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Boqii Announces Fiscal 2025 First Half Unaudited Financial Results

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SHANGHAI, Dec. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Boqii Holding Limited (“We,” “Boqii” or the “Company”) (NYSE American: BQ), a leading pet-focused platform in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the first half of fiscal 2025 (i.e., the six months ended September 30, 2024).

Fiscal 2025 First Half Operational and Financial Highlights

Total revenues were RMB249.7 million (US$35.6 million), compared to RMB389.4 million in the first half of fiscal 2024.

Loss from operations was RMB27.0 million (US$3.9 million), representing a decrease of 14.7% from RMB31.7 million for the first half of fiscal 2024.

Net loss was RMB29.6 million (US$4.2 million), representing a decrease of 21.6% from RMB37.7 million in the first half of fiscal 2024.

Diluted net loss per share was RMB0.28 (US$0.04), representing a decrease of 46.7% from diluted net loss per share of RMB0.52 for the first half of fiscal 2024.

EBITDA[1] was a loss of RMB25.0 million (US$3.6 million), representing a decrease of 25.4% from a loss of RMB 33.5 million in the first half of fiscal 2024.

Total GMV[2] was RMB538.2 million (US$76.7 million), compared to RMB903.0 million in the first half of fiscal 2024.

 

[1] EBITDA refers to net income/(loss) excluding income tax expenses, interest expense, interest income, depreciation and amortization expenses. EBITDA is a Non-GAAP financial measurement. See the section titled “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for more information about EBITDA.

[2] GMV refers to gross merchandise volume, which is the total value of confirmed orders placed with us and sold through distribution model or drop shipping model where we act as a principal in the transaction regardless of whether the products are delivered or returned, calculated based on the listed prices of the ordered products without taking into consideration any discounts. The total GMV amount (i) includes GMV of products sold by Nanjing Xingmu Biotechnology Co., Ltd., (ii) excludes products sold through consignment model and (iii) excludes the value of services offered by us. GMV is subject to future adjustments (such as refunds) and represents only one measure of the Company’s performance and should not be relied on as an indicator of our financial results, which depend on a variety of factors.

CEO & CFO Quote

Mr. Hao Liang, Boqii’s Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer commented, “Despite persistently pessimistic social expectations and increasingly weak consumption in the first half of fiscal 2025, we have demonstrated our resilience. Our private labels are riding a wave of thriving development, showing the effectiveness of our strategic focus on that area. The number of SKUs for our private labels has increased from 3,088 in the first half of fiscal 2024 to 3,546 in the firt half of fiscal 2025, the revenue share of our private labels increased from 27.5% to 29.0%, and we also saw the gross margin of our private labels rose by 330 basis points from 29.9% to 33.2%. This gives us a strong foundation and we remain energized for the future.”

Ms. Yingzhi (Lisa) Tang, Boqii’s Co-Founder, Co-CEO and CFO commented, “Besides fostering the progress of our private labels, we have implemented cost-saving measures and enhanced efficiency by optimizing our supply chain operations and simplifying our organizational hierarchy in the first half of fiscal 2025. The implementation of these measures has resulted in a reduction of our fulfillment expenses as a percentage of total revenue, from 8.9% in the first half of fiscal 2024 to 7.5% in the first half of fiscal 2025. This reduction has underpinned a positive shift in our post-fulfillment profit margin, which saw an increase from 11.2% to 13.3%. Furthermore, there has been a notable decrease in our sales and marketing expenses by 21.3% and our general and administrative expenses by 22.5%, when compared to the corresponding period in fiscal 2024. These adjustments have collectively contributed to a 21.6% decrease in our net loss. We believe the strengthening of our financial results affirms that our business approach and strategic initiatives are effectively aligned with our goals, and we are committed to generating ongoing value for our consumers and investors alike in the time ahead.”

Fiscal 2025 First Half Financial Results

Total revenues were RMB249.7 million (US$35.6 million), compared to RMB389.4 million for the first half of fiscal 2024. The decrease was a result of our business strategy to focus more on increasing profitability instead of volume of sales.

