U.S.-Based Online Learning Leader Udemy Enters India
Udemy, the global marketplace for learning and teaching online with over 30 million students and 42,000 instructors worldwide, announced today expanded operations in India with an employee hub in Gurgaon.
India is one of the company’s fastest growing markets, with revenue and students doubling year-over-year.
NEW DELHI–Mar 18, 2019–Udemy, the global marketplace for learning and teaching online with over 30 million students and 42,000 instructors worldwide, announced today expanded operations in India with an employee hub in Gurgaon. India is one of the company’s fastest growing markets, with revenue and students doubling year-over-year. A local presence will enable Udemy to continue enhancing and localizing the student and instructor experience.
Founded in 2010, Udemy is an online learning destination that helps
individuals, companies, and governments gain the skills they need to
compete in today’s global economy. Built on the premise that not all
teachers are found in traditional classrooms, the platform allows
experts everywhere to develop courses on thousands of topics and share
their knowledge with the world. Students learn the most current and
in-demand skills from public speaking to mindfulness to the newest
programming languages and marketing strategies.
“Udemy’s rapid growth in India shows us the level of demand from
students, instructors, and companies for affordable skills training,â€
explained Gregg Coccari, Udemy CEO. “We are dedicated to our mission of
improving lives through learning and expanding in India enables us to
deliver on that promise.â€
While the Udemy marketplace serves the needs of individuals looking to upskill, Udemy for Business
is specifically designed for organizations, including business leaders
such as Booking.com, Publicis Sapient, Pinterest, and Adidas, looking to
continually invest in their workforces. This subscription-based product
offers 3,000+ of the highest-rated technical and business courses, as
well as learning analytics and an easy-to-use platform to create and
distribute content to their own teams.
Udemy courses are in over 50 languages that can be viewed on the web,
on a mobile device, Apple TV, and through Chromecast. In addition,
Udemy students are able to download and view the courses offline, as
well as change video quality for low-bandwidth environments.
About Udemy
Udemy is the online learning destination that helps students,
companies, and governments gain the skills they need to compete in
today’s economy. More than 30 million students learn from 42,000
instructors teaching 100,000 courses in over 50 different languages.
Whether learning for professional development or personal enrichment,
students everywhere can master new skills through self-paced, on-demand
courses, while experts have a way to share their knowledge with the
world. For companies, Udemy for Business offers subscription access to
3,000+ business-relevant courses, powerful learning analytics, as well
as an easy-to-use platform to host and distribute their own content in
one central place. We also offer Udemy for Government, a highly
customizable learning platform designed to upskill workers across
nations and prepare them for the jobs of today and tomorrow. Udemy is
privately owned and headquartered in San Francisco with offices in
Denver, Ireland, Turkey, and Brazil.
PayPal enters India’s $215 B education market via online platforms
One of the world’s largest online payment companies, PayPal, is now integrating its services with Indian online education platforms.
The US-based company has been active in India since 2008 in the cross-border payments business.
One of the world’s largest online payment companies, PayPal, is now integrating its services with Indian online education platforms. The US-based company has been active in India since 2008 in the cross-border payments business. In 2017, PayPal launched its domestic operations in India. In April last year, PayPal went live for consumers of (domestic) online retail in India. Today PayPal works closely with companies like MakeMyTrip, Freshmenu, etc.
Among the verticals that PayPal has specialised in globally is education, a market worth $215 billion in India.
According to PayPal’s statistics, for 218 million students
India has only two million teachers; a ratio of 140:1. More than two
million students are already paying online for education, and this is
expected to reach 10 million by 2021.
Currently, a large number of parents who lead busy lives, find it
difficult to keep up with the simplest of tasks such as paying school
fees – just because the options to make these payments are few. Schools
are now open to bank transfers, but there is scope to further simplify
the experience of the parent. This is where PayPal makes its entry.
Increasing reach of ed-tech platforms
Government initiatives like Digital India and SWAYAM have been trying
to enable online education by offering courses free of cost for
children as well as adults. There is increased awareness since many
(private) players are entering the space, following different models.
For instance, startups like UpGrad, Edureka, Unacademy, and Udacity,
focus on online test preparation. Simplilearn and GreatLearning aim to
upskill professionals. Startup unicorn BJYU’s, as well as Vedantu and
Toppr, target students from 5th-12th grades. Needless to say, these
platforms offer a huge clientele for PayPal, which is already present on
some of them.
Narsi Subramaniam, Director, Growth, Paypal India.
The average ticket size for transactions on PayPal in the Indian
education sector is $20-50. The KYC process on Paypal is done on the
website itself (with no physical visits) and is approved in 24 hours
provided it meets requirements.
In a chat with YourStory, Narsi Subramaniam, Director, Growth, PayPal India, said that PayPal is generally agnostic to business models.
“We are just enabling payment. We partner with them for solving
problems like multiple parties (like parents/students, tutors, schools
etc.) being involved in using their website/app for payments, invoicing
their payment options, and making the commission process (from the
online platform) easier,†he added.
Enabling multiple platforms
The entry into ed-tech industry was only a matter of time for PayPal,
as there is growing acceptance of technology in simplifying the overall
experience of education.
Narsi claims that users of online certificates and test preparation using PayPal have already grown on its existing platforms.
PayPal claims to take care of the end-to-end payment management. It is now focusing on the following:
1. Primary and secondary schools, since CBSE is encouraging schools to go cashless
2. Online platforms assisting in preparation for tests like GME, GRE, CAT etc.
3. Reskilling courses for working professionals (already
contributes to 40 percent of overall volume on transactions enabled by
PayPal)
4. Higher education (both online and offline platforms)
5. Casual learning for music, dance, yoga
Narsi added that PayPal has enabled invoicing capabilities for small
institutions as well, so that they can send the relevant link to parents
and minimise the process. He asserted that this is a great opportunity
for tutors who are now onboarding online platforms, as the quantity and
quality of online players is increasing. “Online tutorials can go global
easily. Four out of ten online math tutors are from India,†he pointed
out.
Since PayPal enjoys familiarity among its target audience, thanks to
the brand value, the move into education sector could be a win-win
situation for both parties.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 5:01 PM on Friday, March 1st, 2019
OTTAWA, March 01, 2019 — betterU Education Corp. (TSX VENTURE:BTRU) (FRANKFURT:5OGA), (the “Company” or “betterU”) announced today it has filed its financial results for the nine months ended December 31, 2018. betterU is a Global Education Marketplace for emerging markets. The Company aggregates education, educational services and employment services from quality Institutions including universities, colleges, Industry leaders and corporations from around the world and makes their programs available to students through the betterU marketplace. betterU has now over 20,000 programs available.
