India saw over 26 million enrolments, nearly one every 30 seconds, in GenAI (generative artificial intelligence) courses on Coursera, a global online learning platform, in 2025 alone, according to Marni Baker Stein, the platform’s chief content officer.
Most learners are fresh graduates opting for beginner-level courses in AI and GenAI basics. Others looking to reskill are enrolling in modules on software development, design, and programming across various languages.
India is Coursera’s second-largest market after the United States, with 29 million users. Around 70% of these learners are men, and 30% are women, highlighting a gender gap in digital learning uptake, Business Standard reported.
“There has been a 290 per cent growth in the number of women learners on the platform, which is encouraging, but we would still like to see that ratio between men and women improve,” Stein said.
Coursera has partnered with 18 leading Indian institutions, including the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) at Guwahati, Bombay, and Roorkee; IIM Calcutta, Indore, and Ahmedabad; and the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, to expand its university-led AI course offerings.
Coursera has also partnered with Fractal Analytics, a global artificial intelligence (AI) solutions company, to offer 26 courses and five specialisations. These include microlearning programmes on responsible AI in the age of GenAI, designed for enterprise-level learners.
Fractal will also design specialised courses based on real consulting projects. Its direct feedback loop with companies allows faster updates and ensures the course content stays relevant to industry needs.
Coursera’s AI-powered assistant, Coach, has exchanged 3.7 million messages in India since its launch in September 2024. Over 4 lakh users regularly interact with it for personalised learning support.
“If learners are having a problem, they can talk to Coach about how the course applies to their job or how they can apply it in their life. What is interesting is that learners who interact with Coach tend to persist longer and finish the course. Women and learners with a weaker academic background are more likely to interact with Coach,” Stein said.
