education business in india

35 Best Education Business Ideas In India | Top 35 Teaching Business Ideas In India

India’s education system is one of the biggest education systems in the world. There are more than 15 lakh schools in India. There are more than 97 lakh teachers and more than 26 crore students in India

It is estimated that India’s education sector is worth more than 115 Billion US Dollars.

There are many businesses in this sector, whose numbers are still unknown. If we include those numbers, you cannot imagine how big this industry is.

The bigger the industry, the more opportunities you get to earn money and do business, so in this post, I will give you some top Education Business Ideas for India.

In this list of education business ideas in India, I have given many teaching business ideas and also some other education business ideas for India

Teaching Related Education Business Ideas In India

1. start a tuition class.

Starting a tuition class is the easiest education business idea for India. As I said the Indian education system is very huge and millions of students study in India every single year. 

There are at least 2 to 3 schools in almost every city in India. If we consider only 500 to 1000 students in a single school then there are 2000 to 3000 students in every city.

If you just get 100 students every year, you can easily earn Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 per month. 

If you want to become a good teacher then you can learn teaching skills online on youtube. You can start this business with almost zero investment and earn lots of money.

2.  English Speaking Classes

English is one of the most important languages in the world. Everyone should be good at English whether he or she wants to do a job or business.

English of Indian people is still very bad and this is where you have an opportunity to start a business.

You can start English-speaking classes in your city and you didn’t need to make a big investment to start this business. You can do this business even from your home.

3. Yoga Classes

Health is the biggest problem in the world. There are a huge number of diseases and problems that you cannot even count.

Yoga is not just good for your physical health but it is also extremely useful for your mental health.

You can start a yoga centre in your city and teach yoga asanas to the people. You can start this business with zero investment and earn good money.

You can learn yoga from another yoga centre and then you can start your yoga centre.

4. Cooking Classes

Cooking is one of the most important and useful skills for our survival. If you are good at cooking then you can start your cooking classes in your city. 

You can start your cooking classes at zero investment because all the things required for cooking are already available at our homes.

You can teach people everyday meals or you can even teach them how to make specific food dishes.

 You can start this business from your home and earn good money per month.

You can start the business of Cooking Classes from your home also. You can teach people how to cook everyday meals, or you can even start classes on making special items.

In the future, you can also sell online cooking courses and make crores.

5.  Acting Classes

If you have an interest in acting then you can start your acting classes and earn good money by teaching people acting skills. 

Nowadays. Lakhs of people make videos for youtube, Instagram, and other social media platforms. There are many video categories such as comedy, and short films for which they need acting skills.

You will teach acting to children and teenagers in your class. You can create your short films and videos and upload them on youtube by creating your youtube channel. The big benefit of this is that you will get actors & actresses for free. 

You can earn huge money from your YouTube channel.

6. Dance Classes

Dancing is one of the most popular skills. If you have an interest and passion for dancing then you can start your dance classes.

You can teach different dance styles to other people and earn good money from it.

Nowadays people are consuming video content more than any other. You must have seen many dance videos on platforms like YouTube and Instagram. These videos are getting millions of views. 

Many people make such dance videos, upload them on these platforms, and earn their income from these videos. Their life is dependent on this income but to make such videos, dancing skills are needed. 

Many peoples want to become actors and they are also your future customer. Hence, If you start a dance class then you will get a lot of customers and you can earn good money from this business.

7. Singing & Music Classes

Singing and music are other extremely popular skills that many people want to learn.

Like dance, many people upload singing and music videos on platforms like Youtube and Instagram. Many people learn these skills even as a hobby.

You can start Singing and music classes in your city where you can teach these skills to people and children. You can also teach people to play different musical instruments.

You can also teach these skills to people by creating your own YouTube channel where you can upload your singing and music videos. You can also upload some entertaining videos to attract people so you will get a good number of students.

8. Self-Defense Classes

Self Defense skill is an extremely necessary skill for everyone. These skills will be helpful for women and girls to protect themselves. 

Also learning Self Defence is a good exercise so it is another benefit that people will get.

You can learn these skills from any good institute and after a few days, you can start your Self Defense Classes in your city and earn good money.

9. Sports Coaching

Sport is an important part of our life. Sports are very useful for our physical as well as mental health. Many people make their careers in sports and some of these play a sport as exercise. 

You can start a Sports Coaching Center where you can teach people to play different sports. You can take a special batch only for children.

You can also hold sports competitions so people will enjoy it and your business will grow.

10. Competitive Exam Classes

The market for Competitive Exams Coaching is huge and many people are earning good money from this business

The biggest problem in this industry is that coaching centres are misleading their students and looting money from them by showing them false dreams.

You can create your own YouTube channel and you can teach them for free. You can earn money from youtube without charging students.

11. Start A Pre School

You can start a preschool where you can earn a lot of money by teaching children. 

There are many popular Pre-School franchises that you can take. The biggest advantage of taking a Pre-school Franchise is that you get a readymade business and guidance from the company.

Nowadays, preschool fees for a single child range from Rs 30,000 to Rs 1,50,000. So you can imagine how much money you can earn from this business.

12. Start a Day Care Center

Starting a Daycare centre is another good education business idea in India. You can make good money from this education business idea. Many people consider preschool and Day Care centres to be the same but they are not.

Preschool focuses primarily on the education of the children, where academic education is given to children, on the other hand, the focus of the daycare centre is mostly on taking care of the children, where the children play different games and live freely.

In both places, children are given education.

13. Start Your School

You can start your school. The population of India is very huge. India has the largest number of children and youth in its population.

There are thousands of students studying in every city but the quality of education is not good.

You can start a school where you can give the best quality education and you can also give them practical education so they can become successful in their life.

You can also give free education to children who cannot afford education.

Many people started with a tuition class, and today they have their school.

14. Start Your College

Similar to school, you can also start a college. Nowadays, college fees are in lakhs, and they are making multiple crores every single year. 

Many people started their colleges and made good money. You can start as a coaching centre, and eventually, you can also start your college

To make your college stand out, you can give different skill development courses to the students of your college, which will help them to get a good job.

Along with this, you can also give business-related courses to them, so if anyone wants to start a business, then it will become helpful for them

15. Chartered Accountant’s Classes (CA Classes)

The exam for chartered accountants is one of the toughest exams in India. Many students want to become Chartered Accountants (CA) but they are unable to do it.

To crack this exam they need a lot of guidance and coaching so you can start a CA coaching class and earn good money from it. 

16. Law Classes

You can start law classes because the law exams are also very tough, and students need guidance and good teaching.

Many law classes are earning good money by teaching different subjects of law. You can start this business from your home so this is one of the zero investment education business ideas in India. 

17. Science Classes

After 10th ( SSC ), many students take Science Faculty for further education. The study of science is very hard. Although teachers teach in colleges, the quality of education is not that good.

You can start tuition classes of Science Faculty and earn good money by teaching subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology to 11th and 12th students.

People are earning crores of rupees from these types of tuition classes in many cities.

18. Commerce Classes

You can start commerce classes and teach subjects like Account, Taxation, Costing, Economics. You can earn good money from commerce classes in India.

To make your class stand out, you can give practical education to the students along with academic studies such as you can teach them different accounting software, you can also give them practical business education and much more

19. Educational YouTube Channel

You can start an educational youtube channel and teach online. You can teach on any topic and earn good money.

You can teach academic studies or you can teach other things to people online through YouTube. 

Nowadays, people are learning different things online from platforms like YouTube. With a YouTube Channel, you can reach crores of people very easily.

Many people are earning crores of rupees by teaching on YouTube and you too can take advantage of this platform.

You do not need a big financial investment to start a YouTube Channel. You can do this business just by using your smartphone and internet connection.

20. Online Course Selling

You can create different online courses and sell them online. People are earning crores of rupees by selling online courses.

You must have seen many ads for such courses on the internet. You can create and sell courses on many topics such as Fitness, Academic Education, Business, Dance, Acting, Music, Time management, and much more

Creating and selling an online course is very easy and you can easily do that by using your smartphone and internet connection.

21. Computer Training Institute

Nowadays, the computer is used for work in almost every place, whether it is a private company, government office, or organization.

There is a huge demand for computer courses in the Indian market. You can start a computer training institute and earn good money.

You can give many courses in your centre like MS-CIT, Basic Computer, Tally, Programming Languages, Coding, and much more.

22. Typing Classes

You can start a Typing Institute and earn good money. You can teach people the typing skill and how to type faster.

The computer-related skills are needed in all places, whether it is a private job, government job, or business. Typing is one of the most important computer skills and many people want to learn it.

You can start a computer training institute and typing classes together. 

23. Start A Educational Blog

Blogging is becoming extremely popular in India. People are earning crores from their blogs.

If people are interested in reading or watching videos on a specific topic then you can start a blog on that topic.

Education is a very popular topic and many people are interested in this topic. Education does not mean only academic education but any type of education like farming, business, digital marketing, singing, music, and much more

You can start your blog with very little or almost no investment.

24. Make Your Own Learning App ( Online Learning App )

You can create an Educational App and start your Startup. You can make billions of dollars from this education business idea in India.

Nowadays it has become very easy to create an app and if you find it difficult then you can give some money to the app developer and he will create an app for you.

On that app, you can give academic and other skill-based courses to children and people.

You can also create a YouTube channel or blog and promote your app from it.

25. Start Skill Development Center

Everyone is understanding that skills are more important than a college degree. The government is also running many schemes to make people skilful. 

You can start Skill Development Center, where you can teach people different skills. It will become extremely beneficial to our country, and you can earn good money from it.

26. Foreign languages Coaching Centre ​​( Foreign Language Classes )

Nowadays, people want to learn different foreign languages like Japanese, German, French, and Chinese. 

After learning foreign languages, people are getting good jobs and they are also getting a chance to go abroad and work in big companies. 

Along with English-speaking classes, you can also teach foreign languages to people and earn good money from this educational business idea in India.

27. Software Courses Institute

Software courses are becoming extremely popular in India. Many people are doing these courses and getting high-salary jobs.

Nowadays, good skills are required to get a good job, and software skills have higher demand in the market.