Highlights for the nine months ended December 31, 2018 include:
For the quarter, the Company reported revenues of $13,728, and a net loss of $867,214.
On October 15th, 2018, betterU entered into two loan agreements
totaling $613,000 and entered into an agreement with AIP Asset
Management Inc., (AIP) for an investment of $2.5 million to support
ongoing operations and growth until the TUC funding is received. AIP and
betterU are working through all the definitive agreements in connection
with this funding.
On October 30, 2018, the Company provided an update on the investment progress.
According
to a written update provided to betterU on October 28th, 2018 by Mr.
Kenny Ho, CFO and Chairman of TUC Co. Ltd., (“TUCâ€) Mr. Ho indicated
that he arrived in Tokyo, Japan to review the amendments on Wednesday,
October 17th and that they completed the required documents on Friday,
October 19th. Mr. Ho further indicated in writing to betterU that he has
decided to remain in Tokyo until the funds have been released. Mr. Ho
expects there will be no further delays yet has not provided betterU
with definitive timelines for the release of funds. While Mr. Ho also
indicated that he expects the funds to be released shortly, betterU is
reluctant to commit to any dates having experienced many previous
delays. “While we remain confident in this opportunity, the ongoing
delays and missed timelines provided by TUC have proven to be difficult
in managing market expectations. Our focus has been and continues to be
on the development and growth of betterU,†said Brad Loiselle, President/CEO of betterU.
Outlook:
On Jan. 17, 2019 the Company provided following updates on its funding activities:
The
Company has completed a $1,250,000 equity investment by HT Overseas
Pte. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of HT Media Limited, (“HTâ€) for the
purchase of 2,976,190 common shares of the Corporation at $0.42 per
share (the “Private Placementâ€) with a hold period expiring on May 17,
2019. As previously announced on December 21, 2017, HT’s $10 million
investment is provided to betterU in eight (8) tranches over two years,
this being the 3rd tranche with the full investment immediately being
paid to HT’s Media Groups by betterU to support betterU’s mass marketing
efforts across India.
The Company, over the last few months, has
been working on multiple funding opportunities motivated by the ongoing
delays from the $100M investment from TUC Co, Ltd. (“TUCâ€). These
delays have not been explained in detail to betterU because according to
GDS Holdings Ltd. (“GDSâ€), they are under confidentiality agreements
with their investment partners. betterU has received over 400 emails
over the last year with discussions not only with TUC and GDS, but also
with other organizations that are also part of TUC’s investment
portfolio. betterU has been in active discussions with the CEOs for
multiple groups in Canada and the USA with whom TUC and GDS have also
promised funding. Despite the ongoing support and assurances made by TUC
and GDS however, with these ongoing delays, it is not sustainable for
betterU to rely solely on TUC or GDS, so betterU has had no choice but
to seek other investment opportunities as outlined further below.
betterU’s agreement with TUC and GDS will remain active and when and if
GDS funds are released they will be in accordance with the terms of the
agreement executed by TUC and betterU on February 1, 2018.
The
Term Sheet with AIP Asset Management Inc., AIP Inc. (“AIPâ€) for
financing of $2.5 Million previously announced October 15, 2018, is
currently under review by betterU. AIP requires as a condition to
closing the financing that a subordination agreement (“SAâ€) be executed
by the creditors of betterU. After betterU’s creditors reviewed the SA
provided by AIP, they felt it was punitive to their rights as creditors
and decided not to sign it. betterU has been in discussions with AIP to
determine alternative solutions and while AIP is willing to provide
betterU with more time, at a cost, they still require that betterU’s
creditors execute on the SA. A further update to the market will be
forthcoming as this materializes further.
Additionally, in early
October 2018, betterU was invited to present to dozens of investors
organized by a Montreal investor relations firm known to betterU, Mi3.
During these events, betterU was introduced to the CEO of Quantiium
Capital Management Corporation (“QCMCâ€) an alternative funding group
located in Montreal QC who expressed interest in betterU. Over
subsequent months, betterU met with their leadership teams in Montreal,
Toronto and at betterU’s office in Ottawa. Following QCMC’s due
diligence process, a Letter of Intent was offered and executed by both
parties on December 5, 2018 which supports an investment of 5 Million
Euro (approximately CND$7.5M) through a credit facility backed by QCMC.
The agreements are currently under development with QCMC and the credit
facility is expected to be issued in favour of betterU. Further details
will be provided to the market as the agreements and timelines
materialize.
All investments are subject to board of director and
TSXV approvals. The Company wants to emphasize that they have no
control over the timelines of these investments.
On Jan. 29, 2019, the Company announced that the successful
acquisition of two corporate training contracts worth $26,812 with
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Maharashtra State Electricity
Transmission Company Limited (Mahatransco), both located in Mumbai,
India. These two training programs come on the heels of betterU’s
efforts to enhance their revenue focus and after the successful
completion of other such training programs and custom development
projects with groups such as Central Bank of India, Dena Bank,
Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Indian Oil Corporation Limited
(IOCL), Blue Star, Dimension Data, Evry India and Acliv Technologies.
Additional information concerning the Company, including its audited
consolidated financial statements and its Management’s Discussion and
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (“MD&Aâ€)
for the year ended March 31, 2018 can be found at www.sedar.com.
About betterU
betterU, an online education technology company, aims to provide
access to quality education from around the world in order to foster
growth and opportunity to those who want to better their lives. The
Company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job
industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing
an integrated ecosystem. betterU’s offerings can be categorized into
four broad functions: to compliment school programs with flexible KG-12
programs preparing children for their next stage of education, to foster
an exceptional educational environment by providing befitting skills
that lead to a better career, to bridge the gap between one’s existing
education and prospective job requirement by training them and lastly,
to connect the end user to various job opportunities.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as
that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
By their nature, forward-looking statements include assumptions and
are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
future results, conditions, actions or events to differ materially from
those in the forward-looking statements. If and when forward-looking
statements are set out in this news release, betterU will also set out
the material risk factors or assumptions used to develop the
forward-looking statements. Except as expressly required by applicable
securities law, the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise
any forward-looking statements. The future outcomes that relate to
forward-looking statements may be influenced by many factors, including,
but not limited to: industry cyclicality; the ability to secure third
party agreements; successful integration of betterU’s system with third
party technology; competition; reduction in demand for products;
collection from customers; relationships with suppliers; product
liability; intellectual property; reliance on key personnel;
environmental; interest rates; uninsured and underinsured losses;
operating hazards; risks of future legal proceedings; income tax
matters; credit facilities; availability and terms of financing;
distribution of securities; restrictions on potential growth; effect of
market interest rates on price of securities; and potential dilution.
betterU does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking
statements except as required by law.
