India ranks 13th in QS World Future Skills Index 2027 : GS TIMES IAS-PCS

India has secured the 13th position globally with an overall score of 89.4 in the QS World Future Skills Index 2027, released by QS Quacquarelli Symonds. The United States topped the rankings with a score of 99.2.

The report positions India as the leading South Asian and lower-middle-income country in preparing for the future of work. However, it also highlights a growing gap between the country’s rapidly transforming labour market and the quality of skills being produced by its higher education institutions.

A key highlight of the report is India’s perfect score of 100 in Economic Capacity, the highest globally. This achievement has been attributed to strong GDP growth, sustained labour market investments, and large-scale infrastructure development. At the same time, India ranked only 73rd in the Human Capital Index, which assesses graduate quality and institutional output, indicating challenges in aligning higher education outcomes with emerging industry demands.

The report notes that successful adoption of artificial intelligence could add $500 billion to India’s economy by 2030, according to projections from IBM’s 2026 research. India also possesses the world’s largest IT services workforce, comprising 5.8 million professionals, which contributes approximately $300 billion annually to the national economy, as per the 2026 Technology Sector Review by NASSCOM.

The QS World Future Skills Index evaluates how well countries are prepared for the future workforce by assessing indicators such as skills alignment, academic readiness, economic transformation, economic capacity, and future-of-work preparedness.

India’s Performance in QS World Future Skills Index 2027