Revenues

(in millions, except for percentages)

Six Months Ended September 30,

2024

2023

Change

RMB

RMB

%

Product sales

232.7

374.1

(37.8)

•  Boqii Mall

112.5

149.9

(24.9)

•  Third party e-commerce platforms

120.2

224.2

(46.4)

Online marketing and information services and other revenue

17.0

15.3

11.1

Total

249.7

389.4

(35.9)

Gross profit was RMB51.7 million (US$7.4 million), compared to RMB77.9 million for the first half of fiscal 2024.

Gross margin was 20.7%, representing an increase of 70 basis points from 20.0% for the first half of fiscal 2024.

Operating expenses were RMB79.3 million (US$11.3 million), representing a decrease of 29.3% from RMB112.0 million for the first half of fiscal 2024.

Fulfillment expenses were RMB18.6 million (US$2.7 million), representing a decrease of 46.0% from RMB34.5 million for the first half of fiscal 2024, which is primarily due to the decrease in shipping and warehousing expenses, resulting from more utilization of fulfillment centers. Fulfillment expenses as a percentage of total revenues were 7.5%, down from 8.9% for the first half of fiscal 2024.

Sales and marketing expenses were RMB35.8 million (US$5.1 million), representing a decrease of 21.3% from RMB45.4 million for the first half of fiscal 2024. The decrease was primarily due to (i) the decrease in advertising expenses of RMB1.0 million, as a result of cost-saving efforts; (ii) the decrease in third-party commisions of RMB3.2 million as a result of decline in revenues; and (iii) the decrease in staff costs of RMB4.4 million related to the employee layoffs.

General and administrative expenses were RMB24.9 million (US$3.6 million), representing a decrease of 22.5% from RMB32.2 million for the first half of fiscal 2024. The decrease was primarily due to (i) the decrease in professional fees amount to RMB2.1 million, resulting from less financing transactions in the first half of fiscal 2025, (ii) the decrease in allowance for expected credit losses of RMB2.5 million, and (iii) the decrease in staff costs of RMB2.0 million related to the employee layoffs.

Loss from operations was RMB27.0 million (US$3.9 million), representing a decrease of 14.7% from RMB31.7 million for the first half of fiscal 2024.

Net loss was RMB29.6 million (US$4.2 million), representing a decrease of 21.6% from a loss of RMB37.7 million in the first half of fiscal 2024.

EBITDA was a loss of RMB25.0 million (US$3.6 million), representing a decrease of 25.4% from a loss of RMB 33.5 million in the first half of fiscal 2024. See the section titled “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for more information about EBITDA.

Diluted net loss per share was RMB0.28 (US$0.04), representing a decrease of 46.7% from diluted net loss per share of RMB0.52 for the first half of fiscal 2024.

Total cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments were RMB46.2 million (US$6.6 million) as of September 30, 2024, compared to RMB72.7 million as of March 31, 2024.

About Boqii Holding Limited

Boqii Holding Limited (NYSE American: BQ) is a leading pet-focused platform in China. The Company is the leading online destination for pet products and supplies in China with its broad selection of high-quality products including global leading brands, local emerging brands, and its own private label, Yoken, Mocare and D-cat, offered at competitive prices. The Company’s online sales platforms, including Boqii Mall and its flagship stores on third-party e-commerce platforms, provide customers with convenient access to a wide selection of high-quality pet products and an engaging and personalized shopping experience. The Company’s Boqii Community provides an informative and interactive content platform for users to share their knowledge and love for pets.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the “safe harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company’s beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “target,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “continue,” “is/are likely to” or other similar expressions. The Company may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual reports to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Further information regarding such risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is as of the date hereof, and the Company does not undertake any duty to update such information, except as required under applicable law.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Company uses non-GAAP financial measures, namely non-GAAP net income/(loss), non-GAAP net loss margin, EBITDA and EBITDA margin, in evaluating its operating results and for financial and operational decision-making purposes. The Company defines (i) non-GAAP net income/(loss) as net income/(loss) excluding fair value change of derivative liabilities and share-based compensation expenses, (ii) non-GAAP net loss margin as non-GAAP net loss as a percentage of total revenues, (iii) EBITDA as net income/(loss) excluding income tax expenses, interest expenses, interest income, depreciation and amortization, and (iv) EBITDA margin as EBITDA as a percentage of total revenues. The Company believes non-GAAP net income/(loss), non-GAAP net loss margin, EBITDA and EBITDA margin enhance investors’ overall understanding of its financial performance and allow for greater visibility with respect to key metrics used by its management in its financial and operational decision-making.

