LinkedIn has launched the Skills on the Rise 2025 list, spotlighting 15 skills that professionals should invest in to stay ahead at work.
The top 5 fastest growing skills that companies in India are hiring for include creativity and innovation, code review, problem-solving, pre-screening and strategic thinking.
With 64 per cent of the skills used in most jobs projected to change by 2030 in India, LinkedIn research shows that 25 per cent of professionals worry about not having the skills needed for the future, 60 per cent are open to switching industries, and 39 per cent plan to learn new skills.
On the other hand, 69 per cent of recruiters in India report a skills mismatch between the skills professionals have and the skills companies need.
Nirajita Banerjee, LinkedIn Career Expert and India Senior Managing Editor said:
“India Inc. is experiencing a fundamental skills reset. As AI changes the way we work, soft skills like creativity, problem-solving, and strategic thinking are no longer ‘nice to have’; they’re business-critical. At the same time, AI literacy is becoming a baseline expectation across all job functions. Employers are also doubling down on customer engagement and stakeholder management, making business acumen more valuable than ever. This year’s Skills on the Rise list is a must-have resource for professionals to identify and learn the skills that companies are hiring for in 2025.”
Soft skills take centre stage
As AI automates tasks, the skills that set professionals apart are becoming deeply human. Creativity and innovation, problem-solving and strategic thinking are seeing increased demand, not just in traditionally creative fields like arts & design and marketing, but also in business development and education.
Similarly, communication is now essential beyond people-centric roles like sales and HR, extending into IT, consulting and finance.
AI literacy is a baseline expectation across job functions
The ability to work with AI is a mainstay in today’s work landscape. With 95 per cent of C-Suite leaders in India prioritising AI skills over traditional experience, Large Language Models (LLM), AI literacy and prompt engineering skills are becoming key differentiators for job applicants.
While these skills have traditionally been associated with IT, their growing relevance in education and marketing highlights the expanding role of AI and tech fluency across job functions.
Customer engagement skills are in demand across India Inc.
As companies sharpen their focus on business growth, strong customer relationships remain a top priority.
Customer engagement is a critical skill—with an increasing emphasis on customer satisfaction—across sales, business development, and marketing functions. Professionals who can help businesses build enduring customer relations and loyalty will have an advantage.
Here are this year’s Top 15 Skills on The Rise in India:
- Creativity and Innovation
- Code Review
- Problem Solving
- Pre-screening
- Strategic Thinking
- Communication
- Adaptability
- Large Language Models (LLM)
- AI Literacy
- Debugging
- Customer Engagement
- Statistical Data Analysis
- Prompt Engineering
- Market Analysis
- Stakeholder Management
LinkedIn’s career expert Nirajita Banerjee shares tips to help professionals unlock new opportunities:
- Take stock of what you have got. Go back through your job history to do a skills inventory. Don’t forget to consider skills you have gained from other experiences including volunteering and sports clubs – you likely have more skills than you thought! This exercise will help you ID skills to highlight during your job search and can help remind you of skills that you would want to build in the future.
- Show off your soft skills. While technical skills are required in many jobs, skills like communication and adaptability are in demand and are super transferable across roles and industries. These skills matter to employers, so don’t bury the lead – members who list five or more skills receive up to 5.6x more profile views from recruiters and 24x recruiter InMails and are 2.9x more likely to receive connection requests. Be sure to add your skills to your profile and include context that demonstrates the impact your skills have made.
- Go skill surfing and get in growth mode. Identify the areas of growth – possibly around skills that you were missing for a specific job you want, as detailed in the job description. You can then check out your company’s continuing education offerings or ask for a stretch assignment in your current role. Take online courses like those offered by LinkedIn Learning, or take on a volunteer role for a local club or organisation. Don’t be afraid to try new things and get out of your comfort zone.
To support professionals, LinkedIn Learning is offering free courses to help them develop these essential skills. Additionally, LinkedIn’s new AI-powered coaching feature enables learners to practice real-world workplace conversations—like performance reviews and feedback discussions—using text or voice, with personalised feedback to build confidence.
