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Hyderabad: A recent survey has found that Indian companies are shifting their focus from entry-level onboarding to strengthening their mid- and senior-level workforce. Many companies are also switching from “hire-and-train” model to “train-and-hire” model to optimise their resource utilisation levels.According to Great Learning for Business, training demand for mid-level employees surged to 35 per cent in FY25, up from 15 per cent last year, while senior-level training more than doubled.This indicates that enterprises are moving beyond hiring fresh graduates and are instead investing in employees positioned between execution and leadership — those who translate strategy into measurable outcomes. The survey, which gathered responses from learning and development (L&D) and business unit heads across large organisations in IT, consulting, manufacturing, BFSI, and retail, also found that 48 per cent of IT firms, 14 per cent of manufacturing companies, and 10 per cent of financial institutions are prioritising AI and data-skills training as part of their internal transformation initiatives.According to HR solutions provider Adecco India director and business head, professional staffing, Sanket Chengappa, companies are moving away from the traditional 'hire-and-train' model. They are now adopting a 'train-then-hire' approach by engaging with campuses earlier, aligning academic readiness with project requirements to minimise ramp-up time.”This, he said, marks a clear shift towards quality-led and demand-synced workforce planning as the industry continues to grapple with 45-50 per cent demand-supply mismatch across AI roles, cloud computing, cybersecurity, cross-domain engineers, MLOps engineers and data engineering.“IT hiring sentiment remains in a phase of recalibration, which is cautious yet goal-oriented. Organisations are prioritising skill depth over scale, focusing on cloud, data, and AI-led capabilities while aligning workforce strength to active project pipelines. While campus hiring has picked up, the real challenge is to ensure that engineering talent is market-ready,” Chengappa said.Nearly 40 per cent of enterprises now conduct quarterly skills-gap assessments, while 26 per cent customise learning by role and 25 per cent update content based on emerging trends. Another 19 per cent rely on industry certifications, signalling a more structured approach to capability building. The report also notes that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Generative AI (GenAI) have become cross-sectoral priorities, with over half of enterprises planning AI-driven training programmes in FY26.In Hyderabad, the appetite for upskilling mirrors the national trend. The report found that 90 per cent of professionals in the city plan to upgrade their skills in FY26, with 87 per cent saying that upskilling is essential to future-proof their careers. Around 60 per cent of employees in Hyderabad already use GenAI tools in their daily work. Companies located in Hitec City, the Financial District, and Gachibowli have launched quarterly internal learning drives focused on AI, data analytics, cybersecurity, and leadership development to keep pace with automation.“Earlier, training was treated like a compliance formality,” said Karunakar Reddy, Learning and Development Head at a Hyderabad-based fintech firm. “Now, it’s a survival strategy. Managers are learning to use AI tools, interpret data, and lead hybrid teams — not just supervise them.”Another HR executive, Megha V., from a city-based IT company, said upskilling is also improving retention. “People stay longer when they see the company investing in their growth. That’s been our biggest takeaway this year,” she said.