Many software courses are popular in the market such as Data Testing, Cloud Computing, Data Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence.

You can start a software training institute where you can teach these software courses and earn good money from them.

28. Drawing Classes

You can start a drawing class in your city where you teach drawing to children and earn good money from it.

You can also start a youtube channel where you can upload your drawing videos and earn money from that channel. Many YouTube channels are uploading such videos and getting millions of views.

29. Mehndi & Rangoli Classes

Mehndi and Rangoli are very famous in India. There are many festivals, weddings, birthdays, and events in India. On such occasions, women and girls like to apply mehndi on their hands. 

In Indian culture, rangoli has huge importance and every woman draws rangoli in front of their home. Both skills are extremely popular in India and women and girls want to learn these skills.

You can start a class where you can teach mehndi and rangoli skills and earn good money from it. You can do it as a side business. You can also create videos and upload them on your youtube channel.

30. Public Speaking & Communication Skills Classes

Everyone should have communication skills because it is extremely useful in career and personal as well as social life.

People do not know how to communicate properly and because of this, they suffer a lot.

Many people do not get jobs due to poor communication skills, Poor communication also affects your relationships.

You can start a coaching centre where you can teach communication skills and public speaking skills and earn good money.

31. Personality Development Classes

Whether you are doing a job or a business, a good personality is always useful. A good personality is not only useful for a career but also very useful for personal and social life.

You can start a personality development coaching centre. You can also start a YouTube channel where you can upload your teaching videos. You can get benefits from both your coaching centre and YouTube channel.

Before starting this business, you first have to work on your personality because it is very important to grow your business and attract new customers. You can do a course for it or you can also learn online.

Other Education Business Ideas

32. publish your books and e-books.

Publishing books is a very profitable business and many people are earning crores of rupees from it. If you are thinking that publishing a book is a very hard and costly thing then you are wrong.

Nowadays, anyone can self-publish their book for free. 

You can publish your book free on Amazon Kindle. You just have to upload your book content and amazon will do the rest of the work. Amazon kindle will create e-books and paperback books and also deliver them to your customer.

33. Stationary Items & Books Selling

You can also sell stationary Items and books. You can do this as a side business and earn good money.

The world is changing, and online education is getting more and more popular but this change is not going to happen so soon. It will take time, and until then you can earn good money from this business.

You will find many stationary and book wholesalers in the market. You can buy these things from them and you can sell them at retail price.

34. School & College Bags Selling

You can sell school and college bags in your shop. There are thousands of students in every city in India. If only some of them bought bags from you, you will earn a lot of money.

Online education is the future but this change will take a lot of time, till then you can earn good money from this business. 

You can also sell travel bags along with school bags.

35. School Uniform Making Business

In every city, there are thousands of students. Uniform is very important for school and colleges. You can start a school uniform-making business and earn good money.

You can take bulk uniform-making contracts from schools and colleges and make lakhs of rupees.

There are at least 3 to 4 thousand students in the small city of India and even if only 1000 students bought uniforms from you, you can make huge money.

Conclusion –

Many of these education business ideas are zero investment business Ideas. These education business ideas are perfect to start in India. 

If you have any suggestions or other education business ideas in your mind you can tell me in the comment section.

101 New Small Business Ideas In India

Swapnil Shinde

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7 Innovative Education Business Ideas You Should Launch In 2022

Do you enjoy teaching others? Are you interested in starting a business in the education sector? With the top 7 education business ideas shared below, you could make this a full-time career and be your own boss.�

Education is a part and parcel of our being. Nowadays, with a constant emphasis on the need for students and adults to improve their education, a need for innovative ideas for education system has also surfaced. This demand for education and training creates massive opportunities in the education industry and an interested entrepreneur can encash on the opportunities to earn big profits. Also, a sudden spike in queries around business ideas for students can be seen as well.��

So if you think you are creative and highly imaginative, you can take the following education business ideas as inspiration to develop your business concept that can be marketable in the industry of education.�

Here are 7 online and offline education business ideas to pursue:�

1) tutor finder.

A web-based or mobile app that makes it simpler for students to find private tutors in their local area is a great idea. You need to onboard local tutors, get them to create a profile with all the information about their professional background and rates, and then promote them.

When they get business through your platform, you keep a percentage as commission. Students can search for specific subject tutors and leave reviews for the tutors they have interacted with. This way you can help students connect with the best tutors.�

Some examples of tutor finding services in India are Superprof, LearnPick, TeacherOn, TutorCity, and more.�

2) Online Tutoring

However, for a lot of students, travelling to the tutor�s coaching centre or scheduling a time for the tutor to visit at home becomes challenging.�

If you are fond of teaching and have the required experience and knowledge for a particular subject, you can start providing online tutoring sessions. You can take classes via video calls, share lesson plans, and also conduct online tests. You can fix a monthly rate or a per hour rate depending on the requirements of the student.�

Some examples of online tutoring platforms in India are Vedantu, Chegg Tutors, Byju�s, Doubtnut, etc.

3) Online Hobby Classes

An online hobby class allows students to learn on-the-go, at their convenience. They can download the videos and learn from within the comfort zone of their home.

As a teacher, you can teach students a new skill without spending on infrastructure and other fixed costs. To set up, all you need is a computer, a camera/smartphone to record your videos, and an internet connection to upload all the required material.�

Some of the known platforms offering online hobby classes include Udemy, SuperProf, LearnPick, and ipassio.�

4) Educational Toys

You can manufacture or source educational toys. These toys are in the form of books, games, machines, electronic gadgets, etc.

They help the child develop motor, sensory, and speech skills. But before you start a business for educational toys, make sure you investigate what the existing players are doing and avoid entrepreneurial failure . Moreover, remember to create customized toys with experts and not sell traditional toys already available at online and offline stores.

Some businesses currently selling educational toys for children are Flintobox, FirstCry, Toy Cart, and Raise Smart Kid.�

[optin-cat id=7239]

5) Teacher�s Resources Online

Some teachers have been teaching for decades and find it difficult to adapt to newer technologies. They cannot prepare lesson plans on the computer and don�t know how to prepare additional teaching aids.�

A teacher�s resources platform online can provide lesson planning help along with tips and tricks to improve teaching practices. The platform can offer readymade resources and teaching aids for free or a little fee.

It can guide teachers on how to upgrade their teaching methodologies as per today�s technology and education system. Teachers can communicate with one another and other educationists to develop solutions for common student problems.

Teachers Help Teachers is an interesting online community aimed at finding solutions to the problems in education.�

6) Online Library

The online library is another profitable education business ideas that can help to restore people�s habit of reading. The platform can offer books from different genres and let people learn different subjects from anywhere and at any time.

With the help of the internet, people from various parts of the world can register in the online library. They can also choose to share their collection of books online in PDF format for other readers to enjoy.�

Users will need to register and pay an affordable fee to make use of the online library. A well-equipped digital library is something you can look at starting if you want to enter the business of education.�

Amazon Kindle and Good Reads are examples of online libraries and book publishing platforms.�

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7) Entrepreneurial College

This resulted in the closure of many businesses, even before they reached their third year of operations.

According to statistics, the majority of the startup businesses that survived are owned and operated by individuals who have undertaken some form of formal or informal business training.�

If you want to enter the education industry with one of the most thriving and profitable education business ideas, you can start an entrepreneurial college. At an entrepreneurial college, aspiring entrepreneurs enrol to learn the strategies and fundamentals of starting and growing a business. You need to guide entrepreneurs on the common problems faced in the country and how each one needs to be tackled. You need to give them the right information to secure funding, advertise, and lead their business venture.�

However, before you start, make sure you have obtained the required license and accreditations from the education department in India.�

So, if you think you have a highly profitable and unique education business ideas, it is time for you to start and let the world know about it.�

Q. What are the most innovative business ideas for students?

A. There are a host of options for the young guns around. Students can work in a number of domains including Bloggers, Tutors, Social Media Influencers and many more.

Q. Which startups are working on business ideas in the education sector?

A. The most flourishing startups in education sector these days include Byju’s, Meritnation, Vedantu, Toppr.

Q. Which is the best education business idea in India?

A. There are a number of verticals that you can work at, it depends on the compatibility with your skillset. To state one of them, online learning (app-based) is one of the emerging concepts in the education sector.

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Best 50 Most Profitable Education Business Ideas in 2024

Do you want to start a business in the education industry? If YES, find here 50 innovative education business ideas and opportunities that you can start with little money.

From the very beginning of civilization, human beings are in learning mode. And still, the hunger to know the unknown things has made the education industry so lucrative for entrepreneurs.

India holds an important place in the global education industry. The country has more than 1.4 million schools with over 227 million students enrolled and more than 36,000 higher education institutes. The industry is changing rapidly with more private players entering the field.

Is Education Business Profitable in India?

The education industry has undergone several changes over the past few years and continues to invite significant spending by the public in India. And there are several reasons for this driving growth.

Some of the major reasons are the responsiveness of people toward the benefits of early education, raising awareness of the advantages of higher education, and the growing demand for online teaching methods. So, we can conclude, that starting a business in the education industry is highly lucrative these days.

List of 50 Education Business Ideas

#1. animation institute.

Nowadays, starting an animation institute or animation school is a highly profitable business. Additionally, you can start the business with moderate capital investment. The demand for animation and graphics is increasing very fast. So, you will get enough students for your animation school. Also, you can consider starting a franchise.

2. Book Store

If you want to start a retail business in the education industry, you can open a bookstore. However, it is important to conduct thorough market research before commencing this business. Additionally, you must have a promotion and marketing strategy for your bookstore.

#3. Art & Craft Lessons

If you are already an artist or craftsman, you can start teaching the tricks to other people. And there are several options you can explore for starting this business. You can start the classes at your home or you can have a specific space for rent.

#4. Art School

Definitely, starting an art school is a self-rewarding opportunity for artists who want to start a business in the education industry. Generally, art school provides different types of lessons including drawing, painting, sculpturing, etc.

#5. Baking Instructions

Do you enjoy baking delicious cakes and cookies? You can teach the lessons to others who are interested in it. You can start the business on a low-cost and part-time basis also. Even, you can start the business in your kitchen also. As part of it, you can publish recipe books for your students.