These non-GAAP financial measures are not defined under U.S. GAAP and are not presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

The non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools. The Company’s non-GAAP financial measures do not reflect all items of income and expense that affect the Company’s operations or not represent the residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures. These non-GAAP financial measures may not be calculated in the same manner by all companies, and they may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures used by other companies. The Company compensates for these limitations by reconciling the non-GAAP financial measures to the nearest U.S. GAAP performance measures, which should be considered when evaluating the Company’s performance. For reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures, please see the section of accompanying tables titled “Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results.” The Company encourages investors and others to review its financial information in its entirety and not rely on any single financial measure.

Exchange Rate

This press release contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars (“USD,”or “US$”) at specified rates solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise stated, all translations from RMB to USD were made at the rate of RMB7.0176 US$1.00, the exchange rate on September 30, 2024 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board. The Company makes no representation that the RMB or USD amounts referred to could be converted into USD or RMB, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all.

For investor inquiries, please contact:

Boqii Holding Limited
Investor Relations
Tel: +86-21-6882-6051
Email: ir@boqii.com

 

BOQII HOLDING LIMITED

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data, unless otherwise noted)

As of

March 31,

 2024

As of

September 30,

 2024

As of

September 30,

 2024

RMB

RMB

US$

ASSETS

Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents

72,722

46,244

6,590

Accounts receivable, net

50,118

47,133

6,716

Inventories, net

55,189

45,122

6,430

Prepayments and other current assets

94,518

110,604

15,762

Amounts due from related parties

5,704

19,692

2,806

Total current assets

278,251

268,795

38,304

Non-current assets:

Property and equipment, net

3,103

3,769

537

Intangible assets

17,910

16,115

2,296

Operating lease right-of-use assets

8,951

6,832

974

Long-term investments

65,887

65,656

9,356

Amounts due from related parties, non-current

5,658

4,464

636

Other non-current asset

3,455

1,718

245

Total non-current assets

104,964

98,554

14,044

Total assets

383,215

367,349

52,348

LIABILITIES, MEZZANINE EQUITY AND SHAREHOLDERS’ DEFICIT

Current liabilities

Short-term borrowings

15,213

13,138

1,872

Accounts payable

24,279

42,735

6,090

Salary and welfare payable

2,972

2,173

310

Accrued liabilities and other current liabilities

16,667

16,989

2,421

Contract liabilities

1,579

119

17

Operating lease liabilities, current

5,613

5,264

750

Derivative liabilities

5,721

5,721

815

Total current liabilities

72,044

86,139

12,275

Non-current liabilities

Deferred tax liabilities

3,234

2,789

397

Operating lease liabilities, non-current

3,115

1,352

193

Other debts, non-current

43,941

40,727

5,804

Total non-current liabilities

50,290

44,868

6,394

Total liabilities

122,334

131,007

18,669

Mezzanine equity

Redeemable non-controlling interests

7,963

8,372

1,193

Total mezzanine equity

7,963

8,372

1,193

Stockholders’ equity:

Class A ordinary shares

962

962

137

Class B ordinary shares

82

82

12

Additional paid-in capital

3,329,675

3,329,727

474,482

Statutory reserves

3,876

3,876

552

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(39,478)

(40,430)

(5,761)

Accumulated deficit

(3,060,405)

(3,088,140)

(440,056)

Receivable for issuance of ordinary shares

(16,031)

(10,093)

(1,438)

Total Boqii Holding Limited shareholders’ equity

218,681

195,984

27,928

Non-controlling interests

34,237

31,986

4,558

Total shareholders’ equity

252,918

227,970

32,486

Total liabilities, mezzanine equity and shareholders’ equity

383,215

367,349

52,348

 

BOQII HOLDING LIMITED

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data, unless otherwise noted)

 Six Months Ended September 30,

2023

2024

2024

RMB

RMB

US$

Net revenues:

Product sales

374,102

232,713

33,161

Online marketing and information services and other revenue

15,269

16,942

2,414

Total revenues

389,371

249,655

35,575

Total cost of revenue

(311,435)

(197,961)

(28,209)

Gross profit

77,936

51,694

7,366

Operating expenses:

Fulfillment expenses

(34,499)

(18,614)

