Amidst the significant disruption caused by COVID-19, the future of EdTech platforms appears promising.
The edtech sector in India has seen a significant shift in the past few months, with the COVID-19 pandemic causing a major disruption in traditional education. One of the most notable changes is the surge in demand for online classes, as students and teachers adapt to the new normal.
In this rapidly evolving landscape, the only edtech unicorn in India, BYJU's, a school learning app, continues to lead the way. The platform has witnessed a 200% increase in students using its 'Think and Learn app' since the launch of free live classes.
Besides school education, a series of futuristic online courses, such as web designing, programming languages, data analytics, and business management skills, have gained popularity among entrepreneurs and management students. Coursera, for instance, has partnered with various educational institutions to provide students access to over 3,800 courses and 400 specializations.
The economic fallout of the prolonged lockdown has also led to a surge in demand for online skilling courses. Bada Business, an entrepreneurship learning platform, has seen a surge in numbers with entrepreneurs wanting to learn the mantra of growing their business. Udacity, another well-known platform, has partnered with Upwork to develop a course on 'Managing Remote Teams'.
The demand for online courses on remote work management, and higher education platforms, has also seen a surge due to the closure of universities and colleges since mid-March. Several edtech startups are offering technology support to colleges and universities, such as upGrad Live and Coursera.
As the Indian online learning market is expected to be worth USD 1.96 billion by 2021, there is a growing need to shift to mobile-first solutions and products in the edtech sector. With over 4,000 edtech startups launched in India in the past six years, creating content in more regional languages is a key driver of growth in the sector. By 2021, around 73% of Indian internet users are expected to prefer interacting in a regional language due to increasing Internet penetration in rural areas.
In conclusion, the edtech sector must work towards creating tools and services that are easily accessible to a lot more people. The sector's focus on mobile-first solutions and creating content in regional languages is likely to become a key tenet in the coming years. Platforms like Udacity, which offers a wide range of courses with certifications in programming, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data science, and business, supported by expert instructors and mentoring, are expected to play a significant role in shaping the future of education in India.
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