A new study from byteXL, based on the real-world engagement data of over 1,00,000 learners, sheds light on how engineering and AI students are progressing across India and the career paths they’re choosing.

The report segments learners into three developmental stages: Basic Programming, Advanced Programming, and Defined Career Path. This progression framework offers valuable insights into how students are developing their technical competencies and planning their careers in the age of AI and automation.

Key highlights from the report

Female learners ahead in career clarity

• 100% of female learners achieved Basic Programming proficiency.

• 66% advanced to Advanced Programming.

• Notably, 40% of female learners reached the Defined Career Path stage—higher than the 35% of male learners.

• This indicates growing career clarity and engagement among female students in technical education.

Tier 3 colleges outperform in career path definition

• 49% of students from Tier 3 colleges reached the Defined Career Path stage—a higher proportion than Tier 1 (33%) and Tier 2 (35%).

• While all tiers achieved 100% in Basic Programming, Tier 3 showed the strongest end-to-end progression, possibly reflecting their focused efforts on career readiness.

Student progression overview

• 100% reached Basic Programming.

• 68% advanced to Advanced Programming.

• Only 37% reached Defined Career Path, indicating a significant drop between intermediate skills and full career clarity.

Most preferred career path: AI/ML takes the lead

When analyzing career path preferences by gender:

• AI/ML emerged as the most preferred track:

o 40.58% of females selected AI/ML.

o 37.07% of males preferred AI/ML.

• Embedded Systems/IoT came second:

o 25.21% (females), 29.23% (males)

• Other paths included:

o Backend Engineering: 23.68% (females), 24.70% (males)

o Full Stack Development: 10.54% (females), 8.99% (males)

This trend underscores how AI and machine learning have become aspirational and in-demand domains for the next generation of engineers.

Top cities surveyed

The report drew survey data from a diverse pool of locations. The top cities with the most respondents included:

• Vijayawada and Andhra region (highest response volume)

• Hyderabad

• Coimbatore

• Vadodara

• Ongole

• Other notable cities: Pune, Dehradun, Chandigarh, Mathura, Jalandhar, Nagpur

Implications for the future

This report not only reflects how learners are engaging with AI and engineering education but also signals a shifting focus toward career clarity, gender inclusion, and tech specialization.

As the tech industry continues to evolve, platforms like byteXL are playing a critical role in preparing future-ready engineers through structured learning paths, upskilling opportunities, and real-world career guidance.

Conclusion

With Tier 3 colleges leading in student career clarity and AI/ML becoming the top choice for both genders, the byteXL report highlights a promising trend in democratizing access to high-value tech careers across regions andbackgrounds in India.