(2,652)

Sales and marketing expenses

(45,370)

(35,726)

(5,091)

General and administrative expenses

(32,169)

(24,919)

(3,551)

Other income, net

2,401

523

75

Loss from operations

(31,701)

(27,042)

(3,853)

Interest income

2,008

730

104

Interest expense

(3,079)

(3,163)

(451)

Other gain/(losses), net

(2,283)

(447)

(64)

Fair value change of derivative liabilities

(3,216)

Loss before income tax expenses and share of results of equity investees

(38,271)

(29,922)

(4,264)

Income taxes expenses

482

445

63

Share of results of equity investees

67

(100)

(14)

Net loss

(37,722)

(29,577)

(4,215)

Less: Net loss attributable to the non-controlling interest shareholders

(677)

(2,251)

(321)

Net loss attributable to Boqii Holding Limited

(37,045)

(27,326)

(3,894)

Accretion on redeemable non-controlling interests to redemption value

(371)

(410)

(58)

Net loss attributable to Boqii Holding Limited’s ordinary shareholders

(37,416)

(27,736)

(3,952)

Net loss

(37,722)

(29,577)

(4,215)

Other comprehensive income/(loss):

Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of nil tax

2,849

(952)

(136)

Unrealized securities holding loss

(1,425)

Total comprehensive loss

(36,298)

(30,529)

(4,351)

Less: Total comprehensive loss attributable to non-controlling interest
   shareholders

(677)

(2,251)

(321)

Total comprehensive loss attributable to Boqii Holding Limited

(35,621)

(28,278)

(4,030)

Net loss attributable to Boqii Holding Limited’s ordinary shareholders

— basic

(0.52)

(0.28)

(0.04)

— diluted

(0.52)

(0.28)

(0.04)

Weighted average number of ordinary shares

— basic

72,332,794

100,637,760

100,637,760

— diluted

72,332,794

100,637,760

100,637,760

 

Boqii Holding Limited

Reconciliation of GAAP and Non-GAAP Results

(All amounts in thousands, except for percentages)

Six Months Ended September 30,

2023

2024

RMB  

RMB  

Net loss

(37,722)

(29,577)

Fair value change of derivative liabilities

3,216

Share-based compensation expenses

290

52

Non-GAAP net loss

(34,216)

(29,525)

Non-GAAP net loss margin

(8.8 %)

(11.8 %)

Six Months Ended September 30,

2023

2024

RMB  

RMB  

Net loss

(37,722)

(29,577)

Income tax expenses

(482)

(445)

Interest expenses

3,079

3,163

Interest income

(2,008)

(730)

Depreciation and amortization

3,641

2,617

EBITDA

(33,492)

(24,972)

EBITDA margin

(8.6 %)

(10.0 %)

 

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SOURCE Boqii Holding Limited

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Pepperstone Appoints Andrew Turnbull to Lead Africa Strategy as Trading Markets Mature

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Nairobi-based appointment strengthens Pepperstone’s investment in Africa as mobile trading grows and regulators across the continent raise standards.

MELBOURNE, Australia, Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pepperstone, a global online trading provider serving clients in more than 160 countries, has appointed Andrew Turnbull as Head of Africa, strengthening its focus on one of the world’s fastest-evolving online trading regions. Based in Nairobi, Turnbull will lead Pepperstone’s strategy across the continent as traders increasingly turn to mobile-first platforms and regulators move to strengthen oversight of the sector.

Turnbull brings more than 20 years of experience in financial services, including senior roles at ODL Securities and FXCM Europe, where he led institutional sales and partnerships. His experience spans regulated FX and CFD markets, institutional relationships and business development across international markets.

The appointment also comes as Pepperstone invests in owning more of its technology, giving the business greater control over the trading experience and allowing it to respond more closely to the different needs of clients across individual markets.

“Africa is dozens of distinct regulatory environments and trader profiles,” said Marc Boever, Head of EMEA at Pepperstone. “That is why we are putting more resources on the ground and investing in people who understand the region. Andrew’s experience across regulated financial services and institutional partnerships, combined with his growing first-hand understanding of markets like Kenya, makes him the right person to lead our growth across the continent.”