CONTACT INFORMATION
For further information, please visit http://www.betteru.ca/investor-overview/
Budget 2019 likely to boost India’s education sector
Published: February 23, 2019
India’s Annual Budget decides the way ahead for different sectors in the country.
Government has emphasised on education along with other sectors.
How the Budget 2019-20 will pave way for improvement in education sector
Akhil Shahani, Managing Director, The Shahani Group
The acting Finance Minister, Piyush
Goyal said that India is among the youngest nations in the world and the
Government is proud of its youth. The problems of India’s education
sector are well known, so how effectively has he addressed this major
issue for India’s youth in the 2019 interim budget.
Overall funding for school and higher
education has gone up by 10 percent to Rs 93,847.64 crore. However, this
could be considered insufficient considering India’s inflation rate of
6-7 percent. The newly constituted Higher Education Funding Agency
(HEFA) will receive 24 percent less funding for the coming year.
Considering that IIT’s, IIM’s and other central universities have been
asked to get loans from HEFA instead of depending on Government grants,
this reduced funding could limit their efforts to expand or improve
quality.
Goyal said in his Budget speech, “The
poor have the first right on the resources of the nation. The Government
while maintaining the existing reservation for SC/ST/Other Backward
Classes, have now ensured 10 percent reservation in educational
institutions and Government services for poor. In these institutions,
around 25 per cent extra seats (approximately 2 lakh) will be provided
so that, there is no shortfall of presently available/reserved seats for
any class.†So, he has asked institutions to increase their student
capacity by 25 percent but has not allocated extra funds for them to do
so. A couple of minor announcements included the establishment of an
institute for Artificial Intelligence and a new AIIMs in Haryana.
Overall, it could be argued that 2019’s
budget could have done a lot more for the education sector. For example,
the Government has provided free healthcare for 50 crore people via its
Ayushman Bharat scheme. It could have launched another scheme that
provides scholarships for students to study in any quality institution
of their choosing, instead of being limited to Government schools.
Additionally, the Government could have allowed private investment into
for-profit companies to setup schools and colleges. Funds for teacher
training, primary research in universities and student career guidance
could also have been allocated. The GST rate of 18% on digital education
could have been slashed or removed.
Based on the above, are there any aspects of the 2019 budget that could facilitate growth in the education sector?
Albert Einstein once said, “Within every
difficulty, lies opportunityâ€. The fact that the education sector’s
problems remain mostly unaddressed, offers interesting prospects for
education entrepreneurs. Having a look at the other parts of the budget
speech indicates what some of those opportunities could be for education
entrepreneurs.
The first aspect is that Rs. 60,000
Crore has been allocated for the MNREGA scheme which provides 100 days
of paid employment for rural households. Additionally, the Government
has launched the PM Kisan program which allocates Rs. 75,000 crore in
cash grants to around 12 crore farmers. The key aspects about both these
programmes are that rural families will be able to raise themselves out
of extreme poverty and aspire for a better life.
One of the most common actions done by
aspiring families is to find ways to educate their children so that they
will be able to live better lives than their parents. Interestingly,
many of these parents prefer to send their children to private schools
as they believe that the education offered is better than what is
available in free Government schools, which have high teacher
absenteeism and unsatisfactory education outcomes. This means that there
are opportunities for entrepreneurs to open private budget schools
charging fees of Rs 100-200 per month per child, which is within the
reach of many of these families.
The past years have seen an 11 percent
drop in student enrollment in Government schools and a 36 percent
increase in enrollment in these private budget schools, totaling around
16 million students. This shows that there is a great demand from lower
income families for low cost quality education for their children.
Private budget schools do not get funding from the Government, but are
able to turn a profit, even with the low level of fees charged.
Additionally, a few NBFCs have recognized the potential of this sector
and have started advancing loans to budget schools to enable them to
grow.
Another interesting point in the budget
speech was that mobile data consumption has increased by 50 percent in
the past five years. This is because India has among the lowest rates
for mobile data in the world. The Government aims to create 1 lakh
digital villages in the next five years, which will greatly increase
mobile data penetration in these locations. This means that a huge
number of people in small towns and villages will be able to easily
access education content via their mobile phones and facilitate their
own learning. Edtech entrepreneurs can then beam their online lessons
into the budget schools around India, to enhance the teaching provided
there. Vocational training providers can offer video lessons showing
subscribers how to develop useful job skills.
Much of existing online education
content is in English. However, as demand for online education increases
across the country from lower income groups, there is a huge
opportunity to provide this content in local languages to make it easier
to understand. Additionally, English language training via apps or
videos are also in high demand.
Even though the 2019 budget has not
given any real sops to the education sector, the increase in access to
mobile data among poorer Indians whose income is being supplemented by
the Government can offer great growth opportunities for Indian education
entrepreneurs.
Education Budget 2019: From tax-free education to an upskilling allowance, here’s what education experts want
By 2020, the average age of people will be 46 years in the US, 42 years in Europe, 48 years in Japan, but only 27 in India.
This means that India’s demographic dividend is a huge scope for us to capture the job market and can be a big boost for the country’s economy.
Roshni Chakrabarty  Here are the education budget expectations from education industry experts and professors for the interim Budget Session 2019.
By 2020, the average age of people will be 46 years in the US, 42 years in Europe, 48 years in Japan, but only 27 in India. This
means that India’s demographic dividend is a huge scope for us to
capture the job market and can be a big boost for the country’s economy.
But this can only happen if today’s youth and students are
provided with the correct skills to help them secure future jobs. For
that, we need a good education budget.
Ahead of the general elections, the government will present an
interim Budget tomorrow, February 1. The last Budget session 2019 of the
present NDA government is likely to be presented by interim Finance
Minister Piyush Goyal in the Lok Sabha, who was given additional charge
of the Finance Ministry as Arun Jaitley has gone to the US for
treatment.
The education budget of 2018 was one of the least valued at
just 3.5 percent. Here is what education experts are expecting from the
Budget session 2019:
1. All-over increase in Education Budget
India needs to increase its Education Budget in the Budget Session 2019.
Ravi Sreedharan, Founder and Director, Indian School of Development Management (ISDM):
“While it might sound ambitious, there is a need to double the
current levels of spending in the two areas of public education and
public health as a percentage of GDP. Spend on Education as a percentage
of GDP is still around 3% versus the aspirational goal of 6%. Lots of
developing and developed countries in the world have already been
earmarking and spending close to this ballpark (as a percentage of GDP)
on education.