#6. Ballroom Dancing

Generally, a ballroom dance business provides ballroom dance lessons in a well-appointed studio. It can train teams that participate in national or regional competitions. Additionally, it also provides dance lessons for those who simply want to learn how to dance.

#7. Bicycle Safety Courses

For starting this business, you will need to have specific knowledge and skill about bicycle safety. Generally, children who are learning bicycles are the potential customers of your business. You can operate the business on a home-based and part-time basis.

#8. Envelope Making

The demand for envelopes has not shown any decrease in recent times. Though the competition is high, one with proper and innovative planning can be successful in this business.

#9. Business School

Starting a business school is definitely a big business. Additionally, it demands strategic planning and substantial capital investment. Generally, business schools offer different business management courses. Additionally, you will need to have an affiliation with the recognized universities too.

#10. Business Startup Instruction

If you don’t want to get into a large business, you can start offering business startup instruction to new entrepreneurs. You can set up an institute for it otherwise you can consider taking the classes at the client’s destination too.

#11. Career Counseling

Career counseling is definitely a self-rewarding business. Basically, every student after the 10th class looks for this type of service. You can start the business both offline and online. Basically, the success of this type of business depends on the number of successful students you counsel. However, you must have a marketing strategy. There is a big demand for career counseling in India at present and without any doubt is among the most profitable education business ideas with low investment.

#12. Chalk Making

Chalk crayons are the most important item for writing on the blackboards. If you live in an area where blackboards are used in educational institutions, you can start this business. You can initiate a small-scale chalk-making business with small startup capital even at home also. Making chalk is still one of the most lucrative education-related business ideas in the country at present.

#13. Computer Institute

Do you have specific knowledge of different types of computer applications? If yes, you can open a computer institute to teach others about different programming and software. You can start the business with a small investment. Even, if you have sufficient space, you can start this business at home. There is a big demand for professional computer training at present and is indeed among the most profitable education business ideas in the country.

#14. Content Writing

Content writing is one of the most trending businesses nowadays. One can earn a lot of money from writing content from the comfort of his or her home. There are several magazines, websites, and blogs that look for expert writers. However, you must have a keen interest in writing and knowledge of at least a specific subject.

#15. Cooking Classes

Do you enjoy cooking? You can teach others about different types of cooking techniques and recipes. Broadly, you can start the business in two ways. Either as home-based or by establishing a specific institute. This type of niche business has enough potential of generating good revenue.

#16. Dance Academy

Basically, a dance academy is a perfect business for professional dancers. Starting a dance academy is definitely a lucrative small business. However, you must conduct market research before commencing the business. You must identify the demand in the local market for the specific type of dance.

#17. Daycare Center

Basically, the increasing number of working parents is creating a huge demand for this type of business. And you can start child-care services ranging from small home-based operations to large commercial centers with small startup funds. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 61% of married-couple families, both husband and wife work outside the home. Hence, it creates an immense opportunity for entrepreneurs for starting a daycare center business.

#18. Driving School

This is another lucrative opportunity for entrepreneurs. If you are a good driver, you can start this business with moderate capital investment. Basically, driving schools provide help and guidance to clients on how to drive a car. Additionally, they also help in getting a driving license from the motor vehicle authority.

#19. eBook Writing

Do you know how to write an eBook and publish them? If yes, you can develop your own eBook writing business from home. Additionally, there are self-publishing platforms that help writers to publish their eBooks. You can write and sell eBooks of your own or you can do these jobs for others. Generally, Fever and Upwork are the most popular platforms for this type of online job.

#20. Editing and Proofreading

This is another lucrative business, you can consider starting from home. If you have good grammar and language knowledge, you can offer these services from your home also. Generally, several agencies and companies look for this type of service.

#21. Educational Day Camps

Educational day camps are sometimes known as summer camps. You can offer this type of service in a day-long format on weekends during school months and throughout the week in summer. However, check the local laws before commencing this business.

#22. Employee Training

Basically, employee training is traditional HR activity throughout the globe. It is an effective way of enhancing the productivity of the employees of an organization. So, the demand for this type of service is still very high. If you are an expert in this area, you can start this business even from home.

#23. Exercise Book Manufacturing

Actually, exercise books or notebooks are mandatory items for school-going children. Additionally, there are some other areas where still notebooks are used. The exercise book-making process is simple. And with some small machines and equipment, you can start the business even from home.

#24. Fashion Designing Institute

Are you a fashion designer? And do you want to start a business with your expertise? So, you must consider starting a fashion designing institute of your own. You can start the business with moderate startup capital. However, check the specific market demand before commencing the business.

#25. First-Aid Training

If you have professional expertise in first aid, you can offer first aid training to the people who want to learn it. Apart from the individuals, there are several institutions and clubs that conduct training sessions for their members. Additionally, this type of business allows your home-based operation too.

#26. Flower Arranging Courses

Do you know flower arrangements? If yes, you can teach others how to arrange flowers for creating beautiful bouquets and wreaths. Additionally, you can offer different lessons on creating interior and outdoor flower arrangements. Start the business from home and then expand.

#27. Gem Clip Manufacturing

gem clip is an important item for organizing a bunch of papers. Additionally, different types of decorative gem clips are also popular these days. You can start a gem clip-making business from home with a single machine and some hand tools.

#28. Home Tutoring

If you enjoy teaching, you can start this business at any moment in time. This is one of the most profitable zero-investment businesses in the education industry. Additionally, students, home-staying parents, and seniors can earn good money out of home tutoring.

#29. Interior Decoration Training Institute

The interior design industry is growing very fast. That is why the demand for designers is also in high demand. There are several students who look for technical and professional training in interior design courses. The business is highly profitable. However, it demands substantial capital investment.

#30. Jewelry Making Courses

If you know how to make beautiful pieces of jewelry, you can teach others. Basically, jewelry making is a profitable home-based business that ensures good revenue returns. Therefore, there are many people who look for such courses. You can start the business from home or you can establish an institute.

Related Read:   How to Start a Jewellery Designing Institute

#31. Language School

Language schools are popular since ancient times. Therefore, there are always some students who look for this type of school. You can open the school with moderate capital investment. However, you must have adequate knowledge about different types of languages that have demand in the local market.

#32. Magazine Publishing House

Initiating magazines is big business. The business demands strategic planning and substantial capital investment in the long run. However, the business is highly profitable. You will need to check the licensing issues before commencing the business.

#33. Manners Training

Starting a child’s manners instruction service is a terrific way to get into the business for yourself. The market for manners training is large. However, you’ll need to learn everything about manners that you can. Also, you can gather information by reading books on manners and proper etiquette.

#34. Martial Art School

If you are a martial art specialist, then you can consider starting this business. Basically, different types of martial arts are popular among children and young adults. Additionally, with a small space and some interior, you can open a martial art school anywhere on this globe.

#35. Music School

Broadly, you can categorize music in two ways. One is vocal and another is instrumental. Depending on your own expertise, you can open a music school with a small startup capital investment. However, you must conduct market research prior to getting the actual demand and potential competition at your location.

#36. Nursing Training School

The nursing training school is another lucrative business for entrepreneurs who want to start a business in the education industry. However, opening this type of institute demands specific permission and affiliation. Additionally, the business demands substantial capital investment too.

#37. Online Library

Online book libraries or online book renting or eLibrary is a profitable business in today’s digital era. However, like any other eCommerce business, an online library business demands technical knowledge of eCommerce, strategic planning, and moderate capital investment.

#38. Online Tutoring

If you enjoy tutoring, you can start online tutoring also. This is an emerging business in developing countries. There are several companies that offer an online platform for both teachers and students. They also take care of the payments for teachers. It is one of the most lucrative education business ideas with almost no money.

#39. Photography Academy

If you are a professional photographer and have adequate knowledge about photography, you can start this business. If you have a studio setup, you can start the academy there. Otherwise, you can also set up an academy with a small commercial location.

#40. Play School

Playschool or kindergarten is an evergreen business in the education industry. The business demands small startup capital in starting. Additionally, there are several reputed brands can find that offer franchise opportunities too. However, if you have got the confidence, then starting your own brand is always a better proposition. Preschool is among the most profitable eduction-related business ideas in India presently.

Read:   How to Start a Preschool Business in India

#41. Digital Printing Press

Generally, the printing press is a traditional business. However, printing technology is upgrading every day. Additionally, there are several printing processes for different applications. You can start a digital printing press business with moderate startup capital investment.

#42. Resume Writing Service

A resume-writing service business can be initiated on a home-based basis. Additionally, it is almost a zero-investment business one can start only with a computer and internet connection. However, the business demands adequate knowledge and tremendous skill in writing killer resumes.

#43. River Rescue Instruction

Did you know that more than 4,000 people in the United States drown each year? And most of the people are fishermen. Basically, this type, of course, offers instruction on how to rescue from revers. The business demands capital investment in purchasing equipment. However, you can operate the business on a part-time basis also.

#44. Sailing School

Do you enjoy sailing ships? And do you have adequate knowledge about how to sail ships? Then you can consider starting a sailing school of your own. The business is highly lucrative for new entrepreneurs. And you can start the business as a part-time venture also.

#45. Sales Training

Do you have sales and marketing knowledge? You can consider offering sales training services to both product and service-based companies. Basically, sales are the most important aspect of every organization. And companies pay a huge amount for training employees for increasing sales.

#46. Scuba Diving Instruction

Basically, scuba diving is underwater diving. However, here the diver uses a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (scuba) which is completely independent of surface supply, to breathe underwater. And it demands specific skills and techniques. If you are a scuba diver and have a keen interest in teaching others, you can start this business.

#47. Self Defense Training

It is another profitable business in the education industry. There are several techniques that you can use for self-defense. Generally, men, women, and children may become your students for self-defense training classes.

#48. Sewing Classes

Initiating a sewing class business is definitely self-rewarding. The business doesn’t demand large startup capital investment. If you have adequate knowledge about sewing you can teach others. This is one of the best education-related business ideas for women or housewives also.