Kenya, where Pepperstone is licensed under the Capital Markets Authority (CMA)*, was one of the first African countries to introduce a formal regulatory framework for online forex trading. That early move has helped create a more mature market, with regulated, licensed brokers increasingly trusted by traders, while Kenya’s experience offers a model for other African regulators looking to bring greater oversight to the sector.

“Kenya’s traders were among the first in Africa to get a properly regulated market to trade in, and that head start shows,” said Andrew Turnbull, Head of Africa at Pepperstone. “There is a growing appetite for online trading across the continent, but every market is different. I’m looking forward to building on Pepperstone’s presence here and working with our teams and partners to better understand and serve the different trading communities across Africa.” 

Ends

* Pepperstone Markets Kenya Limited is licensed and regulated by Kenya’s Capital Markets Authority under licence number 128.

About Pepperstone: Pepperstone is a global fintech and CFD broker serving traders in more than 160 countries. The company provides access to forex, indices, commodities, shares, ETFs and digital asset markets through industry-leading platforms, competitive pricing and a strong regulatory framework.

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Cherubic Ventures Closes $68.88 Million Fund VI as AUM Surpasses $500 Million

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Early Investment Sudo AI Valued at Nearly $2B

TAIPEI, Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Cherubic Ventures today announced the close of its sixth fund (Fund VI) at $68.88 million. The fund size reflects the auspicious meaning of the number eight in East Asian cultures, where it is traditionally associated with prosperity and good fortune. With this close, assets under management across the firm’s six funds have surpassed US$500 million.

Investors across all six funds include leading global institutional investors and foundations, as well as publicly listed companies, family offices, successful entrepreneurs and high-net-worth individuals.

Fund VI maintains the firm’s early-stage focus, investing in AI-native companies across infrastructure, developer tools, enterprise software, healthcare, physical AI and robotics. Sudo AI, a robotics startup in the portfolio, has reached a valuation of nearly $2 billion two years after its founding, joining the ranks of unicorns.

“After ten years, I am more certain than ever about why I chose to invest at the earliest stages,” said Matt Cheng, Founder & Solo GP of Cherubic Ventures. “Working alongside exceptional founders, finding a path through uncertainty, and ultimately changing an industry is what keeps driving me.”

Investing Across AI, From Infrastructure to Industry Applications

As AI reshapes industries, Cherubic Ventures continues to look for founders using the technology to build new products and redefine markets. Since 2024, the firm’s AI-native investments have spanned infrastructure, developer tools, enterprise software, healthcare, physical AI and robotics.

In robotics, Sudo AI was co-founded by Hao Su, a leading researcher in embodied AI and 3D vision and co-author of PointNet, and serial entrepreneur Robin Han. Its sudo R1 robotic system is trained through virtual simulation and can reliably handle objects it has never encountered without relying on real-world manipulation data. This addresses a key bottleneck to deploying robotics at scale. Cherubic Ventures was its earliest institutional investor.

Cherubic Ventures is also an early investor in Entire, the developer platform founded by former GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke. The company raised US$60 million earlier this year, the largest seed round ever for a developer tools startup.

While Fund VI is still at an early stage, its portfolio companies have already raised more than $500 million in subsequent funding. Other notable investments include AI-powered patent technology platform Patlytics, along with healthcare and drug development companies Max AI, Generation Lab and therapiAI.

A Decade Alongside Founders, Supporting the Next Generation

Founded in 2015, Cherubic Ventures was among the first venture firms in the world to adopt the solo GP model. It has invested in more than 200 companies globally, with early investments including Hims & Hers, Flexport, Calm, Paidy, 91APP and Astranis

Across its portfolio, Cherubic Ventures has been the earliest institutional investors in dozens of companies that went on to become unicorns. Hims & Hers is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and 91APP on the Taipei Exchange, while Paidy was acquired by PayPal for US$2.7 billion.

Fund VI marks the beginning of Cherubic Ventures’ second decade. “The past ten years have made me more certain that believing in founders before the answers are clear, and backing them through uncertainty, is at the heart of early-stage investing,” Cheng said. “In the next decade, we will continue to ‘Stay Early’ and work with the most exceptional founders to build the future we want to see.”

