By Danielle Fallon, Director of Enterprise Sales: APAC & MEA
There is a specific kind of energy you only find in India. It’s a mix of relentless pace, vibrant color, and an underlying sense that the future isn’t something we’re waiting for; it’s something being built right now.
This week, I touched down for my first-ever business trip to India to join the 17th L&D & Talent Management India Summit & Awards 2026. Representing edX Enterprise, I had the privilege of taking the stage to tackle one of the most pressing questions in our industry: How do we prove Learning and Development strategies are actually working?
The Main Stage: Quantifying Knowledge
I spent the morning delivering my session, “Quantifying Knowledge: The Roadmap to Measurable L&D ROI and AI-Powered Skilling.” For too long, L&D has been viewed as a nice-to-have cost centre. But in the age of AI, we have the tools to turn education into a predictable, measurable engine for growth. During the talk, we explored how the shift from “hours spent training” to “verified skill acquisition” is changing the game.
“We are moving away from the ‘completion rate’ era and into the ‘capability era.’ It’s no longer about who finished the course, but who can demonstrate the ROI of their new knowledge.”
Key Takeaways from the Roadmap:
- The AI-Powered Skill Gap: AI doesn’t just automate tasks; it identifies exactly where a team’s knowledge is lagging in real-time.
- Hyper-Personalization at Scale: How AI-driven skilling paths are reducing “learning waste” by ensuring employees only spend time on what they don’t already know.
- Measuring the Unmeasurable: I shared edX’s framework for mapping learning outcomes directly to business KPIs – turning “soft skills” into hard data.
The Pulse of the Summit
The feedback after the session was electric. The Indian L&D community is incredibly forward-thinking; the questions I received during the Q&A weren’t about if we should use AI, but how fast we can integrate it to upskill millions.
In 2026, India isn’t just a market; it’s a global laboratory for L&D innovation. The appetite for skills-based architecture here is unlike anything I’ve seen before.
Culture as the Secret Sauce
Between sessions, I have been soaking in the local culture. Business in India is deeply relational. A “quick” coffee chat often turns into a deep dive into philosophy and family over a cup of hot Masala Chai.
I’ve learned that in India, you don’t just do business; you build a partnership. That same principle applies to my presentation: the best data in the world doesn’t matter if you haven’t built a culture that trusts the learning process.
If you missed the presentation you can complete the form above and access the presentation or you can connect with the edX Enterprise team by contacting us here to start the conversation.