#49. Stress Management Courses

Nowadays, stress is a potential factor that affects productivity and overall performance. If you are a stress management expert, then you can consider starting the business from home also. Generally, several companies arrange stress management courses for their employees. And in that case, you can conduct the classes at their premises.

#50. Survival Training

This business demands adequate knowledge and a keen interest in teaching others. If you are a subject matter expert, you can consider starting this business of your own. The business is among the highly profitable education business ideas for adventurous entrepreneurs. However, it demands strategic planning and moderate capital investment.

Basically, starting a business in the education and training industry demands specific knowledge and skill. We hope, this list of profitable education business ideas will help you in making an informed decision.

Rupak Chakrabarty

Rupak is the founder of MUVSI. He is a small business consultant by profession. His mission is to make people know how to make money and understand personal finance for a better living.

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India to become $313 Bn education market by 2030.

Sector Expert Iqbaljeet Singh Bains

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Quick links, india to become a globally prominent education hub, india, throughout its rich history, has been home to some of the world's most ancient and prestigious educational institutions..

Today, India boasts of one of the largest education systems with about 1.49 Mn schools, 9.5 Mn teachers, and nearly 265 Mn students. Being the world’s most populous nation, India boasts a remarkable demographic advantage with a substantial youth population. Nearly one out of every four individuals falls between the ages of 15 and 29, fuelling the demand for a highly skilled and capable workforce across a wide range of industries and sectors.  

The government's implementation of the National Education Policy, 2020, marks a groundbreaking step towards reforming the Indian education system. The NEP focuses on curricular changes to build strong foundational skills with primary focus on holistic development of students. Further, it envisions making India a preferred destination for higher education and thus, promotes internationalization by fostering collaborations and exchange programs between Indian and foreign institutions. 

The education sector in India was estimated to be worth $117 Bn and is expected to reach $313 Bn by FY30. 

SECTOR COMPOSITION:  

• Pre-Schooling:  With 25 mn children born every year, India’s Pre-school market is expected to grow by $7.35 Bn by 2028, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 11.2% during 2023-2028 
• K12 Education : India is making significant progress with its 1.46 Mn schools and 230 Mn students participating in modern K-12 education. 
• University Education:  India has one of the largest networks of higher education systems in the world, 45,000-degree colleges, over 1000 universities and around 1500 top institutes.
• Ed- Tech : India is becoming Ed Tech capital of the world; out of 36 Ed-Tech unicorn companies 7 are Indian which are valued at $ 34.05 Bn in June 2022.

According to visionaries and experts in the education sector, India is fast going to become a globally prominent education hub, in the near future. 

100% FDI (automatic route) is allowed in the education sector in India. Soon, foreign universities and higher education institutions may be allowed to set up physical campuses in India.  

India’s public spending on Education in terms of GDP in FY2023.

Largest education system in the world

Proportion of world's school children in India

Indian Education System is one of the largest in the world with more than 1.46 Mn schools and 230 Mn students participating in modern K-12 education. 

Edtech startups raised more than $2.2 Bn in 2020. 

India has more than 43,000-degree colleges and over 1100 universities. 

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India’s education and skills market will grow double this decade, from $180 Bn in 2020 to $313 Bn in 2030, while creating 5 Mn incremental jobs and impacting 429 Mn learners. 

Number of private schools in the country has increased from 325,760 in 2018-19 to 335,844 in 2021-22. 

India has a demographic advantage as there is a huge market for education with over 580 Mn people in the age group of 5 to 24 years.​ 68% of India’s population is young and 55% of its population is in the age group of 20-59 (working population) in the year 2020 and is estimated to reach 56% of the total population by 2025. Additionally, India will add 140 Mn middle-income and 21 Mn high-income households by 2030 which will drive the demand and growth of Indian education space.

Moreover, the country has achieved 100% gross enrolment ratio at the primary level, comparable to developed nations. Government of India, through NEP, aims to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education including vocational education from 26.3% in 2018 to 50% by 2035.​ 

A total of 101 Indian institutions qualified for Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024. 10 Indian Institutes in the Top 500 in QS World University Rankings 2024. 

Study in India Portal was recently launched by the government of India which is a dedicated website that will provide comprehensive information about the Indian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). 

India and Australia sign a Framework Mechanism for Mutual Recognition of Qualifications that will help ease the mobility of students and professionals between the two countries.  

Deakin University becomes first foreign university to set up its International Branch Campus in India at the GIFT City. 

GROWTH DRIVERS

Large english-speaking population.

This allows easy delivery of educational products. India was ranked 52nd out of 111 countries in the English Proficiency Index 2022.

Strong Technology Infrastructure

Technology infrastructure, with high-speed internet and widespread use of smartphones creates favourable environment for technology-driven educational solutions. India has 2nd largest Internet user market with 820+ Mn users.

Policy initiatives

Favourable Government policies like The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan and programs to transform the Indian education system to meet the needs of the 21st Century.​

Improving Higher Education Ecosystem

University Grants Commission of India (UGC) in April 2022, approved regulations for foreign collaboration to offer joint, dual, or twinning programs. It has also announced Draft Regulations 2023 to allow foreign universities to establish physical campuses in India.

IFSC GIFT City

IFSC GIFT city allows the setting up of offshore centres for foreign universities in India.

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Gis - based map displaying available infrastructure for setting up business operations in the state., investment opportunities in education.

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Frequently Asked Questions

100% FDI is allowed through automatic route in Education Sector. Under the Automatic Route, the foreign investor or Indian company does not require prior approval from Reserve Bank of India or Government of India.

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The Centre and the States will work together to increase the public investment in Education sector to reach 6% of GDP at the earliest with provide easy approval for private investment. 

Education Policy has envisioned setting up of Foreign University campuses in India and also collaboration with Indian Universities to provide Dual degree, Joint degrees and twinning programmes.

For the first time, foreign universities or educational institutions are allowed to establish offshore centres in GIFT City and offer courses such as financial management, FinTech and courses in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

University Grant commission has framed guidelines for foreign collaboration with home universities to offer joint and dual degrees in India. 

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Gulfood dubai 2023, indian e-commerce industry analysis, the education market in india is expected to reach us$ 225 billion by fy25., advantage india, robust demand.

* India has the largest population in the world in the age bracket of 5-24 years with 580 million people, presenting a huge opportunity in the education sector.

* India has over 250 million school going students, more than any other country.

* Applications for the ‘Study In India' programme increased by 146% in 2021.

Competitive Advantage

* Large English-speaking population allows easy delivery of educational products. India was ranked 52nd out of 111 countries in the English Proficiency Index 2022.

* Nine Indian institutes - the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru and eight Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) - were among the top 500 universities in the QS World University Rankings 2023.

Policy support

* 100% FDI (automatic route) is allowed in the education sector in India.

* The Government of India has taken initiatives like National Accreditation Regulatory Authority Bill for Higher Educational and the Foreign Educational Institutions Bill.

Increasing Investments

* The education market in India is expected to amount to US$ 225 billion by FY25.

* From April 2000-September 2023, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) equity inflow in the education sector stood at US$ 9.44 billion.

* Indian edtech startups have received total investment of US$ 3.94 billion across 155 deals in FY22.

* In June 2022, edtech platform PhysicsWallah became India’s 101st unicorn by raising US$ 100 million in a Series-A funding round from WestBridge Capital and GSV Ventures, valuing the company at US$ 1.1 billion.

Education Industry Report

India occupies a significant position in the global education sector. One of the world's largest networks of institutions of higher learning is found in India. With almost 27% of India’s population in the age group of 0-14 years, India’s education sector provides numerous opportunities for growth.

The Number of colleges in India reached 49,385 in FY24 (as of September 13, 2023) and 43,796 in FY21, up from 42,343 in FY20. The number of universities in India reached 1,196 in FY24 (as of September 13, 2023), up from 760 in FY15.

India had 41.38 million students enrolled in higher education in 2020-21 with 21.2 million male and 20.1 million female students, as against 38.5 million students enrolled in higher education in 2019-20, with 19.6 million male and 18.9 million female students. In FY21, Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Indian higher education was 27.3%.

The education sector in India was estimated to be worth US$ 117 billion in FY20 and is expected to reach US$ 225 billion by FY25. The Indian edtech market size is expected to reach US$ 30 billion by 2031, from US$ 700-800 million in 2021.

The online education sector in India is growing rapidly, with growth of US$ 2.28 billion expected during 2021-2025, at a CAGR of almost 20%. Higher education institutes in India are focusing on creating online programmes due to the increasing demand from consumers.

From April 2000-September 2023, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) equity inflow in the education sector stood at US$ 9.44 billion, according to the data released by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

India’s large English-speaking population allows easy delivery of educational products. India was ranked 48th out of 112 countries in the English Proficiency Index 2021. Nine Indian institutes - the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru and eight Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) - were among the top 500 universities in the QS World University Rankings 2023. A total of 100 Indian institutions have been qualified for the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023, with the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru being the highest-ranked.

Edtech startups in India raised US$ 296 million across 5 deals in October 2022.

Amazon launched its global computer science education initiative in India. The aim of this initiative was to offer one lakh students the opportunity to study computer science. Amazon India also launched the second edition of Machine Learning (ML) Summer School, with the aim to provide students the opportunity to learn important ML technologies from Amazon scientists, making them ready for careers in science.

To liberalise the sector, the Government has taken initiatives such as the National Accreditation Regulatory Authority Bill for Higher Educational and the Foreign Educational Institutions Bill. The government schemes of Revitalising Infrastructure and System in Education (RISE) and Education Quality Upgradation and Inclusion Programme (EQUIP) are helping the government tackle the prominent challenges faced by the education sector.

The National Education Policy (NEP), which will be fully implemented over the course of this decade starting from 2021-22, will have a strong focus on high-quality vocational education. Under the National Education Policy 2021, the government will set up regional and national institutes for virology, >15,000 schools, 100 new Sainik schools, and 750 Eklavya model residential schools in tribal areas.

In August 2023, Union Minister of Education Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan unveiled the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF), which has been developed based on the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 vision. As per that, in order to guarantee that students have adequate time and opportunity to perform successfully, board exams will be offered at least twice a year.

