Data Analytics
Turn data into decisions with spreadsheets, SQL and dashboards.
The fastest route into a data career: spreadsheets, SQL, cleaning data, business metrics, dashboards in Power BI and Looker Studio, storytelling, A/B tests and using AI as an analyst without trusting it blindly.
You will be able to
- Analyse data with formulas, pivot tables and charts
- Answer business questions with SQL
- Clean messy real-world data
- Define and track the right KPIs
- Build dashboards in Power BI or Looker Studio
- Present insights and run A/B tests correctly
Who it's for
Students from any stream (commerce, science, engineering), and professionals who work with reports.
Roles it leads to
Lessons
Module 1
Analyst foundations
Spreadsheets, SQL and cleaning.
What data analysts do
Understand what a data analyst does day to day, how the work flows from question to insight, how it differs from related roles, and which skills to build first.
Spreadsheets for analysis: formulas, pivots and charts
Analyse real order data in Excel or Google Sheets: write formulas, use SUMIFS and lookups, build a pivot table and make a clear chart, with every result checked.
SQL for analysts
Learn the SQL that analysts use every day: filtering, grouping, joins, CTEs and window functions, practised on a small coffee-shop database you can run free in your browser.
Cleaning messy data
Find and fix duplicates, stray spaces, mixed date formats, wrong types and missing values in a messy file using pandas, and learn the spreadsheet equivalents and the judgement calls behind each fix.
Module 2
Insights and storytelling
Metrics, dashboards, experiments and AI.
Business metrics and KPIs
Learn the core business metrics with their formulas, how to define a KPI precisely, how to avoid vanity metrics, and how to pair every target with a guardrail.
Dashboards with Power BI and Looker Studio
Build the same small sales dashboard twice, once in Power BI Desktop and once in Looker Studio. You will learn how to connect data, define measures, pick charts, add filters and avoid the mistakes that make dashboards useless.
Data storytelling and presenting insights
Analysis only creates value when someone acts on it. Learn how to turn findings into a short story with a clear answer, one supporting chart and a recommendation, and how to present it to busy people.
A/B testing and experiments
An A/B test is the cleanest way to find out whether a change really caused an improvement. Learn how to design one, how to read a p-value in plain terms, how much data you need, and the mistakes that produce false wins.
Using AI as an analyst, and checking its work
AI can write SQL, explain results and draft summaries in seconds, but it can also be confidently wrong. Learn a safe workflow: give it context, ask for method not just answers, and verify every number with your own check.
Project: sales dashboard for a coffee chain
Build a portfolio project from scratch: generate six months of sales data for three Brew & Bean outlets, check it, analyse it with SQL, build a one-page dashboard in Power BI or Looker Studio, and write a short insight summary with recommendations.
Tools, courses & exams
Hand-picked, free first. Free tiers and exam fees change, so check the provider's page.
Free tools
Google Sheets
Free browser-based spreadsheet with pivot tables, charts and XLOOKUP. A good place to practise the formula and pivot lessons without installing anything.
Free with a Google account; paid Google Workspace plans add business features.
SQLite Online
SQLite Online
Run SQL in your browser with no installation. Handy for trying the queries in the SQL lesson.
Free to use in the browser; check the site for any paid options.
DB Browser for SQLite
DB Browser for SQLite project
Free desktop app to open, browse and query SQLite databases. Useful for practising SQL offline on your own laptop.
Looker Studio
Free dashboard tool that connects to Google Sheets, BigQuery and CSV files. Easy first dashboard tool for beginners.
Free for building and sharing reports; some connectors and enterprise features are paid.
Power BI Desktop
Microsoft
Widely used business dashboard tool in Indian companies. Learn it to build interactive reports and to prepare for the PL-300 exam.
Power BI Desktop is free to download for Windows; sharing reports in the Power BI service needs a paid or trial licence.
Google Colab
Run Python and pandas in the browser without setup. Good for the data cleaning lesson and for later Python analysis.
Free tier with usage limits; paid plans give more compute.
Free courses
Kaggle Learn
Kaggle
Short free interactive courses on SQL, pandas, data cleaning and data visualisation, with certificates of completion. Excellent hands-on practice.
Microsoft Learn: Power BI training
Microsoft
Free official learning paths for Power BI, from first report to data modelling. Also the main preparation route for the Power BI Data Analyst certification.
SQLBolt
SQLBolt
Short interactive SQL lessons that run in the browser. A gentle first step before harder practice sites.
NPTEL and SWAYAM courses
IITs and IISc through NPTEL, Ministry of Education
Free recorded courses from IITs and IISc. Search the catalogue for data analytics, Python for data science and statistics courses, and check each course page for its schedule and fee.
Learning is free; an optional proctored exam and certificate carry a fee.
Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate
Google on Coursera
Beginner-friendly programme covering spreadsheets, SQL, R and dashboards. Good for freshers and career switchers who want structure.
Coursera subscription needed for the certificate; you can audit some material or apply for financial aid, so check the current terms on the page.
Official docs
Practice
HackerRank SQL
HackerRank
Graded SQL problems from basic selects to joins and aggregation. Many companies use similar problems in screening tests.
Practice problems are free; paid products are aimed at employers.
LeetCode Database problems
LeetCode
Popular SQL interview questions such as second highest value, duplicates and window functions. Practise after the basics.
Many problems are free; a Premium subscription unlocks the rest.
Kaggle Datasets
Kaggle
Thousands of public datasets to build portfolio projects with. Pick a dataset you care about and write up your findings.
Open Government Data Platform India
Government of India
Official open data from Indian ministries and departments, useful for projects with local relevance such as education, agriculture or transport.
Exams & certifications