Given the widespread inequality and poverty in India, education needs
to play a critical role in bringing about intergenerational social and
economic mobility with primary public education standing out as the most
important area of focus.
Without a good quality government schooling system, it’s
impossible to envision us moving towards a just, equitable, humane and
sustainable society. Without that the potential demographic dividend we
could benefit from is nothing but a pipe dream.”
Rohit Manglik, CEO, EduGorilla:
“The upcoming education budget needs to take initiatives such as
allocating bigger spending on education, provision for proper teacher
training along with higher pay and administrative incentives.
Incentives need to be provided to encourage research in all
disciplines and for augmenting the technical capacity of the central
educational institutions like NCERT, NUEPA, IGNOU and many more.
Furthermore, a comprehensive scheme on lines of Ayushman Bharat can be a great start to improve the quality of education.”
Prof. Indradeep Ghosh, Associate Professor & Dean (Faculty), Meghnad Desai Academy of Economics:
In an election year, it would be only appropriate to expect that the
government will release an optimistic picture of its finances, which is
to say that even though expenditures will be shown to increase on
account of various programmes being announced ahead of elections, the
revenue side will also appear buoyant and on the rise.
The truth of the matter may be more unpalatable, though. India’s
fiscal situation is well known to follow a political cycle, and there is
a real danger that FRBM mandates will not be respected in projections,
and that the signal picked up by foreign investors will be a largely
negative one, irrespective of what the budget actually says.
To allay such fears, the government should try to offer as
realistic a vision as possible of the future course of policy if it is
re-elected, and especially provide indications of how it proposes to
solve critical problems of the Indian economy such as insufficient job
creation and deficient infrastructure.
2. Tax-free education to boost ed-tech
Zishaan Hayath, CEO & Co-founder, Toppr:
“Two key steps need to be made – education needs more funding by the
government, and it must be tax-free. The budget reserved for education
reforms has been constantly declining over the last five years.
Currently, ed-tech is taxed at 18% GST which limits
affordability to high-income groups. Education is not a luxury. In fact,
online learning is the only way to cater to individual needs at a
fraction of the cost. This should be made tax-free to lower after-school
education costs for students.”
Shobhit Bhatnagar, Co-founder, Gradeup:
“In a country with over 200 million students, online education can
play a major role in improving learning outcomes at a large scale. The government needs to actively support early stage industries like ed-tech that can create impact at scale.
Today, the GST rate for all educational services outside of schools
and colleges is 18%, which is same rate bracket as discretionary items
such as perfumes, chocolates etc. The government should move educational services to a no GST or the 5% slab.”
Vineet Chaturvedi, Co-founder, Edureka:
“Speaking specifically of the ed-tech industry, a reduction in GST
would greatly help boost a culture of up-skilling among Indians and this
is indeed the need of the hour for India to maintain an edge in
technical skills.
Education and up-skilling is no luxury and it should not be taxed as such.
It’s said that India lags behind even Sudan when it comes to its
investments in education and healthcare mapped as a measurement of its
commitment to economic growth, according to Institute for Health Metrics
and Evaluation. It’s time to change that.”
Beas Dev Ralhan, CEO, and Founder, NextEducation India Pvt Ltd:
“With the General Budget around the corner, we have high hopes from
the government and expect that a substantial amount would be set aside
to the education sector so that we can lay a stronger foundation for
new-age learning strategies.
The prerequisite for quality education becoming available to
all is the free and easy access to quality e-learning resources. This
can be initiated by the government through technologies such as
artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality and cloud
computing.
It is also important to ensure that internet access provided to rural
areas is functional so that students from those parts can use it for
effective self-learning.”
Amol Arora, Vice Chairman & Managing Director – Shemford Group of Futuristic Schools:
“For any country, the most significant returns are those garnered from investments made in its children.
The next generation is going to enter a globalized world and
will be competing for jobs not just against other students but also
innovative technologies that are quickly replacing human jobs.
In order to keep our children in the competition, we need to ramp up
our ed-tech sector in the years to come. To that end, Budget 2019 should
give certain tax breaks to ed-tech startups to enable them to reach
sustainable levels.”
Sampreeth Reddy Samala, Founder and CEO, Worldview Education:
“For any education policy in India to make sense, it needs to address
issues and provide solutions at a scale. From that view, potentially
game-changing tax reforms in the education space are still pending.
There is possibly great potential for vast private energy to be tapped
into if tax reforms are brought into this space to make it attractive
and competitive for private enterprises to enter, innovate and thrive.
Today, every and any educational idea which falls out of the
traditional realm is taxed at par with some of the luxury products. This
has to change to make investments into innovative ideas in education’
attractive which is crucial to meet the larger and current needs of an
aspiring country like India.
This will also help the sector get rid of undesirable
practices of working around these taxation hurdles in the name of the
sector being and meant to be a novel, not for profit one. This is not
only reducing the efficiency of the space but also killing innovation in
education.”
Rohit Manglik, CEO, EduGorilla:
“While the Indian government has done much to safeguard the interests
of all stakeholders of education, including students, the upcoming
interim budget needs to address some important components of the
education sector. Undoubtedly, lowering the GST rates from an existing
18% to expected 5% will make education affordable to students.”
3. Better skill development initiatives
Divya Jain, CEO, and Founder, Safeducate:
“In the previous Budget 2018, the government took key steps in
skilling and also increased the funds. In this Budget session 2019, we
expect that the government should take key steps in raising the
quality of skills to levels demanded by a potential employer or even
required for a person to start one’s own business.
The focus should be on integrating strategies to increase
skilling outcomes and sustain economic growth. Current skill development
initiatives should be integrated with nation-building mission
programmes.
As an organization which provides skilling and get funded from the
government to execute the Skilling programme, we seek some tax benefits.
Constructing the skilling centre
requires a lot of physical material which is being charged along with
GST. We are not being able to reclaim the GST we had paid in the Inward
supplies. Also, we have various certification and degree
programmes in Logistics and Supply chain management where we are not
being exempted from GST.
Support in terms of medical allowance for students that are being trained in skilling programmes
is also required. As technology is changing, the Government needs to
allocate more funds to improve the quality and develop excellence in
Skilling centres. The government has promised and initiated schemes
in Skilling such as PMKVY 2.0, DDU-GKY, NAPS, Bharatmala and Sagarmala,
PMKK etc. These schemes have helped us to reach the rural parts of India
– ‘the real India’.”
