The Skill Economy Is Here, and Most Companies Are Still Hiring for Roles

Hans India

22-05-2025

India's workforce is at a crossroads. While the global economy shifts towards skill-based hiring, a significant gap persists between the skills employers need and those job seekers possess. According to the India Skills Report 2025, only 54.81% of Indian graduates are deemed employable, despite a 7% year-on-year improvement. This paradox underscores a critical challenge: the rise of the skill economy has not yet translated into systemic changes in hiring practices, leaving companies scrambling to fill roles rather than cultivating talent aligned with future-ready capabilities.
The Skill Economy: India's Progress and Persistent Gaps
The Skill India Mission, launched in 2015, has trained over 40 crore individuals, contributing to a notable rise in employability—from 33% a decade ago to 54.81% in 2025. Initiatives like Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) have enabled sectors such as IT, healthcare, and renewable energy to bridge skill gaps. For instance, Karnataka's PMKVY centres trained 1.2 lakh youths in 2023–24, with 68% securing roles in high-demand industries like cybersecurity and green energy.
However, the Wheebox ETS India Skills Report 2025 reveals stark disparities. While management graduates boast 78% employability, women's employability rates have declined to 47.5%, highlighting systemic inequities. Furthermore, only 50% of secondary and tertiary students receive vocational training, leaving a void in sectors like AI and fintech, which require 400,000 skilled professionals by 2030.
Why Companies Still Hire for Roles, Not Skills
Despite the skill economy's promise, most Indian firms remain entrenched in traditional hiring models. A 2024 survey by TeamLease indicates that 62% of companies prioritise academic credentials over demonstrable skills, citing risk aversion and a lack of robust assessment frameworks. This mismatch is evident in sectors like manufacturing, where 45% of employers report difficulty finding workers with automation expertise, despite India's $2.5 trillion construction industry demanding such skills.
The tech sector exemplifies this dichotomy. While India produces 1.5 million engineering graduates annually, only 35% possess coding proficiency, per NASSCOM. Yet, firms like Infosys and Wipro continue to recruit en masse for generic roles, investing ₹10,000–15,000 crore annually in upskilling post-hire—a reactive approach that strains resources and delays productivity.
Case Studies: Bridging the Skill-Role Divide
1. Renewable Energy Sector: ReNew Power partnered with NIIT to design a 6-month certification program in solar panel maintenance and grid management. This initiative reduced onboarding time by 40% and improved operational efficiency by 25%, demonstrating the value of pre-skilled talent.
2. Healthcare: Apollo Hospitals introduced a blended learning model for nurses, combining AI-driven simulations with on-the-job training. This reduced diagnostic errors by 18% and cut training costs by 30%.
3. MSMEs in Tier-2 Cities: A Surat-based textile SME adopted our skill-mapping audit to identify and upskill workers in digital inventory management. This led to a 20% reduction in waste and a 15% increase in export orders within a year.
The Impact of Misaligned Hiring Practices
Companies adhering to role-based hiring face three critical risks:
1. Productivity Loss: It takes 6–8 months to upskill hires for specialised roles, during which productivity lags by 30–40%.
2. Attrition: A LinkedIn report notes that 67% of employees leave within a year if their skills are underutilised.
3. Innovation Stagnation: Firms lose ground to agile competitors who leverage niche skills in AI and data analytics.
For India, the stakes are high. With 65% of its workforce under 35, the country must align its demographic dividend with emerging sectors. The construction industry alone needs 7.5 crore skilled workers by 2030, yet current training capacity meets only 40% of demand.
A Roadmap for Businesses and Policymakers
To thrive in the skill economy, stakeholders must adopt a proactive approach:
1. Skill-Centric Recruitment:
● Use AI-driven platforms like Wheebox's Global Employability Test to assess candidates' problem-solving and technical abilities.
● Expand apprenticeship programs under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), which has placed 5 lakh youths since 2023.
2. Industry-Education Collaboration:
● Integrate vocational training into academic curricula. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 mandates this, but only 12 states have implemented it effectively.
● Develop micro-credentials in partnership with platforms like Coursera, which saw a 200% surge in Indian enrollments for AI and blockchain courses in 2024.
3. Gender Inclusivity:
● Address the 8% gender gap in employability through targeted initiatives. For example, Tech Mahindra's 'Women in Tech' program has upskilled 15,000 women in cloud computing since 2022.
4. Government Incentives:
● Expand the Scope of PLI Schemes to include SMEs investing in employee upskilling.
● Offer tax breaks for companies that hire certified candidates from Skill India programs.
From Roles to Skills—A Strategic Imperative
The skill economy is not a distant future—it is here. Companies clinging to outdated hiring models risk obsolescence in an era where adaptability determines survival. For India, aligning its workforce with global demands requires a concerted effort from businesses, educators, and policymakers. By prioritising skills over roles, fostering inclusivity, and leveraging technology, India can transform its demographic potential into economic leadership.
(The author is Founder of Stratefix Consulting)