In an interview with TimesTech, Raghav Gupta, CEO of Futurense, discussed how AI upskilling is reshaping opportunities for Indian engineers amid shifting global tech dynamics. Highlighting Futurense’s collaborations with Fortune 500 companies and its mission to democratize AI education beyond metros and elite institutions, he emphasized how India can lead the global AI economy by transforming its vast talent base into an AI-native workforce of the future.
Read the full interview here:
TimesTech: With the tightening of H-1B visa regulations and increasing global competition for tech jobs, how do you see AI upskilling redefining opportunities for Indian engineers both within India and internationally?
Raghav: The tightening of H-1B regulations hasn’t reduced demand, only changed where that demand is met. The same global tech companies that once hired Indian engineers abroad now need them to work from India. Global Capability Centers are growing faster than ever, with over 1,600 already established, and almost every Fortune 500 company either setting one up or expanding an existing one. These centers need AI-ready engineers who can build, deploy, and manage complex systems. What’s fading away is repetitive work, while the need for deep, problem-solving talent who know how to apply AI tools and models to real business challenges is exploding.
This is not a story about job loss for India, but about job evolution. Indian engineers now have the chance to work on global problems from home, provided they are skilled for the AI era. The geography of opportunity has changed, but its scale has only grown larger.
TimesTech: Futurense’s co-created curriculum with Fortune 500 partners is designed to bridge the employability gap. Could you elaborate on how this collaboration model ensures learners gain practical, industry-ready AI skills?
Raghav: The biggest challenge in AI education is keeping pace, as the technology moves faster than academia can adapt. The only way to stay relevant is to build with the same industry that’s driving the change. Our co-creation model does exactly that. We work with Fortune 500 partners and our Future Leadership Council, a network of CXOs who guide us on the skills that are truly in demand. We start from their real business problems, the data they use, and the kind of AI talent they struggle to find, and those inputs shape our curriculum from the beginning.
Every program also includes an AI Clinic, a live environment where learners apply their knowledge to real-world problems from our partners. It’s where learning meets execution. Instead of teaching tools in isolation, we teach how to use them to make better business decisions. That’s why our learners don’t just understand AI, they can use it from day one.
TimesTech: A large part of Futurense’s mission focuses on Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. What are the key challenges and opportunities in building AI-ready talent pipelines from these regions, and how are you addressing them?
Raghav: The challenge in smaller cities isn’t talent, it’s access. The intelligence and drive are there, but exposure to mentors, tools, and networks is limited. At the same time, this is India’s biggest opportunity. The next wave of innovation will come from cities like Coimbatore, Nagpur, and Bhubaneswar, where ambition and curiosity are unmatched. At Futurense, we’re bridging that gap by ensuring every learner, no matter where they are, works on live projects through our AI Clinics, handling real-world use cases shared by Fortune 500 companies.
Additionally, we’ve also built hybrid learning hubs and mentorship programs that connect students from smaller towns with professionals working in global AI roles. Once they see their work creating real outcomes, their confidence builds quickly. Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities are no longer a limitation; they’re India’s talent engine which is not only ambitious, affordable, but ready for scale.
TimesTech: We’re witnessing a global shift from degree-based to skill-first hiring. How do you see micro-credentials and AI certifications reshaping the future of education and recruitment in India?
Raghav: Degrees will always matter, but they’re no longer the only way to signal competence. In an AI-driven world, proof of skill matters more than proof of attendance. Micro-credentials and AI certifications are becoming the new currency of employability, giving learners and employers measurable evidence of capability. At Futurense, every certification represents a unit of trust tied to a real-world outcome that an employer can verify.
For instance, when a learner completes a deployment or governance module in our AI Clinic, it automatically creates a record of that work. Hiring will increasingly resemble a skill marketplace rather than campus placements, where verified ability matters more than institutional pedigree. Companies that adapt early to this reality will tap into India’s widest and most diverse talent pool.
TimesTech: With the ongoing AI talent race between India, China, and the US, what steps must India take to democratize access to high-quality AI education beyond elite institutions like the IITs?
Raghav: We believe the quality of IIT-level education should be scaled, not limited. Building dozens of new campuses will take decades, and India doesn’t have that kind of time. The National Education Policy already supports this shift by encouraging collaboration between academia and digital learning platforms. Futurense fits into that vision by partnering with IITs and leading universities to take their excellence online through industry-integrated programs.
The idea is simple, make world-class learning accessible to anyone with capability and curiosity. By combining IITs’ academic strength with real-world problem statements from Fortune 500 companies, we’ve created a scalable model that delivers elite-level education nationwide. This is how India can close the AI talent gap faster than any other country.
TimesTech: Having enabled over 25,000 learners and worked with 60+ Fortune 500 companies, what is Futurense’s long-term vision for creating an AI-native workforce, and how do you see India’s role in the global AI economy evolving over the next decade?
Raghav: Our vision is straightforward, India may not lead in infrastructure or manufacturing scale, but it can lead the world in talent. India’s biggest export has always been its people, and in the AI era, that’s our superpower. The goal is to give that talent the right platform to define the global AI economy and decide how AI is built, applied, and governed.
At Futurense, we’re building that platform through partnerships, new learning models, and strong industry linkages. We want India to become the world’s AI engineering hub, not just consuming AI but creating it. Over the next decade, India has the chance to set global standards for how AI is used responsibly, efficiently, and at scale. That’s the future we’re betting on, and it’s what drives everything we build.