Vineet Chaturvedi, Co-founder, Edureka:
“Skilling and continuous learning have become sufficiently important
requirements in today’s competitive professional landscape so much so
that even the Indian government has taken note of it and launched skill
development initiatives.
What could accelerate India’s skill development story even
further and provide fodder to corporate growth is a ‘skilling allowance’
for all tax-paying individuals. Such a rebate that rewards continuous
learning will go a long way in creating an industry relevant workforce
that can make India a skill hot spot.
Continuous learning is a necessity and not just an option anymore and
by treating it on par with necessary allowances such as HRA, LTA, DA
& others, GOI would be doing India a great service. After all,
India’s biggest strength is its human resource.
Such an allowance will also be beneficial to IT, ITes industries
which are subject to frequent skill churn and the ed-tech industry which
has been working towards addressing this skilling need on ground.”
Nikhil Barshikar, Founder and MD at Imarticus Learning:
“With technology disrupting jobs across sectors, it is important to bridge the skilling gap. The budget session 2019 should focus on skill development as it will directly impact the economy for the better.
We strongly feel the need for allocating more funds towards
specialization i.e. in higher and further education, with the vision of
enhancing the training and the research amenities for reskilling the
workforce.
Tax rebates and incentive schemes will encourage educational institutions to expand their operations in Tier 2 & 3 cities.”
Dr. Jamshed Bharucha, Vice Chancellor, SRM University AP, Amaravati:
“The need to invest in the soft skills development within the education sector
is highly important so that qualified, talented and gifted young
Indians are not handicapped in any way by communication abilities that
can impede their success on a national and international stage.”
Amol Arora, Vice Chairman & Managing Director – Shemford Group of Futuristic Schools:
“The government should grant financial incentives for organizations setting up educational institutes in rural and underserved areas.
Currently, the private sector in education is viewed with distrust
which is why concrete steps should be taken to show that public-private
partnerships can be a win-win for all — delivering quality without
fleecing the parents.”
4. Resolution of the angel tax for startups
Siraj Dhanani, Co-Founder and CEO, InnAccel Technologies:
“In the budget session 2019, the govt should continue the
focus on healthcare and invest substantially in upgrading the primary
and secondary health tiers in the country. This upgrade can
leverage the indigenous medical technologies developed specifically for
Indian healthcare needs, and thereby support the Make in India
initiative.
I hope the budget provides a comprehensive resolution to the
angel tax issue being faced by startups, especially ones based on
generating intellectual property like medical technology startups.
Raising capital for startups working on affordable healthcare is
already difficult- it is made more so by this angel tax, which is
effectively a tax on Indian innovation.”
5. Relief for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)
Ankit Gupta, Vice President and COO, Exportersindia.com:
“Despite making huge contributions to the economy, SMEs often face a multitude of challenges that restrict their growth.
Due to numerous issues like lack of sustainability, insufficient funds,
limited access to resources, heavy competition from large entities,
small enterprises often fail to meet their true potential.
Although the ongoing digital revolution has allowed better
connectivity while enabling MSMEs and SMEs to gain exposure to the
global market, the struggle is constant. However, with the 2019 Union
Budget approaching fast, the scenario may change.
Though the recent GST reform has given a huge relief to the
SME sector, easy availability of loans, allocation of money in the
digital lending sector and tax breaks would be our prime expectations
for SMEs from this Budget 2019.”
6. Better student guidance and career counselling
Prateek Bhargava, Founder & CEO, Mindler:
“We at Mindler believe that allocation for funds to drive career
counseling and guidance initiatives are a critical need at the ground
level. There is a big need to drive students towards careers which are
in sync with their abilities rather than blindly following a few career
domain.
While national boards have made the need for guidance services
mandatory, most schools have not implemented the same primarily due to
lack of digital infra to implement state of the art platforms or lack of
certified experts in this domain.
Identifying and mapping talent towards right domains is
critical for our country, which has the largest youth population
globally, if it wants to reap the demographic dividend. We hope the
government will enlarge focus on PPP in providing high-quality career
guidance to school students across India.
Lastly, in keeping with its recent declaration that it is open to
reconsider GST rates on certain components in the education sector, we hope the government will review GST on ancillary services in education.”
7. More research funds
Dr. Jamshed Bharucha, Vice Chancellor, SRM University AP, Amaravati:
“Quality education needs to be made available to all. If we have to
keep up with western nations and with regional neighbours in fields of
science and technology, our educational institutions need to step up
funding on research for a wide range of applications from health
sciences, bio-medical, genomics, data science, machine learning,
agriculture and food production, space and astrophysics.
University-led research can be an important bridge between
ideas and practical applicability in the industry. We need to put in a
greater focus on this and commit resources to centres of excellence that
will tackle the areas where research is most needed and of national
significance. This needs to be done with a sense of urgency on a
national scale.
Because university research needs and national priorities(such as
Defence Tech, Health & Sanitation, Nutrition & Food) are so
closely aligned, Budget 2019 should also focus on University Research
funding.”
8. More focus on teacher training and digital upgradation
Prateek Bhargava, Founder & CEO, Mindler:
“The government of the day’s efforts to drive growth, investment and
embrace technology in education are all steps in the right direction,
however, investment into technology upgradation and teachers training has been falling short.
While this is an interim budget, we hope that it will pave way for
higher allocation in these two critical elements as they will usher in
much-needed improvement in quality outcomes, allowing schools to
leverage the power of digital solutions that bring high quality,
personalization and focus on evaluation of outcomes.”
Zishaan Hayath, CEO & Co-founder, Toppr:
“The education budget should be used to digitise schools at a mass level so that every student can access quality education. It should also be used to upskill teachers and close the gap between the education system and current employer demands.“
Beas Dev Ralhan, CEO, and Founder, NextEducation India Pvt Ltd:
“Training teachers on the latest pedagogies and Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) is the need of the hour as they are
expected to employ innovative teaching methods and make use of digital
tools in the classrooms. However, there is a dearth of 11 lakh adequately qualified teachers in the K-12 segments.
Even though the government is trying to tackle the situation
with initiatives such as Teacher Professional Development courses on
the digital platform Diksha, this issue also needs prioritizing in the
upcoming budget.
We also hope that the government provides the right kind of
infrastructural support for a system of education that is on a par with
global standards, and help Indian students face the challenges of
tomorrow.”