The Central Government approved the “New India Literacy Programme” for the period FY22-27 to cover all the aspects of adult education to align with the National Education Policy 2020 and Budget Announcements 2022-23.

The National Commission for Women started a country-wide capacity-building and personality development programme for women undergraduate and postgraduate students in an effort to make them more independent and job-ready. The commission will partner with central and state institutions to prepare women students for the job market by providing sessions on personal capacity building, professional career skills, digital literacy and effective use of social media.

STEM-based edtech companies have been partnering with Niti Aayog and the government to build a STEM ecosystem by establishing Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) to spread knowledge about STEM, STEAM, AI, ML, and robotics for K-12 students.

In December 2023, UNICEF and its global partnerships platform Generation Unlimited (also known as YuWaah in India) partnered with key organisations committed to working towards a green future for children and young people as a part of the Green Rising India Alliance.

In September 2023, the government launched the Skill India Digital (SID) platform to make skill development more innovative, accessible and personalised with a focus on digital technology and Industry 4.0 skills.

In September 2023, a three-year partnership called "Education to Entrepreneurship: Empowering a Generation of Students, Educators, and Entrepreneurs" was launched by the Ministry of Education the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and Meta in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, in July 2023, laid the foundation stone for three new buildings at Delhi University — the faculty of technology, a computer centre, and an academic block.

The education sector has seen a host of reforms and improved financial outlays in recent years that could possibly transform the country into a knowledge haven. With human resources increasingly gaining significance in the overall development of the country, the development of the country’s education infrastructure is expected to remain the key focus in the current decade. In this scenario, infrastructure investment in the education sector is likely to see a considerable increase.

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The recently published Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) unveils that an impressive 86.8% of individuals in the country's 14-18 age bracket are currently enrolled in educational institutions.

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Top 19 Emerging Edtech Startups in India | List of Edtech Companies in India

Although people underestimate the value of education these days because of the “dropout” tag, education is irreplaceable. People need to upgrade their skills instead of just getting a degree.

Schools and colleges are important but the skills which schools and colleges don’t teach us are equally useful. The leading edtech companies of India are changing the scene of education in the country. They are redefining the process of learning. And this contributes towards a bright future for Indian children and youth.

India suffers from a skewed pupil-to-teacher ratio that continues to rise; it compromises the learning experience for students in schools. To counter this skewness, technology-driven learning apps are using gaming elements such as point-scoring, interaction with others, personalization, and data-driven insights to enhance the learning process for students and sharpen their basics in various subjects. These apps are known for their features that enable students to perform better in classrooms.

Edtech startups are emerging as a major business industry in India. The education sector in India was estimated at US$ 91.7 billion in FY18 and was expected to reach $101.1 Billion in FY19 and the edtech market is expected to reach $4 billion by 2025.

List of top education startups in India

1. Byju's 2. Unacademy 3. iQuanta 4. TrainerCentral 5. UpGrad 6. Next Education 7. Leverage Edu 8. NoPaperForms 9. Quizizz 10. Campk12 11. Coursera 12. Cuemath 13. IndigoLearn 14. My Peegu 15. Thinkerbell Labs 16. MyCaptain 17. Adda247 18. Meritnation 19. Toppr

Founder: Byju Raveendran

Counted among one of the top and biggest edtech companies in India, Byjus is an edtech startup that offers a learning app that provides coaching for competitive entrance exams like IIT-JEE, CAT, UPSC, GMAT, GRE, Engineering & Medical, and courses of grades 6 th to 12 th . It offers online courses and tablet classes with multi-test and assignment solutions, personal feedback, and in-depth analysis.

After using the Byju's app, 93% of parents reported a marked improvement in their child’s performance in grades according to the company. Byju's has 15 million registered users with 900,000 of them taking annual paid subscriptions and an 85% renewal rate. The average app engagement rate, as reported by the company, is 53 minutes per day.

Byju's is an edtech startup in Bangalore and was founded by Byju Raveendran in 2011. Its current total equity is $5.4 billion. BYJU’S also won many awards like the CRISIL Emerging India Award and the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Award. It is available on Android and iOS platforms.

2. Unacademy

Founders: heemash singh, sachin gupta, and gaurav munjal.

Launched as a YouTube channel by Hemaash Singh in 2010, Unacademy is now a famous name in the education technology segment of India. It is a popular e-learning startup and one of the leading edtech companies in Bangalore.

Unacademy has provided lessons to more than 30,00,000 (3 million) students to date. It has tied up with some of the most experienced teachers to tutor its students. You will find over 2400 online courses. Most of the courses are free on this platform; however, you may have to pay for the certifications.

Unacademy has a goal of providing free education. And It has ventured into numerous fields like banking, CA, CAPF, UPSC, CLAT, CAT, JEE, pre-medical and more. The video tutorials are available in various languages and students can follow tutors to get directly courses from them. Unacademy's business model is primarily based on the plus subscription feature offered on its platform.

Unacademy is an edtech company in Bangalore that serves as an online learning marketplace for courses. It was founded by Heemash Singh, Sachin Gupta, and Gaurav Munjal. The YouTube channel was shifted to an online learning platform in 2015. You can still find many videos on Unacademy's YouTube Channel.

Founder: Indrajeet Singh

iQuanta is India’s Largest online CAT preparation community. The founder and CEO of iQuanta Mr. Indrajeet Singh is one of the top 5 young Indian Entrepreneurs. His indigenous shortcuts and unconventional methods earned entitled him “Wizard of Quants”. iQuanta aims at offering quality education accessible to anyone willing to appear for competitive exams, along with its unique pedagogy at affordable prices. iQuanta is a bootstrap Edtech company.

iQuanta was incorporated in 2017 and today, since its inception, has built a community of 3.5 lakh+ aspirants from all over the world with 10,521 + IIM calls and 1000+ IIM converts in just 5 years.

4. TrainerCentral

Parent company - zoho.

TrainerCentral is a Zoho application, which aims to transform the way people teach online. This all-in-one online training platform empowers solopreneurs, edupreneurs, and anyone who wishes to share their expertise with learners worldwide.

The platform provides tools to help trainers build a fully equipped online training business with numerous integration capabilities. Trainers can create their own website, upload content, create course curriculum, host live classes, manage learner communications, certifications, collect learner fees, and much more, on one unified platform.

TrainerCentral strives to mitigate the inefficiencies caused by siloed tools and the technical complexities involved in building an online training business. Trainers and learners alike benefit from the built-in live classroom feature with chat and payment gateway integration options. Online trainers across the globe are thrilled with TrainerCentral, as demonstrated by its steady MOM growth of 30%.

TrainerCentral offers a 15-day free trial to help explore the platform.

Founders: Ronnie Screwvala, Mayank Kumar, Phalgum Komapalli, and Ravijot Chugh

UpGrad is an online edtech platform that provides higher education programs. It provides an immersive learning experience through the latest technology that powers well-designed courses . UpGrad was founded in 2015 by Ronnie Screwvala , Mayank Kumar, Phalgum Komapalli, and Ravijot Chugh.

6. Next Education

Founder: raveendranath kamath, beas dev ralhan.

Next Education is a Hyderabad-based learning website founded by Beas Dev Ralhan and Raveendranath Kamath in 2007 and caters to K-12 students through its technology-based education solutions.

Next Education has leading products such as TeachNext, LearnNext, MathsLab, ScienceLab, and EnglishLab on its platform. These products are used in more than 6,000 schools across the country.

The study material and products are designed to cover the syllabus of CBSE, ICSE, and 23 state boards in 8 major Indian languages. Next Education’s technology platform is based on Linux and open-source resources.

Other technological advancements on the app include 2D and 3D graphics, interactive content of international standards, voice-overs, clear sound, and an innovative course design that is easily accessible via an inbuilt IR remote. The company has invested over Rs. 400 crores and more than Rs. 30 crores on R&D alone.

7. Leverage Edu

Founders: akshay chaturvedi and aman arora.

Leverage Edu started off as a college admissions platform and has now grown to be a full-stack marketplace within a year. Leverage Edu was founded by Akshay Chaturvedi and Aman Arora in 2018.

The platform uses an AI tool to help students in their careers through mentorship products, end-to-end college admission guidance, programs to help them become first-job ready, and one-to-one virtual advisory for multiple career streams.

The app has over 1500+ mentors from Ivy League Universities and individuals from organizations like Apple and Goldman Sachs. The founder was quoted saying, “The platform is in the middle of executing an inspiration product roadmap and will continue to scale and bring onboard great talent aggressively, invest in continuously bettering our experience, and doing more or what we are good at!”

8. NoPaperForms

Founder: naveen goyal.

NoPaperForms is a SaaS-based enrollment automation solution startup that aims to transform the admission process in educational institutions in India and abroad.

The platform helps institutions increase their outreach capabilities, enhance recruitment efforts, expand customer service offerings, and improve end results. The entire process is 100% transparent.

NoPaperForms has partnered with more than 190 institutions and claims to have handled 350k+ queries. It has received more than 1.2 million applications and has grown by around 500% in a year’s time to Rs 100 crores. This valuation was achieved after NoPaperForms raised its Series B funding in December 2018.

Founders: Ankit Gupta, Deepak Joy Cheenath

Quizizz is an interactive teaching platform that allows its users to conduct student-paced formative assessments in an engaging manner for students of all ages. The website can be operated on any browser, PC, laptop, tablet and smartphone.

The platform combines game-design elements and helps teachers turn students’ homework and tests into self-paced games. Then there is the option of instant feedback. Teachers can use their own content or choose from millions of educator-created quizzes.

Quizizz’s aim is to motivate learners and play a part in their growth. Quizizz has over 10 million users and its solution is well-adopted in US-based schools.

10. Campk12

Founders: anshul bhagi, sandeep bhagi.

Camp K12 provides entrepreneurship and app development programs to school students during their vacations and weekends. It is a K12 edtech company in India that focuses on developing kids into innovators.

CampK12 was founded by Anshul Baghi in 2010. The company started out as a coding boot camp for kids. As of today, CampK12 has catered to 50,000+ students.

11. Coursera

Founders: andrew ng, daphne koller.