About Cherubic Ventures
Founded in 2015, Cherubic Ventures is a global early-stage venture capital firm that started in Taipei and has built a strong presence in the U.S. market. The firm backs outstanding founders from day one and was among the first venture firms in the world to adopt the solo GP model. Notable investments include Hims & Hers, Calm, Flexport, 91APP, Paidy, Formation Bio and Astranis. To date, Cherubic Ventures has invested in more than 200 startups and brings together more than 500 founders and investors in a distinctive global community.

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SOURCE Cherubic Ventures

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Agentic AI Has Arrived. Is Your Workforce Ready to Leverage It?

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Enterprises are deploying AI agents faster than they are building the certified talent to run them. Closing that gap is now the real differentiator.

Authored by, Vikas Mathur, Vice President, Trainocate India

MUMBAI, India, Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Across the enterprise programs we run every week at Trainocate, the conversation has changed. A year ago, leaders asked us what generative AI could do. Today they ask why their agentic pilot has not reached production. Agentic AI has arrived — the question is no longer whether it works, but whether the workforce is ready to leverage it.

The platforms have done their part. AWS, Microsoft, Google Cloud, Databricks and others have moved agent frameworks, orchestration layers and governance tooling into general availability. What has not kept pace is the workforce. Adoption forecasts keep climbing; the cancellation forecasts climb with them, and for reasons that have little to do with the models themselves.

40%+

of agentic AI projects are forecast to be scrapped by the end of 2027 — on escalating cost, unclear business value and inadequate risk controls.

Source: Gartner

Our own view, formed across thousands of enterprise learners, is simpler than any forecast: Technology is not the constraint. The certified, deployment-ready workforce is.

India’s AI Talent Equation: One Million Roles, One in Six Skilled

India has the demand and the ambition. The constraint is supply. Estimates put the national AI talent pool at 1.25 million by 2027 — real growth, but well short of a market compounding at 25–35% a year. On current trajectories the gap widens before it closes.

We see the consequence directly in client conversations. Skills mismatch, not headcount, is what delays deployment — and on most enterprise shortlists, demonstrable and certified capability now outranks the degree.

Figure: The agentic readiness gap — adoption is outpacing certified capability.

From Prompt Engineering to Agent Orchestration: Three Capability Shifts

From operator to orchestrator. Every prior automation wave asked people to use a tool. Agentic AI asks them to direct one. The working skill is decomposition — mapping a process into the steps an agent may own, the tool-calling boundaries it must respect and the human-in-the-loop checkpoints between them. That is delegation and process design before it is programming, which makes it teachable well beyond the engineering bench.

From reviewing output to governing outcomes. When AI drafts an email, a human reads it before it goes. When an agent provisions infrastructure or triggers a payment, reading it afterwards is too late. Enterprises need people fluent in least-privilege identity, data lineage and governance, evaluation harnesses, escalation thresholds, observability and cost control. In our experience, this is where most agentic programs are thinnest.

From individual courses to cross-functional readiness. One production agentic workflow touches data engineering, application development, identity and security, LLMOps and the business function it serves. Certifying one persona while the rest stand still guarantees the pilot dies at handover. The unit of skilling must become the team.

What we see

Agentic pilots rarely stall on model quality. They stall because too few people can scope what an agent may own, design its guardrails, and stay accountable when it acts alone.

Trainocate enterprise delivery experience

Why Vendor-Authorized Certification Is the New Deployment Prerequisite

Credentials are often said to date quickly in a field moving this fast. We find the opposite. Agentic concepts are universal; implementation is not. Identity and access design, data governance, retrieval and grounding, model selection, evaluation and cost management behave differently on AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud and Databricks — and those differences decide whether an agent survives production.

Vendor-authorized certification remains the only independently verifiable proof that an engineer can build and operate on a given stack. Foundational credentials also give HR, finance, risk and procurement a shared vocabulary with engineering — and agentic decisions are risk decisions as much as technical ones.

2 in 5

Employers now prefer demonstrable AI skills and certifications over academic degrees. Skills-based hiring is no longer emerging — it is the default.