Tags: edtech, india, tsx Posted in All Recent Posts, betterU Education Corp | Comments Off on BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca – Education Budget 2019: From tax-free education to an upskilling allowance, here’s what education experts want $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca
Digital education ought to get a solid push this year: Vikas Singh, MD, Pearson India on Budget 2019
“Thanks to high internet penetration in the last two years, not just in the urban landscape but also in rural areas, digital technologies are gaining popularity across sectors,” says Vikas Singh
Recognising the potential of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
(MSMEs) as significant employment generators, Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley recently called the MSME sector the ‘backbone of the economy’.
In the sixth interim budget 2018-19 in February, the Government is
expected to announce some incentives for MSMEs that in turn would boost
job creation further. With both foreign and domestic investors in the
‘Make in India’ programme, the MSME sector can create a new business
ecosystem, contributing to employment generation and overall GDP growth.
In order to have a global edge, the
present and future workforce need to adopt an international outlook and
acquire new skills to drive innovation. Therefore, imparting the right
skill set is the need of the hour to create a future-ready workforce
that would take on new responsibilities with confidence. Moreover, with
the current government reiterating its commitment to boosting job
creation with a large focus on MSMEs, increased investment in the
e-learning sector will be the right way forward.
Thanks to high internet penetration in
the last two years, not just in the urban landscape but also in rural
areas, digital technologies are gaining popularity across multiple
sectors. Therefore, it makes it even more crucial for the education
sector to reap the benefits of this ongoing digital transformation.
Online learning is fast gaining the status of being a ‘global
phenomenon’. As online learning garners wider global outreach, the
potential to leverage it to expand access to education — particularly in
a developing country like ours — continues to grow. Investment in
e-learning currently is key to strengthening the learning ecosystem in
India.
With affordable data plans, cheaper
mobile devices and focus on new technologies like 5G, this trend is
expected to rise significantly. With the overwhelming use of internet
nationwide, it is clear that digital learning can deliver education
solutions in a friendly, cost-effective and convenient manner, including
learning content in the vernacular. Studies show that re-skilling and
online certification are currently drawing the maximum traction within
the online education ambit.
Tags: edtech, india Posted in betterU Education Corp | Comments Off on BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca – Digital education ought to get a solid push this year: Vikas Singh, MD, Pearson India on Budget 2019 #Edtech
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 8:31 AM on Wednesday, January 30th, 2019
betterU is pleased to be joined most recently by some of the world’s most recognized educators such as:
Rosetta Stone, a global language learning leader with innovative digital solutions;
HubSpot Academy, the learning arm of HubSpot Inc. and global leader in inbound marketing and sales education;
FutureLearn, Europe’s largest online learning platform with partnerships with over a quarter of the world’s top universities;  and
Simplilearn, a world leader in accredited professional certification training in 150+ countries.
OTTAWA, Jan. 30, 2019 – betterU Education Corp. (the “Company” or “betterU”) is pleased to provide an update on the Company’s global partnership growth.
Over the last several years, betterU has been focused on the
development of the Company’s global business and operational pillars
required to build the foundation that support Education for All
through a single education-to-employment ecosystem. The scope of
betterU’s vision is to address global complexities facing education and
create a system that overcomes barriers such as exclusiveness, poverty,
gender inequality, affordability, conflict, caste systems, and
technology limitations while striving towards the goal of open access to
education in all its forms across entire nations. “We believe it is
only through strong partnerships and collaboration that the barriers to
education can be overcome. The quality and diverse education of many
creates an opportunity that no other platform will be able deliver. We
are proud to be partnering with so many organizations who share this
same belief,†said Kate O’Neil, Director of Partnerships at betterU.
Snapshot of betterU’s Model
betterU is pleased to be joined most recently by some of the world’s
most recognized educators such as: Rosetta Stone, a global language
learning leader with innovative digital solutions; HubSpot Academy, the
learning arm of HubSpot Inc. and global leader in inbound marketing and
sales education; FutureLearn, Europe’s largest online learning platform
with partnerships with over a quarter of the world’s top universities;
and Simplilearn, a world leader in accredited professional
certification training in 150+ countries.
By the end of 2016 betterU was able to offer just 235 courses through
our global partnerships, by 2017 close to 12,000, by 2018 close to
30,000 and today the company is closing in on nearly 52,000 courses
offered through our global partners. Over the years our partnership base
has grown to include many prestigious organizations such as: Acadgild,
Adobe, Aspiring Minds, Babbel, BSE Varsity, ByDegrees, Career Academy,
CareerCo, Carleton University, Global Academy, CoachTube, Digital Vidya,
Ed4Training, Ed4Career, Ed4Credit, EdCast, eduCBA, Eduonix, Edureka,
edX, Eliquo, Expert Rating, Finsafe, Fullbridge, FutureLearn, Genext,
GetcertGo, GlobalExam, GoSkills , Henry Harvin, Hope Research &
Practice Institute, HubSpot Academy, IACT Global, ICI Distance Learning,
ICICI Direct Center for Financial Learning, IELTS Online, ISEL Global,
Intern Theory, IL&FS (Englishbolo & Geneo), Imarticus,
Imurgence, Internshala, John Academy, LabInApp, LawSkills, Meritnation,
Open Colleges, Paddle, Playablo, Pluralsight, Pointsbuild, PTT, Rosetta
Stone, Simplilearn, Simpliv, SKILLDOM, Skillshare, Skillsoft, Sound
Basics, Stone River E-Learning, Swift Elearning, TCYonline, Technology
Ed, Topper Learning, Toppr, TrakInvest, Transneuron/iTrack, Udemy,
VuBiz, Wall Street Prep, Whizlabs, WIISE, Wintellect with many more in
the pipeline.
The distribution of content across betterU’s platform continues to
advance as their global team focuses on areas that are required to
support the learning spectrum.
To drive significant revenue opportunities for a business model such
as betterU, the Company has had to put in place a foundation that can
support mass education and solve for the significant barriers preventing
access. The only way to be able to successfully educate and skill mass
populations such as India, while meeting the individual learning needs,
is to have enough partnerships providing quality and diverse
educational content incorporated into one platform.
While betterU continues to pioneer and innovate, the company
recognizes that what is needed to move the needle are groups like World
Economic Forum and UNESCO, and a focus on UNESCO’s Sustainable
Development Goals, particularly SDG4. The perceived impossibility of
solving Education for All is starting to take shape as a real possibility through the Company’s efforts and continued partnership growth.
