Prodigy Finance and Sonal Kapoor see Indian engineers filling the global talent gap

Sonal Kapoor, Global Chief Business Officer, Prodigy Finance, said AI literacy, international postgraduate education and technical specialisation are becoming critical as global labour shortages are projected to reach 85 million by 2030.

London, June 2026: Prodigy Finance said India is emerging as one of the world’s largest sources of engineering and technical talent as global labour shortages are projected to reach 85 million by 2030.
The company said the latest study abroad cycle shows growing student interest in STEM programmes, particularly postgraduate engineering degrees, across destinations such as the US, UK and Germany.
According to the release, the shift is being shaped by both global demand and domestic employment pressure. The India Skills Report 2026, which surveyed more than 1000 corporations, found that companies are increasingly looking for mid level and experienced talent, while manufacturing has reduced fresher hiring to 5 percent of new positions.

Prodigy Finance said the issue is not a shortage of talent, but a mismatch between graduate output and industry requirements. The release cited ICEF Monitor’s April 2026 report, which stated that fewer than 7 percent of graduates in India secure permanent salaried jobs within one year of graduation, while fewer than 4 percent enter white collar roles.
“AI literacy is no longer optional. The demand for it spans healthcare, corporate, finance, and every sector you can name. We still need creative and human talent; the industry needs both. But students who chose higher education in engineering or technical fields are on the right track. It is competitive, yes, but that also means the reward for the ones who get there is significant,” said Sonal Kapoor, Global Chief Business Officer, Prodigy Finance.

Kapoor said master’s degrees and MBAs are increasingly being seen by students as routes to stronger career opportunities. She said international postgraduate education can give students access to wider exposure, confidence and career networks that global employers value.
The release also pointed to salary gaps between domestic and international markets. It cited verified Glassdoor submissions from April 2026 indicating that a BTech fresher in India typically starts between INR 4.5 lakh and INR 8 lakh per annum, while many engineers begin at INR 2.5 lakh to INR 3 lakh per annum in smaller companies.

By comparison, the release cited NACE’s Winter 2026 Salary Survey, which placed the average starting salary for engineering graduates in the United States at USD 81198, roughly INR 67 lakh. It also cited HESA’s latest Graduate Outcomes report, which placed the median starting salary for engineering graduates in the UK at GBP 31975, approximately INR 34 lakh.
Prodigy Finance said India’s engineering talent pool is expected to play an important role in global workforce needs. The India Skills Report 2026 projects that India could supply a surplus of 45 million skilled professionals by 2030, while global labour shortages may reach 85 million workers. The release also noted that more than 40 percent of STEM graduates in India are women.

Founded in 2007, Prodigy Finance is an international student lender that has helped more than 47000 international master’s students attend universities across the world. The company said it has disbursed more than USD 2.6 billion in funding to students from over 150 countries.

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