Coursera executives Anthony Salcito and Ashutosh Gupta say Indian companies are investing heavily in AI but may miss expected productivity gains unless they also build employees’ skills. They argue companies should rebalance spending on technology and people, particularly as AI changes how work is delivered in India’s IT services industry.

Gupta said organisations currently spend 70% of their budget on technology, including frontier models and other tools, and 20% on people, calling the imbalance a “big problem” that “has to be reversed.” He said Indian companies have bought AI technologies without necessarily equipping staff to use them effectively. Some are turning to training providers to build workforce capabilities and improve the return on investment (ROI) from technology spending.

The executives said the challenge extends across sectors. Gupta described work with banks and other industries to scale AI adoption despite different levels of readiness. Salcito said companies are moving beyond basic AI awareness to put AI into everyday operations, but tools and introductory training alone may not deliver meaningful returns. Some companies that expected productivity improvements after offering basic training have been disappointed, he said, and are recognising a need for more comprehensive workforce development.

Salcito and Gupta said demand for AI training is increasingly centred on practical applications, specialised business functions and automation, rather than general familiarity with AI. They said the next phase of adoption in Indian enterprises depends on developing employees who can use AI tools effectively; without that shift, AI investment risks producing less productivity improvement than businesses expect.

Coursera executives Anthony Salcito and Ashutosh Gupta say Indian companies are investing heavily in AI but may miss expected productivity gains unless they also build employees’ skills. They argue companies should rebalance spending on technology and people, particularly as AI changes how work is delivered in India’s IT services industry.

Gupta said organisations currently spend 70% of their budget on technology, including frontier models and other tools, and 20% on people, calling the imbalance a “big problem” that “has to be reversed.” He said Indian companies have bought AI technologies without necessarily equipping staff to use them effectively. Some are turning to training providers to build workforce capabilities and improve the return on investment (ROI) from technology spending.

The executives said the challenge extends across sectors. Gupta described work with banks and other industries to scale AI adoption despite different levels of readiness. Salcito said companies are moving beyond basic AI awareness to put AI into everyday operations, but tools and introductory training alone may not deliver meaningful returns. Some companies that expected productivity improvements after offering basic training have been disappointed, he said, and are recognising a need for more comprehensive workforce development.

Salcito and Gupta said demand for AI training is increasingly centred on practical applications, specialised business functions and automation, rather than general familiarity with AI. They said the next phase of adoption in Indian enterprises depends on developing employees who can use AI tools effectively; without that shift, AI investment risks producing less productivity improvement than businesses expect.