About betterU
betterU, a global education to employment platform, aims to provide
access to quality education from around the world to foster growth and
opportunity to those who want to better their lives. The company plans
to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and
enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an
integrated education-to-employment ecosystem. betterU’s offerings can be
categorized into several broad functions: to compliment school programs
with flexible KG-12 programs preparing children for next stage of
education, to provide access to global educational opportunities from
leading educators, to foster an exceptional educational environment by
providing befitting skills that lead to a better career, to bridge the
gap between one’s existing education and prospective job requirement by
training them and lastly, to connect the end user to various job
opportunities.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as
that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements and
information, which may involve risks and uncertainties. The results or
events predicted in these statements may differ materially from actual
results or events. Factors that might cause a difference include, but
are not limited to, competitive developments, risks associated with
betterU’s growth, the state of the financial markets, regulatory risks
and other factors. There can be no assurance or guarantees that any
statements of forward-looking information contained in this release will
prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ
materially from those anticipated in such statements. These and all
subsequent written and oral statements containing forward-looking
information are based on the estimates and opinions of management on the
dates they are made and expressly qualified in their entirety by this
notice. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, betterU
disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future
events or otherwise. Readers should not place undue reliance on any
statements of forward-looking information that speak only as of the date
of this release. Further information on betterU’s public filings,
including their most recent audited consolidated financial statements,
are available at www.sedar.com.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 8:19 AM on Tuesday, January 29th, 2019
Announced the successful acquisition of two corporate training contracts with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Limited (Mahatransco), both located in Mumbai, India.
These two training programs come on the heels of betterU’s efforts to enhance their revenue focus and after the successful completion of other such training programs and custom development projects
OTTAWA, Ontario, Jan. 29, 2019 – betterU Education Corp. (the “Company” or “betterU”) is pleased to announce the successful acquisition of two corporate training contracts with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Limited (Mahatransco), both located in Mumbai, India. These two training programs come on the heels of betterU’s efforts to enhance their revenue focus and after the successful completion of other such training programs and custom development projects with groups such as Central Bank of India, Dena Bank, Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Blue Star, Dimension Data, Evry India and Acliv Technologies.
The contract awarded by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) focused on
training in Effective Communication for Sales, which was delivered at
Pune and successfully completed mid November 2018. L&T is valued at
US$17 billion and is one of the largest Indian multi-national companies
headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The company has business
interests in engineering, construction, manufacturing goods, information
technology, and financial services, and has offices worldwide.
The contract awarded by Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission
Company Limited (Mahatransco) focused on Management Development training
and was delivered in two batches at Mahabaleshwar. Training was
successfully completed mid December 2018 and early January 2019.
Mahatransco is wholly owned by the Government of Maharashtra, is the
largest electric power transmission utility in state sector in India and
owns and operates most of Maharashtra’s Electric Power Transmission
System.
Corporate training for B2B enterprises is just part of betterU’s
education-to-employment ecosystem. Many organizations understand that
employees need new and updated skills to remain productive and engaged.
There is great value for small, medium and large corporates to purchase
and access training content through betterU because of the customizable
and flexible options available. betterU’s global partnerships offer many
cutting-edge and forward-thinking training options that will keep any
organization competitive in today’s fast paced economy. “With these two
prestigious wins, betterU positions itself as one of the leading
training providers for corporate training in Leadership Development and
Business & Management skills training. We are also at the forefront
of providing an immense learning experience for corporates with the
launch of our Upskill Platform.†said Sameer Vatsa, Country Head for
India.
betterU, a global education to employment platform, aims to provide
access to quality education from around the world to foster growth and
opportunity to those who want to better their lives. The company plans
to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and
enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an
integrated education-to-employment ecosystem. betterU’s offerings can be
categorized into several broad functions: to compliment school programs
with flexible KG-12 programs preparing children for next stage of
education, to provide access to global educational opportunities from
leading educators, to foster an exceptional educational environment by
providing befitting skills that lead to a better career, to bridge the
gap between one’s existing education and prospective job requirement by
training them and lastly, to connect the end user to various job
opportunities.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as
that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts
responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements and
information, which may involve risks and uncertainties. The results or
events predicted in these statements may differ materially from actual
results or events. Factors that might cause a difference include, but
are not limited to, competitive developments, risks associated with
betterU’s growth, the state of the financial markets, regulatory risks
and other factors. There can be no assurance or guarantees that any
statements of forward-looking information contained in this release will
prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ
materially from those anticipated in such statements. These and all
subsequent written and oral statements containing forward-looking
information are based on the estimates and opinions of management on the
dates they are made and expressly qualified in their entirety by this
notice. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, betterU
disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any
forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future
events or otherwise. Readers should not place undue reliance on any
statements of forward-looking information that speak only as of the date
of this release. Further information on betterU’s public filings,
including their most recent audited consolidated financial statements,
are available at www.sedar.com.
Tags: edtech, india, tsx Posted in betterU Education Corp | Comments Off on betterU $BTRU.ca advances its corporate training efforts in India and is awarded two contracts totaling $26,812 $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca
Technology has transformed the learning landscape. What can we look forward to this year? Video-based learning, microlearning, and AI-driven chatbots that function as teachers’ assistants.
Change is the only constant! And when I look around, I can see the
pace. Thanks to smartphones and internet penetration, sometimes the
change is so rapid that we don’t even realise it. For instance, Netflix/
Amazon Prime has so quickly become a part of our everyday lives that
they have replaced the cable television for a lot of us.
Similarly, in the past few years, the learning landscape across the
globe has also undergone significant disruption on the back of
technological advancements. The growth and proliferation of
communication technology, bolstered by deeper penetration of internet
connectivity and smart devices, made digital learning a household name
in 2018.
And, as we work our way through January 2019, it makes sense to look
back at what worked in 2018 and what would be the guiding principles for
2019. One thing is for sure; online learning is here to stay and grow!
The year that was: digital learning trends in 2018
In 2018, educational institutions and organisations truly embraced
virtual reality and augmented reality (VR/AR) to boost learning outcomes
among students. While the technology is still in its nascent stage in
India, several leading AR/VR startups are creating inventive educational
products for schools, colleges, and corporations.
AR/VR has resulted in the development of collaborative online
learning. Virtual collaborative learning environments have enabled
learners to work together as a group in technology-based learning
systems and benefit from shared knowledge.
Gamification, or game-based learning, is another trend that gained
momentum in the past year. Through the immersive learning technique of
gamification, learning new skills has become an engaging and a fun
activity. Gamification, powered by artificial intelligence and machine
learning, has witnessed stellar developments, with its global market set
to grow from $1.65 billion in 2015 to $11.1 billion by 2020, at a CAGR
of 46.3 percent.