Source: NASSCOM–Indeed India AI Talent Report, 2026

Experiential Learning: Turning Training Investment into Production Capability

Nobody learns to supervise an autonomous system from a slide. Trainocate’s Experiential Learning Model was built on that premise — one continuous journey rather than a catalog of courses:

Learn from practitioners. Instructor-led and virtual instructor-led training delivered by vendor-authorized, actively certified instructors.Reinforce on demand. Self-paced digital learning and curated learning paths that keep pace with quarterly platform releases.Build in live environments. Hands-on labs in real cloud sandboxes — agents, tool-calling, guardrails and failure modes, not screenshots.Prove it on real work. Capstone projects mapped to the organization’s own agentic and cloud use cases.Certify the capability. Structured exam preparation and readiness checks that convert learning into a verifiable credential.Measure the outcome. Governance dashboards tracking completion, certification attainment and skill progression for L&D and business sponsors.

That model now runs through our AI Mastery Program, which spans foundational to advanced tracks for both business and technical roles across AWS, Microsoft, Google Cloud, Databricks and vendor-neutral content — with agentic system design, multi-agent orchestration and AI governance sitting in the advanced tiers, and sandbox labs and industry capstones throughout.

The results hold up: Close to 80% certification attainment across enterprise programs and a 4.90/5.00 delivery CSAT. As an authorized training partner for AWS, Microsoft, Google Cloud, Databricks and more, operating across 24 countries, we have run this model at scale — over one lakh professionals certified within a single global enterprise account, and agentic AI labs delivered across six Indian cities this year. Four consecutive AWS Global Training Partner of the Year awards and six appearances on the Training Industry Top 20 suggest the model travels.

30%

of enterprise application software revenue will be driven by agentic AI by 2035 — up from 2% in 2025.

Source: Gartner

A Twelve-Month Skilling Blueprint for CHROs and L&D Leaders

Assess against use cases, not catalogs. Benchmark capability against the specific agentic workflows the business intends to run.Build a spine, not a stack. Foundational AI and cloud fluency organization-wide; certified specialization for those who will design, secure and govern agents.Skill the workflow, not the individual. Move cross-functional cohorts together — data, application, security, business — so nothing stalls at handover.Instrument on outcomes. Track certification attainment, time-to-productivity and pilot-to-production conversion. Seat-hours measure activity, not readiness.

Two Budget Cycles: The Window for Workforce Readiness

15%

of day-to-day work decisions will be made autonomously by 2028 — up from effectively zero in 2024.

Source: Gartner

That is not a distant horizon. It is two budget cycles away.

Models are becoming a commodity; every enterprise buys them at roughly the same price. The durable differentiator is the depth of certified talent that can point those models at the right problems and stay accountable for what they do. Treat skilling as infrastructure — continuous, measured, certified — and your agents scale. Treat it as an event and the pilot stays a pilot.

Agentic AI has arrived. The question every board should be asking is whether its workforce is ready to leverage it.

Build a Certified, Agent-Ready Workforce

Trainocate partners with enterprises to build agentic AI and cloud capability at scale — from foundational fluency to certified specialization across AWS, Microsoft, Google Cloud, Databricks and more, delivered through our Experiential Learning Model and AI Mastery Program. To design a skilling roadmap for your workforce, write to cloudacademy@trainocate.com or call +91 9223361686.

About Trainocate

Trainocate is a global IT training and workforce skilling organization and an authorized training partner for AWS, Microsoft, Google Cloud, Databricks and more, operating across 24 countries. Trainocate delivers cloud, data and AI capability to enterprises through its Experiential Learning Model and AI Mastery Program, combining instructor-led training, self-paced digital learning, hands-on sandbox labs, industry capstones and vendor-authorized certification. The company is a four-time consecutive AWS Global Training Partner of the Year and has appeared six times on the Training Industry Top 20. Trainocate India operates as Networks India Pvt Ltd. For more information, visit www.trainocate.com/in.

About the Author

Vikas Mathur is Vice President at Trainocate India, where he leads the Cloud, Data & AI competency business. He works with enterprise L&D and technology leaders across India and Asia on cloud and AI workforce readiness, and can be reached at cloudacademy@trainocate.com or +91 9223361686.

Data sources referenced: Gartner (agentic AI adoption, project cancellation, governance maturity, autonomous-decision and market-share forecasts, 2025–26); McKinsey (State of AI, agent pilot-to-production); NASSCOM and MeitY (India AI job demand and AI-skilled share); NASSCOM–Deloitte (AI talent pool projection); NASSCOM–Indeed India AI Talent Report 2026 (skills-based hiring). Trainocate figures are from our own enterprise delivery data.

Contact: cloudacademy@trainocate.com | +91 9223361686

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