Digital University

How ed-tech companies are bringing quality education to the doorstep of millions

The incubation of a ‘Digital University’ that was announced by the finance minister during the 2022-23 Union Budget earlier this year confirms that ed-tech’s now have a bigger role to play.

Ed-techs have been around for a little over a decade. During the pandemic, ed-tech companies profitably mobilised themselves amongst the learner community. Initially, several learners found it difficult to take to online learning. But ed-tech companies showed learners and professionals the advantages of online learning, changing their views. Tables have turned for the greater good, and today, ed-tech s are emerging as a quintessential part of the new-normal. We have witnessed the transition from offline learning to online learning and are now moving to the hybrid learning model.

While the world was in a state of lockdown, businesses started moving online, giving rise to a digital revolution. During the pre-pandemic era, there were fewer professionals who were digitally literate to take on a role that was technically demanding.  Learners and professionals feared being laid off and took to courses online (via ed-tech) to upskill or reskill themselves, reassuring their position at the origination or even being suitably promoted.

What did the learner community realise after their experience with ed-tech’s?

The learner community realised that they were being given access to high-end courses at affordable rates. The programmes are conducted by well-equipped master trainers or subject matter experts (SME’s) who know their subject inside-out. Learners are not only instructed on domain skills but are also given the opportunity to strengthen their soft-skills. This will help them crack interviews and secure a placement faster.

The course curriculum circumvents around the growing requirement of the workforce. Quality education has now made inroads in the underserved pockets of the country, giving access learners and professionals an opportunity to better education. They can also avail of better placement opportunities with multinationals of repute. The no-cost EMI and job guarantee facilities offered by EdTechs heightens the reach of quality education at budget friendly rates.

Furthermore, individuals now have access to education by using an application on their smartphone, or by logging in on a computing device. This saves costs on transportation and other overhead. The saved money and time is spent on acquiring unmatched quality education from the comfort of one’s homes.

Impromptu tests and assignments ensure that the learners have absorbed instructions well. Learners are constantly assessed at every stage of the course giving them the idea of where they stand. Ed-techs make the learning process more inclusive and transparent. Learners are awarded a co-certificate at the end of the course, which adds value in the workforce. The courses give learners the impetus to accelerate their income. The pay scale helps them to rise above the poverty line, which in-turn improves the GDP.

The education ecosystem in India

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi advocated the importance of skilling the moment he was sworn in as the Prime Minister of India. The National Skill Development Program was initiated by the Prime Minister, with a vision of ensuring that every Indian citizen seeks employment and rises above the poverty line. Skilling 400 million Indians seemed like an impossible dream, if ed-tech’s did not stepped in. With EdTech’s stepping in skilling is on the rise.

According to the ‘Ideas for India’ report only 38% of Indian citizens are digitally skilled. However, ed-tech’s are catalysing the process and making a serious effort at overcoming the digital divide. This also ensures that digital literacy is on the rise.

A defining role for ed-tech Institutions

The government is making an effort at restructuring the digital infrastructure. The incubation of a ‘Digital University’ that was announced by the finance minister during the 2022-23 Union Budget earlier this year confirms that ed-tech’s now have a bigger role to play. The Digital University does not only ensure that education reaches every doorstep, but it makes the education process more transparent and inclusive. Learners will now have the option of choosing across streams, and there will be a classroom without walls. EdTechs will avail of the opportunity of working in conjunction with prominent universities and redefine skilling, providing learners with unmatched placement options that will help enhance their overall career path.

By Girish Singhania