BS EDIT: Why India’s graduates struggle with employability

By Business StandardPublished On Mar 5, 2025

The employability gap

Graduate Skill Index fell from 44.3% (2023) to 42.6% (2024)

High degrees, low job skills—a growing paradox

Who’s more employable?

Men (43.4%) fare better than women (41.7%)

Soft skills, critical thinking remain major barriers

The IT sector mismatch

1.5M engineers graduate yearly, but only 45% meet industry needs

The digital talent gap may hit 30% by 2028

Fixing the education system

Less rote learning, more critical thinking needed

Internships help, but curriculum reform is key

English: A competitive edge

Global businesses prefer English proficiency

India must leverage this advantage in tech & IT

The way forward

Stronger industry-academia links

Skill-based learning > memorisation

Empower students for global careers