to embed computational thinking and responsible AI principles early, preparing students not just to use AI tools but to understand their design and implications.

This early intervention aligns with a broader industry push to move AI education upstream, before specialisation choices narrow later in academic or professional life.

SkillsBuild as the Delivery Engine

At the center of IBM’s India strategy is SkillsBuild, which offers more than 1,000 courses spanning AI, cybersecurity, quantum computing, cloud, data, sustainability, and workplace readiness. The platform serves learners, educators, and institutions, and is already used by over 16 million learners globally.

India is expected to play a significant role in IBM’s wider goal of training 30 million people worldwide by 2030, with SkillsBuild positioned as the primary channel for scaling access.

For enterprises and policymakers alike, the announcement underscores a critical shift: workforce readiness in frontier technologies is becoming a long-horizon investment, not a short-term CSR exercise.

As AI and quantum computing move from research labs into production environments, initiatives like this will likely shape how quickly India can convert technical promise into economic outcomes.