72% Indian working professionals willing to upskill with Edtech courses on EMI: Fibe study

• 69% respondents cite budget constraints as a challenge in pursuing such a course   
• 47% respondents looking to enhance skill sets within the same domain or cross-skilling in a different domain 
• 25% looking to upskill into domains not linked to current professional area 
• 69% respondents took skill upgradation courses in the past, of which 89% witnessed positive impact on career advancement 
• Courses in communications and soft skills emerge as the most preferred across the country  

Mumbai,  24^th, March, 2025: Fibe, India’s leading Fintech unveils an expanding and promising trend for upskilling and cross-skilling among Indian working professionals in its latest report, indicating the eagerness of 72% respondents to upskill through Edtech courses on EMI. The report further reveals that 47% of working professionals prefer to enhance their skill sets in their current domain or cross-skill in a different domain while another 25% want to upskill into domains not linked to current professional area. 

India has a rapidly increasing population, and this growth is largely driven by dynamic and young people, with 65% of them being under 35 years of age. In a cautious job market, a large proportion of working professionals are spending time on online learning and feel the need to enhance their skill sets. Fibe’s study reflects a similar trend, with 51% of the total respondents interested in taking up an upskilling course in the next one year.  

Interestingly, 73% of these respondents show an inclination towards taking online courses. The report further indicates that 69% respondents took skill upgradation courses in the past, of which 89% witnessed positive impact on career advancement.  

The report further indicates a growing appetite for technical and marketing-oriented courses with Data Science, Digital Marketing and Investment Banking courses being the top selection.   

However, working professionals face significant challenges in their upskilling/ reskilling journey. While 30% respondents said lack of time comes in the way of their aspirations to pursue a course, 69% respondents cited budget constraints as a challenge.  

Fibe Cofounder & CEO, Akshay Mehrotra said, “Over the last few years, we have seen a remarkable shift among working professionals, driven by the aspiration for a better future. The growing demand for upskilling and taking a leap in the career presents an unparalleled opportunity for Edtechs as well as Fintechs which are providing accessible and affordable financial solutions. Fibe’s Education and Skilling loans enable salaried individuals to pursue their career goals without any financial constraints, helping them work towards a better future.”  

Other top findings:  

Popular courses  

• 24% data science and AI 
• 13% digital marketing 
• 11% investment banking  
• 23% soft skills and communications 
• Respondents on average choose 2 courses 

Profession-wise preference 

• 40% of HR professionals showed an interest in soft skills and communications 
• 52% of tech professionals showed an interest in AI and data science 
• 40% of sales and marketing professionals showed an interest in digital marketing 
• ~30% of finance professionals showed an interest in investment banking 

Gender Wise preference 

• 51% of female respondents showed interest in soft skills and communications 
• 45% of male respondents showed interest in data science and AI 

City-wise demand for courses among men and women –  

• AI (23%) and data science (38.20%) are most preferred by men in Delhi  
• AI (27%) and data science (36.80%) are most preferred by men in Bangalore  
• Data science (27.30%) is most preferred by women in Bangalore. 
• Digital marketing (31.6%) and investment banking courses (27.70%) are most preferred by men in Mumbai. 
• Data science (21.50%) and digital marketing courses (24.60%) are most preferred by women in Mumbai. 
• Men in Pune showed interest in data science (34.70%) and investment banking (24.60%) 
• Women in Pune showed interest in data science (57.10%) and investment banking (57.10%) 
• Both men and women in Chennai showed interest in data science and digital marketing. 

About Fibe 

Fibe (previously EarlySalary) is one of India’s leading consumer lending apps focused on young, aspirational, and tech-savvy Indian consumers. It is building a financial ecosystem that enables the mid-income group to fulfil their aspirations. It is an industry leader in the salary advance segment with the fastest processing time. Fibe offers a range of financial products, including Cash Loans, long-term Personal Loans, and Buy Now Pay Later options for sectors like healthcare and education, making affordability more accessible. It offers a 100% digital loan application process that takes just seconds to complete. Fibe has partnered with Axis Bank to offer a secure, numberless credit card for a streamlined user experience.  

Fibe has grown multifold over the years and emerged as a market leader in providing financial assistance to young middle-income groups in India. Due to its highly scalable business model, Fibe recently has been upgraded to A- by CARE Ratings and has been certified with ISO/IEC 2001 for its Information Security Management System (ISMS).  Today, Fibe has access to debt lines to leading Banks, Large NBFCs and NCDs. The company has already disbursed more than 7 million+ loans worth Rs. 26,000 Cr+.  

• Winner of BW Festival of Fintech Lending Platform of the Year (Gold) and Fintech Brand of the Year (Silver) 
• Featured in Economic Times Best Brand Award at the Best Brands Conclave 2022 
• Winner of the BFSI Leadership Award at the 5th NBFC100 Tech Summit 
• Winner of Young Indians Delhi Youth Conclave Award 
• Dream Company to Work for in Fintech by HRM Asia Pacific Congress 
• Winner of G20 Digital Innovation Alliance – Best Startup in Fintech