Coursera is another education platform that offers a variety of courses. The USP of Coursera is the experienced professionals it hires which makes it one of the leading edtech startups in India. If you want to learn from highly experienced people from around the world, then Coursera is for you. Just like Unacademy, you can watch the videos of some courses for free but you will have to pay for the certifications and assignments.

12. Cuemath

Founder: manan khurma.

Cuemath is a program that teaches math to children. Cuemath has more than 3000 centers in India and each session in a center has only 6 students at a time. The startup's emphasis is not on Abacus or Vedic math; it focuses on improving the mathematical concepts of children instead of merely teaching them to calculate fast. Cuemath was founded by Manan Khurma in 2013. The fees range from Rs 2500- Rs 3000 depending on where the branch is located.

13. IndigoLearn

Founders: sarat velumuri, sathya raghu mokkapati, sriram somayajula, and suraj lakhotia.

IndigoLearn is a Hyderabad-based accountancy focused edtech startup . The startup uses the latest technology and animation techniques to make finance and accountancy fun to learn. IndigoLearn was founded by Somayajula, Sathya Raghu Mokkapati,  Suraj Lakhotia, and Sarat Udumari in 2017.

14. My Peegu

Founder: chetan jaiswal.

My Peegu provides tools that help parents and teachers monitor their kids' well-being . A team of professional psychiatrists provides treatment to kids for mental development . My Peegu's services are available in 6 countries including India.

15. Thinkerbell Labs

Founders: sanskriti dawle and aman srivastava, and saif shaikh.

Starting as an independent research project named “ Project Mudra ”, Thinkerbell Labs is now working on a self-learning braille device . The device is named Annie and anyone can learn the braille language with it. Thinkerbell Labs was founded by Sanskriti Dawle and Aman Srivastava. The company showcased its idea on the popular business reality tv show Shark Tank India and received Rs 1crore funding.

16. MyCaptain

Founder: ruhan naqash, mohammed zeeshan.

MyCaptain provides students with a way to experience various fields of interest and test them out . Most of the time, kids choose their path according to the social norms or in the greed of tons of money. MyCaptain helps students discover their interests and indulge in a career that suits them . People can make informed decisions when they are aware of the realities associated with different career trajectories.

17. Adda247

Founders: anil nagar.

Adda247 is one of the best edtech companies in India that assists with government job preparation and provides articles, jobs alerts, quizzes, videos, e-books, e-magazines, discussion forums, etc. The Adda 247 app offers a smooth UI and intuitive workflows that are powered by cutting-edge technologies.

The company has designed other apps like Bankersadda.com (to prepare for banking exams), SSCAdda.com (to prepare for various central government exams), and TeachersAdda.co.in to bag teaching jobs in government schools. The Adda247 YouTube channel contains videos on current affairs and upcoming government job vacancies.

18. Meritnation

Founder: pavan chauhan.

Meritnation is an online education startup based in Delhi . Meritnation was founded by Pavan Chauhan in 2008. It has grown to become one of the most helpful websites for online education. Meritnation provides learning content for students for classes 1 st to 12 th across CBSE, ICSE, and other leading state boards.

Meritnation offers its users study material, tests, proficiency tests, and Olympiad packs via a social network like experience. The Meritnation app also tracks a student’s progress and displays personalized recommendations along with analytical data reports to point out his or her strengths and improvement areas.

Founder: Zishaan Hayath, Hemanth Goteti

Toppr is an online exam preparation platform for K-12 students. Toppr focuses on school curriculum syllabus and entrance examinations like JEE, UPSC, NEET, SAT, etc. It offers structured courses complemented by interactive video lectures, practise question sets, doubt clearing by professionals, and all-India test series.

Toppr is based out of Mumbai and was founded by Zishaan Hayath in 2013. The Toppr app includes goal-based learning, adaptive questions' practice, performance reports, concept sheets, and previous year question papers. It also offers courses for medical and engineering examinations, board examinations, and Olympiads.

This completes the list of leading edtech companies in India. Even though the Indian education system is undergoing a seismic shift, Indians still have to deal with outdated methods of teaching and inefficient learning techniques. The system also fosters unhealthy competition among students. Edtech startups are gradually changing all of this for the better.

Which is India's largest edtech company?

Byju's is India's largest edtech company with a valuation of $21 billion. It has over 10 crore students and 65 lakh annual paid subscribers.

Which is the best edtech company in India?

Byju's, Unacademy, UpGrad, Vedantu and Toppr are some of the best edtech companies in India.

What are some of the top edtech companies in bangalore?

Byju's, Vedantu, Unacademy, Simplilearn, and Cuemath are some of the top edtech companies in Bangalore.

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How To Start a Private Education Business in India

• How To Start a Private…

More Schools Needed in India Justify Private Education Business

Education is an essential aspect of continuous living. Without education, one may not be able to strive to survive. The Indian Government recognize this basic need and requires all children to enrol into a school. Public schools cover eighty per cent of the fundamental education needs in the country. The public schools are Government funded. Recently, India reformed its National Education Policy. The NEP 2020 will replace the previous National Policy on Education 1986. The new policy aims to revamp India into a vibrant knowledge society. With the new system in place, there seems to be a brighter future to start a private education business in India.

Encouraging Policy

The policy states that it desires to achieve one hundred per cent Gross Enrolment Ratio in school education by 2030. That is only ten years from now. If you are up to starting a private education business in India, now is the time to draw up the blueprint. Despite the government efforts to provide public-funded schools, more parents are also demanding for improved education quality. Hence, there is a market opportunity for enterprising educators to shoulder part of the load. Even if you are not an educator by professional training, having a passion to shape and mould the young into versatile individuals is sufficient.

Franchise or From Scratch

Whether you are an investor or is receiving huge investments to start a private education business in India, there are several ways to do it. You could get in touch with the franchise education business. This would be the most effortless start-up as everything from the business plan to the curriculum is ready for takers. Otherwise, you could have been a product of a high-class education yourself and wishes to impart that knowledge into your private school. There are also different levels of education that you could choose to open up a school from pre-school to primary and secondary levels.

The Necessities

The process to start a private education business in India can be intimidating, especially if you are foreign to the laws in India. Still, learning is a lifetime process; hence, here’s a guide to help you begin.

Like all matters in life, start with a plan. It is more vital for you to have a plan ready to start a private school. The wise decision is to draft a plan for ten years in advance. If you already have a plan, turn it into a formal format. This critical document will need to last the entire process.

Management Committee

It may be a business, but it needs a committee to get things off the ground. There is no way for you to this all on your own. The committee members should have good experience in education, legal , accounting , construction (if any) and business.

Critical Documents

As mentioned above, the business plan should already consist of why, where, how and when will the school commence. It should also state how the community can benefit from the school you intend to operate. Thus, it would help if you got this to the Department of Education to get a green light. If you have identified a specific area, you need to get an environment certificate. It is essential to ensure children will have a safe and secured environment to learn. There is also a need to acquire an affiliation certificate. Without it, students cannot attend public examinations or get accredited.

Land or Space

If you want to design a new school campus, you need to purchase land from the landowning agencies in India. Get in touch with the local authorities to find out more. You could also have the option to lease the ground with at least 30 years of the lease.

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Profiling Major Segments in India’s Education Industry

India’s education industry is among the largest in the world and plays a significant and remedial role in balancing the socio-economic fabric of the nation. This is why education is core to the Indian government’s masterplan to promote long-term economic growth.

India pipped the UK to become the fifth largest economy in the world during the last quarter of 2021. The last time this happened was pre-pandemic, in 2019. India also boasts of having the world’s largest population in the age cohort 5-24 years at 580 million. The country’s median age is around 28.4 years. Put these together, and the automatic implication becomes that India is a huge market for the education industry. The overall Indian education market is projected to be worth US$225 billion by FY 2024-25, showing compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14 percent as per a 2021 report.

Key segments in India’s education industry

India has a vast formal education industry, with institutions established to service the educational needs of each age cohort, covering the preschool period, the K-12 school years, and higher education and research. E-learning is now also a key emerging segment.

Pre-school market

India’s pre-school market is highly fragmented and is poised to register incremental growth of US$957.86 million between 2021 and 2026 at a CAGR of 9.57 percent. For 2022, an industry report predicts growth at 6.40 percent. The urban segment accounts for the most market share, while the rise of dual income households in tier-2 and tier-3 cities are creating high demand for pre-school care and learning facilities.

K-12 school market

India has the world’s second largest schooling system with over 1.5 million schools and nearly 250 million enrolments. In fact, the K-12 sub-segment constitutes more than 50 percent of the overall size of the growing education industry in India.

K-12 schools in India are broadly classified as government-owned (approx. 72 percent), private aided (privately owned and managed but receiving some form of government aid – approx. 5 percent) and private unaided (financed entirely privately – approx. 23 percent).

While there is a long-term trend of rising preference for private school education due to better infrastructure and education facilities, there are several top-performing government schools in the country.

There are various education boards in India for governing school education. These include the respective State Boards, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), which has the widest network of schools in the country, the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), which has schools across the country and focuses on more practical education, STEM subjects, etc., the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), which facilitates flexible learning opportunities, and the privately run International Baccalaureate (IB) offered by the country’s international schools.

Higher education

India’s higher education system has the third largest enrolment after China and the United States. This while there is only a gross enrolment ratio (GER) of 27.1 percent (FY 2019-20). There were 38.5 million students enrolled in 2019-20 – 19.6 million male and 18.9 million female students.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) is the central regulator for India’s higher education institutions – establishing standards, coordinating policies and assessment, and providing grants. However, technical institutes are governed by the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) and respective councils established under applicable statutes for the regulation of higher education in specific fields. These include the Council of Architecture, Pharmacy Council of India, Indian Nursing Council, Medical Council of India, and Distance Education Council.

The UGC and AICTE regulates the entry and operation of foreign universities and institutions in India. A higher educational institution is categorized as a ‘deemed university’ if it operates for at least 10 years and satisfies certain criteria, which enables it to grant degrees.

As of June 2022, there were 1047 universities in India. In 2021, the UGC listed 453 state universities, 126 deemed universities, (status of autonomy granted by the Department of Higher Education), 54 central universities (established by the Department of Higher Education), and 410 private universities.

