Senior corporate leaders are increasingly enrolling in online Artificial Intelligence (AI) programmes as boards and management teams move to build internal capacity to navigate rapid technology-led change. Upskilling platforms are reporting a sharp rise in participation from CEOs and other C-suite executives over the past year, reflecting a shift in how AI is being viewed within organisations.
Executives are increasingly acknowledging that AI strategy can no longer be fully delegated to technology teams. According to Simplilearn, senior-level professionals with more than eight years of experience now represent 45% of its learner base.
What did Krishna Kumar say?
“We are observing particularly strong momentum among senior-level to C-suite professionals who are proactively upskilling to stay ahead of rapid industry transformation,” said Krishna Kumar, founder and chief executive of Simplilearn. “C-suite leaders are actively seeking credentials that enable them to evaluate AI investments, manage implementation risks, and confidently drive organisational transformation.”
At Scaler, enrolments from C-suite and CXO-level professionals have doubled year-on-year across programmes since 2023. “AI is no longer viewed as a future capability, but as a boardroom priority — one that directly shapes strategy, productivity, and long-term competitive advantage,” said Abhimanyu Saxena, co-founder of Scaler. Courses in machine learning, generative AI engineering, MLOps, and LLMOps, combined with hands-on projects, are seeing strong uptake from senior leaders.
What does Coursera data suggest?
According to global online learning platform Coursera, enrollments from C-suite professionals in generative AI courses in India rose 77% between 2023 and 2025. The demand spans executive-focused offerings such as Generative AI for Executives and Business Leaders, Generative AI and AI Agent Organisational Strategy for Leaders, and Agentic AI and AI Agents: A Primer for Leaders, indicating that senior executives are seeking frameworks to guide strategy rather than technical depth alone.
Similar trends are visible across domestic upskilling firms. At Futurense, C-suite participants historically accounted for about 5–10% of total enrollments. That share has now climbed to as high as 35% in several programmes. “As decision-making becomes more AI-driven, leaders who lack a working understanding of technology risk losing relevance in strategic conversations within their own organisations,” said Raghav Gupta, founder and chief executive of Futurense.
IPO-bound edtech startup upGrad has also seen strong momentum. Enrollments in its university-led online Doctor of Business Administration programmes have grown by more than 110% year-on-year since the last quarter of the previous fiscal year. “AI programmes are no longer confined to CTOs or CIOs. We are seeing growing participation from CEOs, CHROs, CMOs, CFOs and others who are less interested in how models are built and more focused on how AI reshapes decision-making, governance, productivity, and growth,” said Rohit Sharma, president for consumer business at upGrad. The company’s programmes are structured to allow senior professionals to build AI fluency without stepping away from full-time roles.
Pricing for executive programmes varies widely. At Futurense, certificate courses typically cost between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1.5 lakh for a 7–9 month tenure, two-year MTech programmes range from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, while two-year MBA programmes can cost Rs 8–9 lakh, depending on the institution and structure. Gupta said the common requirement among C-suite learners is an understanding of the broader AI-driven technology landscape to better guide teams and investments.
Experts say the emphasis is now on practical application rather than theory. Senior executives are looking for clarity on deployment, measurable returns, and managing cross-functional implementation. For many, it has also become a career imperative. “Around 41% of C-suite participants upskill with us with a clear objective of advancing their careers or making strategic career transitions,” Kumar said, underscoring that reskilling is increasingly seen as essential even at the highest levels of management.