Higher education and upskilling company upGrad, is set to expand its portfolio with new offerings in financial services, creative arts, gaming, and VFX, while further strengthening its AI programs.
“There’s strong intent among learners to pursue skilling in these domains, and our targeted boot camps and certifications are designed to meet that growing demand,” said Mayank Kumar, co-Founder, upGrad.
For areas, like gaming, VFX, and animation, the company is partnering with global universities from the US, Canada, and the U.K.
“These collaborations bring international expertise to our learners, especially as India increasingly services global markets,” he added.
While In fast-evolving fields like AI, financial services, and project management, the company is designing and offering our own branded courses.
“This approach allows us to quickly adapt to the latest trends and deliver targeted programs that appeal to professionals in both IT and non-IT sectors,” he added.
The company has also broadened its product portfolio significantly to meet evolving learner demands, particularly in areas like artificial intelligence (AI) and study abroad programs.
“We’ve seen tremendous growth in AI-related programs, with offerings ranging from short boot camps to doctoral degrees.” He emphasised that demand for both technical and non-technical AI skills has surged, as industries are increasingly seeking AI-enabled professionals. “India will see an emergence of an AI-first workforce,” Mayank added.
AI remains one of UpGrad’s most popular domains, accounting for around 40per cent of the 3.4 lakh sign-ups for free courses in FY24.
Beyond AI, upGrad’s study-abroad offerings have seen strong uptake, driven by a “1+1” program model that allows students to complete their first year in India and the second year abroad, thereby reducing costs. The company also facilitates partnerships with global universities, strengthening talent mobility from India to international economies.
A key part of UpGrad’s growth strategy is expanding its offline presence to enhance learner acquisition. Currently, the company operates over 15 experience centres across India, where students and their families can receive in-depth guidance on program choices. “We aim to double our offline centres by the end of this year,” he added.
Talking about revenues, Mayank said that that 80per cent of its business is India-based, with the remaining 20per cent derived from Southeast Asia and the US. “These two markets have shown strong growth, especially for our AI and enterprise training programs,” Mayank said. He also shared UpGrad’s goal of reaching break-even profitability by the end of FY25. “Two quarters back, we were already profitable. For FY25, we’re on track for significant revenue growth, with at least two quarters expected to show profitability.”