Moreover, India has 132 Institutes of National Importance, which is a status conferred by the government on top performing public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The government has released Institutions of Eminence guidelines to empower HEIs to support them becoming world-class teaching and research institutions.

It may be noted that the higher education industry in India can be broadly divided into two segments – regulated and unregulated. The regulated segment covers central, state, and private universities; private/professional colleges; and technical and research institutions. The unregulated segment covers online education, vocational training, finishing schools, professional development, and training and coaching classes – and offers considerable scope for private sector participation and foreign investment.

Announced in April 2022, the UGC has allowed certain higher education institutions to enter an MoU with foreign institutions to offer dual degrees, joint degrees, or twinning programs. To qualify, the Indian institution must figure among the top global 1,000 QS World University or Times Higher Education rankings.

Market outlook

India’s education industry has become increasingly competitive and highly diversified across all segments. Yet, there are scalable investment opportunities as quality access to education is not consistent throughout the country due to inadequate infrastructure and overwhelming demand.

Opportunities for foreign players are thus plenty across the industry, from providing services to the large schooling system, including management services, as well as academic publishing, supplementary online learning, and provisioning of educational supplies.

This is helped by the fact that education is a non-discretionary spend in India and regarded as a key enabler for upward mobility. This means that irrespective of economic downturns, household budgets for education-related items stay prioritized.

Beyond the formal education system, rapid growth is expected in professional and skill development training and certification. India is a largely young population with a large labor force in need of skilling, upskilling, and reskilling. India needs to enhance the capabilities of its talent pool to achieve higher quality growth. Consequently, various skill development schemes and incentive measures are available to support this objective.

National Education Policy 2020

Going forward, the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) is likely to be a major disruptor. It will open opportunities for international players as the prevailing educational pedagogy looks to be transformed. For example, under NEP 2020, foreign universities will be permitted to set up campuses in the country.

The new curricular and pedagogical structure proposed by the NEP 2020 is ‘5+3+3+4’, which breaks down as:

• 5 years: pre-primary to 2nd standard
• 3 years: 3rd to 5th standard
• 3 years: 6th to 8th standard
• 4 years: 9th to 12th standard

This will replace the prevailing dominant standard of 10+2. The main objectives of the education policy reform are achieving 100 percent youth and adult literacy and 50 percent higher education GER from current 27 percent, use of technology, teacher training, regulatory reforms, internationalization of education, professional education, multidisciplinary approach, digital and open education, etc. As of now, only two Indian states have announced their plans to implement NEP 2020 – Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. The states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand aim to gradually implement the policy in phases.

The NEP 2020 is designed to transform the education sector, making it more experiential and flexible. Indian universities are being encouraged to offer multidisciplinary and holistic education across sciences, social sciences, arts, humanities, and sports.

For more information on investment opportunities in India’s education and training industry and doing business in the Indian market, please contact us at [email protected].

India Briefing is produced by Dezan Shira & Associates . The firm assists foreign investors throughout Asia from offices across the world, including in Delhi and Mumbai . Readers may write to [email protected] for more support on doing business in in India.

We also maintain offices or have alliance partners assisting foreign investors in Indonesia , Singapore , Vietnam , Philippines , Malaysia , Thailand , Italy , Germany , and the United States , in addition to practices in Bangladesh and Russia .

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Start an Overseas Education Business in India-2023

Likitha s - monday 24th july 2023 | articles.

What is driving the buzz in the career counseling business in India?

Why is the career counseling industry witnessing significant growth and attention in India?

What are the key reasons to consider starting an overseas education business in India in 2023?

How can the growing demand for global education create lucrative opportunities for entrepreneurs in India?

This blog explores the driving forces behind the surging demand for career counseling and illuminates the key motivations for embarking on an exhilarating journey of establishing an overseas education business in India in 2023.

The Indian overseas education market is poised for remarkable growth, expected to scale new heights by 2025. Projections indicate a robust compound annual growth rate of 15-20% over the next four years, propelling the market to a substantial value of around $35 billion. This forecast reflects the burgeoning demand and opportunities in the sector, signifying a significant potential for expansion and development to start an overseas education business in India in the coming years. India is the 2nd largest market globally to send students for an overseas education.

"From India to the World: The Growing Opportunities to Start an Overseas Education Business in India”

Opportunities to start an overseas education business in India are abundant and diverse, presenting a promising landscape for growth and success. Some key opportunities include:

1)Increasing Demand for International Education: There is a rising demand among Indian students to pursue higher education abroad due to the desire for global exposure, access to top-quality institutions, and enhanced career prospects opening opportunity to start an overseas education business in India.

2)Diverse Student Segments: The overseas education market caters to a wide range of student segments, including undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, and vocational courses, offering opportunities to serve diverse educational needs.

3)Partnership with Global Institutions:  When one wants to start an overseas education business in India collaboration with prestigious international universities and colleges enables the business to offer a broader range of study options to students and enhances the credibility of the services provided.

4)Specialized Educational Services: Offering specialized services such as scholarship assistance, language proficiency training, and pre-departure support can create a competitive edge and attract more students.

5)Emerging Study Destinations: Besides traditional study destinations, there is an emerging interest in lesser-explored countries as study destinations, opening up new markets and opportunities for overseas education businesses.

6)Online Learning and Hybrid Models: The increasing adoption of online learning and hybrid study models allows businesses to tap into a broader audience and provide flexible study options to students. So, when one wants to start an overseas education business in India, they should adapt both the models.

7)Technological Advancements: Embracing technology can streamline processes, enhance communication, and deliver personalized services, offering a more efficient and innovative educational experience.

8)Government Initiatives and Policies: Favourable government policies and initiatives supporting international education can further boost the growth of the overseas education business.

9)Career Counselling and Skill Development: Integrating career counselling and skill development services can add value to students educational journeys and foster long-term relationships with clients.

10)Alumni Networking and Support: Creating strong alumni networks and support systems can contribute to positive word-of-mouth referrals and enhance the businesss reputation.

11)Niche Market Opportunities: Identifying and serving niche markets, such as specialized courses or student demographics, can lead to a loyal customer base and sustained growth.

By leveraging these opportunities and providing quality services, an overseas education business can establish itself as a trusted partner in guiding students toward achieving their academic and career aspirations on an international stage.

Who can start an Overseas Education Business in India?

To start an overseas education business in India is an entrepreneurial endeavour that can be pursued by individuals with a passion for education, global exposure, and helping students achieve their academic and career aspirations. Several types of individuals can consider to start an overseas education business in India:

1)Education Enthusiasts: Individuals who are passionate about education and believe in the transformative power of international exposure can venture into the overseas education business to empower students with global learning opportunities.

2)Experienced Educators: Teachers, professors, or educational consultants with experience in the education sector have valuable insights into the academic landscape, making them well-equipped to guide students in choosing the right overseas education programs.

3)Former Study Abroad Students: Individuals who have studied abroad themselves may have firsthand experience of the challenges and benefits of international education, which can fuel their desire to assist other students on a similar journey.

4)Career Counsellors: Professionals with a background in career counselling can leverage their expertise to help students align their academic choices with their career goals when exploring overseas education business options.

5)International Education Consultants: Consultants with knowledge of international education systems, study visa procedures, and cultural adaptation can offer comprehensive support to students seeking to study overseas.

6)Business Professionals: Entrepreneurs from diverse business backgrounds who see a market opportunity in the study abroad industry can leverage their skills in marketing, networking, and business development to establish a successful overseas education business.

7)International Relations Experts: Individuals well-versed in international relations and cross-cultural communication can play a pivotal role in connecting students with universities and institutions worldwide.

8)Educational Technology Specialists: Professionals with expertise in educational technology can utilize digital tools and platforms to offer online study abroad counselling and support services.

9)Individuals with a Global Network: Those who have a wide network of connections within the education and international communities can leverage these relationships to create strategic partnerships and collaborations.

It is important to note that while individuals from various backgrounds can start an overseas education business in India, a deep understanding of the international education landscape, immigration laws, and cultural nuances is essential. Additionally, passion for student welfare, commitment to ethical practices, and dedication to providing quality services are crucial for long-term success in an overseas education business.

Leveraging Certified Career Counsellor International Studies with Overseas Education Business:

1)Understanding Student Needs: A counselling course equips you with the expertise to understand students academic goals, career aspirations, and personal preferences. This understanding enables you to provide personalized guidance and recommend suitable study abroad options.

2)Career Counselling Expertise: Career counselling is an integral part of the study abroad process. A counselling course equips you with the knowledge to help students align their academic choices with their career goals, ensuring they make informed decisions about their future.

3)Navigating Cultural Differences: Studying abroad often involves adapting to new cultures and environments. A counselling course prepares you to assist students in navigating cultural differences, promoting successful integration into foreign societies.

4)Study Visa Assistance: Understanding study visa procedures is essential in an overseas education business. A counselling course familiarizes you with visa application processes, documentation requirements, and immigration laws, ensuring you can guide students through the visa application process.

5)Ethical Practices: Ethics are paramount in counselling. A counselling course emphasizes ethical considerations, ensuring you conduct your overseas education business with integrity and transparency.

6)Building Relationships with Institutions: Counselling courses may offer networking opportunities, enabling you to establish connections with international educational institutions. These connections can facilitate partnerships and collaborations, enhancing the study abroad options you can offer to students.

7)Continuous Learning: The education landscape is ever-evolving. A counselling course encourages continuous learning, ensuring you stay updated with changes in the international education industry and offer up-to-date advice to students.

Earning potential of an Overseas Education Business in India

• Payouts: Overseas education consultants receive remuneration from universities for each successful candidate enrollment. Typically ranging from INR 1 lakh to INR 2 lakhs per student.
• IELTS Preparation: In English-speaking countries, the IELTS exam is a mandatory requirement for international students. Study abroad consultants collaborate with IELTS trainers to provide comprehensive preparation. On average, these consultants charge a fee ranging from INR 15,000 to INR 20,000 for IELTS training services.
• Education Loan: Financial institutions like banks provide commissions to study abroad consultants for each successfully approved education loan, serving as a remuneration for their assistance in facilitating the loan application process.
• Career Counselling: Study abroad consultants offer services such as college shortlisting, recommendations, and career counselling, typically charging a professional fee ranging from INR 5,000 to INR 10,000 for these comprehensive advisory services.