Adaptive learning was another big advancement in 2018, with learning
platforms realizing the potential of programmes that are customised as
per the needs and capabilities of specific learners. As digital learning
continues to gain traction and attract learners who wish to upskill
themselves independently, leading digital learning platforms have
uniquely personalised the process.
Looking ahead: what 2019 has in store for digital learning
Video-based learning has emerged as the most scalable learning method
since it truly democratises education by making it accessible to
everyone. And it’s not only the reach; video-based learning has proven
to be more effective with our changing cognitive abilities. According to
an article published by Psychology Today, the human brain
processes videos 60,000 times faster than text. The method of explaining
and demonstrating a topic through videos boosts retention as it appeals
to more than just the sense of sight. In fact, a study on millennials
concluded that over 75 percent millennials turned to YouTube and other
channels for “How to†and explainer videos on various concepts. Leading
online learning platforms are eyeing this opportunity and investing more
in the video-based learning segment.
The rise in video-based learning is leading to a newer concept called
microlearning wherein bite-sized videos with succinct information are
shown to learners. When learners are exposed to information in short
bursts repeatedly, they grasp concepts quicker, leading to amazing
learning outcomes. Microlearning, also conceivable in the form of short
quizzes, info-graphics, or audio clips, has huge potential and could
possibly transform the education sector in 2019 and beyond.
The learning landscape in 2019 is also set to be revolutionised by
AI-driven chatbots, who can perform tasks from guiding to motivating
learners, while they move forward on their upskilling journey. In fact,
this method of aiding learners through chatbots was successfully
implemented when the Georgia Institute of Technology used IBM’s Watson
AI to facilitate student support. For online learning platforms,
chatbots can become teachers’ assistants and answer routine queries put
up by learners.
According to a study by KPMG, the Indian online education industry
will touch $1.96 billion by 2021, with an increasing number of learners
finding online learning more convenient and in tune with their learning
pace. Extrapolating for the current scenario and future projections, it
is evident that the online learning industry is going ahead full
throttle, fueled by innovative technologies and eager learners.
(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are
those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of
YourStory.)
We all are aware that EdTech market is expected to touch $1.96 billion by 2021 with nearly 9.6 million users.
India Today Web Desk January 22, 2019 Ed-tech or education technology is on the rise with more learning trends about to show up in 2019.
Ed-tech or education technology has arrived in India. With BYJUs
already getting into the unicorn club, the time has come for other
startups who have been doing some good work consistently to pace up the
growth and make 2019 the year of Ed Tech in India, in addition to the
obvious Fin Tech.
We all are aware that EdTech market is expected to touch $1.96 billion by 2021 with nearly 9.6 million users.
However based on my experience of over 7 years in Education
Technology space, let me try to share the Top 5 Ed Tech Trends which
will decide how the sector shapes up in India in 2019.
1. Tryst with vernacular learning content
Regional and vernacular content is thriving in all respects, be it
entertainment, communication or the digital space. Like any other
sector, in 2019, edtech companies cannot afford to miss out at the
language content internet consumers.
After all, the next 500 million to 1 billion internet users in India are going to be language users, across age groups.
Regional language users will grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate
(CAGR) of 18 per cent to reach 536 million in 2021, while English users
are expected to grow at a CAGR of three per cent.
And hence, this will be the defining trend of ed-tech companies too
for expansion to leverage a good chunk of overall pie of internet
consumers in India.
CareerAnna, the largest platform to learn in Indian Languages,
already offers indepth vernacular learning content in 3 languages —
Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, in addition to English, and is witnessing a month
on month growth of over 200% in non-English categories.
Like Nelson Mandela said, If you talk to a man in a language he
understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language,
that goes to his heart, and education technology companies need to
appreciate this emerging trend.
2. Bite-sized learning is the future of learning
As a new education trend, bite sized learning content can help students learn quickly.
Time constraints and the rapid proliferation of mobile phones have given birth to the bite-sized learning modules.
Bite-sized learning was, till now, restricted to only news,
with news aggregators like NewsBytes and Inshorts making good use of the
opportunity. This trend has now penetrated the e-learning space as
well.
CareerAnna has also come up with bite-sized videos containing mocks, study plans, exam strategies etc.
As per an EdTechReview report, India’s mobile download would rise to
22.7 billion in 2021, and since bite-sized learning is both affordable
and convenient in nature, the revenue generated by the ed-tech industry
is bound to grow manifold.
3. Curated content over open learning
The preference of curated content over open learning content is a rising ed-tech trend.
Though schools and colleges are archaic institutions, the world of
education is undergoing a digital transformation one day at a time.
Content curation is the process of collecting relevant information and
presenting it in a meaningful way.
Learning in India cannot be ever seen as a primary source of
education unless the curriculum is well defined by educators having
relevant experience.
Education technology platforms need to perform appropriate
curation to bring in the best educators and not just let anyone teach
the aspiring students.
Platforms like Coursera, Career Anna, Great Learning which have
embraced this as the part of the culture are perceived to be much
effective and outcome-oriented primary learning sources by consumers.
However, open learning platforms like Unacademy, which let
inexperienced college students with almost no credentials to form more
than 95% of educators, are seen as a mere backup source by consumers
much like youtube channels.
Such platforms hail only when content is free and struggle to monetise because of the lack of credibility of educators.
Thus, curated platforms shall lead in 2019 and open platforms may have to go back to the war room.
4. Personalised mentorship by certified educators, not university students
Not anyone and everyone should be allowed to teach students.
CareerAnna, Brainnr, and Vedantu are some names which employ
certified and trained individuals to come onboard and impart quality
knowledge to their users.
Aspiring online tutors then make a demo video for screening and eventually start uploading tutorials on their website.
Live online tutoring presently constitutes of 1% of the supplementary
education market, but its future looks extremely promising.
5. Nail your dream job through up-skilling
Skilling up, combined with the right aptitude and attitude is the stairway to any lucrative job.
Sectors like Data Science, Digital Marketing, Google
Analytics, Machine Learning, Growth Hacking and Marketing are witnessing
high demand presently.
As many as 58 million jobs would be created in Artificial
Intelligence by the year 2022 and the IT sector would see the creation
of 2.5 lakh fresher jobs in 2019.
CareerAnna’s skill-up courses have helped over 9000 professionals in
India to secure placements with giants like Cognizant, Dell, Samsung,
Wipro, Infosys, to name a few.
To conclude, I must say that 2019 shall be an exciting year for
ed-tech companies with a vast opportunity to tap next billion internet
users, but challenging as well as lot of experiments, failures,
learnings would be taken to have the next ed-tech unicorn of India,
riding on the wave of new internet consumers.
