IBM to skill 5 million Indians in AI, cybersecurity, quantum computing by 2030

CEO of IBM Arvind Krishna
| Photo Credit:
Evan Vucci

India has the talent and ambition to lead the world in AI and Quantum Computing, Arvind Krishna, chairman, president and CEO of IBM, said on Friday (December 19, 2025).

”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,” said Mr. Krishna, adding IBM’s commitment to skill five million people by 2030 was an investment in that future.

“By democratizing access to advanced skills, we are enabling the youth and students to build, innovate and accelerate India’s growth,’’ the IBM chief said.

Through this initiative, IBM would expand AI and emerging technology education across schools, universities, and vocational and skilling ecosystems, the firm said. For this, IBM would also collaborate with institutions like All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to drive hands-on AI learning pathways and faculty enablement programs, curriculum integration, hackathons and internships.

According to the company, the skilling programme will be delivered through IBM SkillsBuild, a technology learning ecosystem. Under this initiative, IBM would offer 1,000 courses in AI, cybersecurity, quantum computing, cloud, data, sustainability and workplace readiness for learners, educators and institutions. With over 16 million learners globally, SkillsBuild, among other programmes, is central to IBM’s mission to train 30 million people worldwide by 2030, with India as one of the biggest accelerators of that ambition, as per the company.