There are 10 More ways study abroad consultants earn. Connect to us and explore the opportunity

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Back to the future

New learnings

Talk to anybody in education circles, and they will tell you that churn is the norm for every stakeholder in the fray – ranging from KG classes to post-graduate, corporate training and vocational courses

H ad the new education policy (announced around the end of July) been unveiled at a usual time (in the non-Covid era), it would have surprised many due to its dominant focus on online education. Among other things, it proposes setting up virtual labs in schools, encourages students to extensively use e-platforms like SWAYAM and DIKSHA, and talks of bringing in an online training regime for teachers. It also facilitates the creation of a dedicated National Education Technology Forum where ideas would be exchanged to use to the hilt advanced technological components like artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain or Internet of Things (IoT), for education modules in the not-too-distant future. However, the online leanings of the new education policy (released after over three decades) had hardly any surprise elements for anyone when it was finally made public. With the Indian education system switching over to online mode since the beginning of the first round of lockdown in March, there is a larger consensus now that online learning will be a critical pillar of the larger blended learning in the future. Talk to anybody in education circles, and they will tell you that this is the moment of critical churning for every stakeholder in the fray – ranging from KG classes to post-graduate, corporate training and vocational courses. While it is forcing the well-established brick and mortar institutions to add an effective technology component to their services, for those who have been quietly taking a position as online education specialists in the market, tomorrow has arrived sooner than expected. And, therefore, unprecedented activity has been witnessed at the stage vis-à-vis strategic investments, buyouts, etc, in the marketplace. “More than 35 crore students and 1.08 crore teachers across 15 lakh schools, 1,028 universities, 41,901 colleges and 10,726 standalone institutes are unable to attend classes due to the nationwide closure of education institutes,” Union education minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal, explains the impact of Covid-19 on regular education in these words.

“Blended learning is the future of education”

According to the Union Minister of Education, Ramesh Pokhriyal, while responding to the impact of Covid-19 on the Indian education sector, the government has chosen to push the envelope by incorporating new elements in the delivery system. Click to read.

Those in the education circle will vouch for the fact that the government has also acted promptly as a facilitator in giving the go-ahead to top universities in the country to float new online courses, apart from launching new programmes like eVidya. And there seems to be a presumption that even if the world returns to pre-Covid days, online teaching will not only stay but grow further and find a distinctive space for itself on the larger educational platform.   Surviving the tide But there is another, serious, dimension to the issue. While in a quantitative sense, online education could well mean a major leap (imagine a preparatory test institute teacher simultaneously reaching out to hundreds of students in an online setup as against a select group of 40-50 in a typical classroom environment), the quality it can impart vis-à-vis the traditional mode is being questioned by some analysts. “This is the first growth wave for the online education segment in the country. And it hasn’t readily evolved but has rather been thrust upon most stakeholders who are looking at it as the proverbial straw which will help them survive the tide. But soon you will hear questioning voices on the kind of prominence it should be given, considering its serious limitations on direct interface between teachers and students,” says a noted educationist who is presently attached to a private university in Delhi-NCR in a consulting capacity.

Puri: practical problem

Apart from a handful of dedicated tech-enabled players across various categories who have cropped up in recent years imagining a windfall arriving somewhere around the middle of the next decade, the majority of players in the fray (primarily brick and mortar campuses with little supplementary online offerings added to their portfolio) have been forced to quickly build strength in the remote connectivity vertical. “If we had not started Zoom classrooms in April (just at the beginning of the new session), I don’t think the majority of parents would have paid the first semester fee. That would have meant the management facing problems with paying the staff on roll,” says the principal of a renowned Delhi school on assurance of anonymity. The statement subtly underlines how critical the online offering has become to regular schools for their own survival during this unprecedented crisis. In all fairness, even as online education has been on the radar of most institutes and service providers aligned to the larger education space, till recently it has not been too big a dot on the national ‘promising businesses’ chart. Observers will tell you that what is commonly recognised as online education is actually an evolved form of distance education which has been in existence since the 1980s in the country, spearheaded by IGNOU and later by other public and private institutes.

Kumar: it has some limitations

With the Internet and, later, smartphones increasingly becoming the most prominent connecting tools since the advent of the new century, online education found new expressions, with private entrepreneurship gradually making it more contemporary and adding significantly to its core identity of distance education. In 2017-18, noted consultancy and research firm KPMG, in association with Google, published a dedicated report on online education in the country which apart from projecting future numbers, also subtly indicated broader, emerging trends. Looking at 2016 as the base year, the report maintained that online education was in a nascent stage and its market size was valued at $247 million. Quite a small piece of the cumulative Indian education business worth a staggering $100 billion in 2016 (with 260 million students in 1.5 million schools and 27.5 million undergraduates and four million post-graduate students covered by 39,000 colleges), it was nevertheless projected to be one of the fastest growing segments, registering a hefty 50 per cent annual growth to become a nearly $2 billion business by the end of 2021. And within the online education space, the report earmarked distinctive verticals – primary and secondary supplemental education, test preparation, reskilling and online preparations, higher education, language and casual learning – as the key drivers. In a cumulative sense, the total volume of paid users for these verticals in 2016 stood at 1.57 million, and were led by online certifications and primary and secondary supplemental education segments. This number was projected to cross 9 million by the end of 2021. The projection chart further underlined primary and secondary supplemental education and test preparation services becoming the dominant verticals, with shares of 39 and 28 per cent respectively. And in the process, each of these verticals was projected to become an over $500-million business opportunity ($773 million for primary and secondary supplemental education and $515 million for the test preparation domain).   Action-filled stage The report presented by KPMG & Google earlier, seems to be a gross under-statement today with the kind of volume jump which has been seen post Covid-19. Narayanan Ramaswamy, national leader, education and skill development. KPMG in India admits the report falls short of what is going to evolve at the end of the milestone period. “That report was based on a regular growth pattern and our assessment was a hefty jump in the online education business. However, post Covid-19, things are unfolding at a pace nobody could have imagined. I would not hazard a guess on the possible worth of the online education business by the end of 2021 now, but I could tell you, the projected number of users by this date will be higher by at least two to three times,” he says. The research firm is now working on a new report expected to be released before the year-end. Ironically, a pandemic which has destabilised normal life and economies across the planet is turning out to be quite the ticket booster for online education, as players in the fray confirm. According to Mrinal Mohit, COO, Byju’s (the country’s leading learning app for school-going children), the popular brand made all the content on its learning app completely free for students across all grades and introduced live classes as well.

Kompalli, Screwvala and Kumar: blending online and offline education

“We have received an overwhelming response with an almost three-fold increase in the number of students accessing our app. Earlier, students used to spend two-three days per week on our platform. As a result of the lockdown, they are using the platform on a daily basis and spending an average of 100 minutes per day. We saw over 15 million new students access our free app during the lockdown period,” he says. For leading players in the test preparation segment like Aakash Institute, which had added a digital wing to its portfolio much earlier, the growth in traction has been equally amazing. “We have already seen a four-fold increase in daily active users of Aakash Digital as compared to the previous year. There is a three-fold increase in daily enrolments in April 2020 as compared to the pre-lockdown period in March 2020. Paid, high-ticket Aakash Live Class users have also gone up three times from 6,800 in April 2019 to approximately 17,000 in April 2020,” says Aakash Chaudhary, director & CEO, Aakash Educational Services. With the traction growth of popular commercial educational platforms unfolding in the metrics of time and not just high percentage, the popular theory doing the rounds in the marketplace is: what demonetisation had meant to Paytm and other digital payment entities, Covid-19 means to Edtech firms. “We had seen a parallel case in India’s demonetisation moment, where the growth of digital payments apps soared. We were on top of the pandemic situation and were one of the first to take a positive step in offering free access to our live, online classes for students across the country,” adds Vamsi Krishna, CEO & cofounder, Vedantu, which is a popular interactive, online tutoring platform. Krishna explains the windfall for the platform in terms of an addition of 20,000 monthly paid users now as against 50,000 annually till last year. The company has just managed to raise $100 million in Series D funding which has elevated its valuation to $600 million. According to Vidyamandir CEO Vishnu Dutt Sharma (another major name in the test preparation business), the institute has gained big time with its live classes, video lectures and compact courses in recent months and it is now banking big on digital marketing expertise to further penetrate its targeted constituency. KVS Seshasai, CEO, Kangaroo Kids Education (a Mumbai-headquartered institute, especially for pre-schoolers which has also spread its wings to other countries like Nepal, Maldives, Qatar, Dubai, etc, during the past three decades of its journey) speaks no differently in terms of how the virtual schooling programme of the institute has fared post Covid. “Our virtual schooling programme for both pre-schoolers and high schools was met with great encouragement and positivity from the parent and student fraternity.” There is clear evidence to suggest that some of the players have, in fact, made significant, aggressive moves in this hour of crisis and have upped the ante in terms of new offerings and alignments. Take the case of Coursera, the world’s leading online learning platform, which offers over 4,200 courses in collaboration with 200 leading universities across the world. “On 12 March, we announced free access to 3,800 courses and 400 specialisations for all impacted universities and colleges through the ‘Coursera for Campus’ platform.

Gupta: aggressive moves

Over the past few months, the initiative has helped thousands of universities and colleges go online to maintain academic continuity. From India, we have received over 10,600 requests, out of which 3,652 programs have been activated across hundreds of campuses,” says Raghav Gupta, managing director, India and APAC, Coursera. With over 8 million registered learners on its platform, India is the second-largest market for Coursera, after the US. For its popular ‘Coursera for Campus’ offering in India, it has partnered with 17 institutes, including the Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), and Shiv Nadar University (SNU). The Ronnie Screwvala-led upGrad is another entity which has initiated a series of new courses in recent months, surprising everyone in the market with its quick moves. Founded in early 2015, upGrad provides online programs in the areas of data science, technology, management and law, to college students, working professionals and enterprises in collaboration with top-notch universities like IIT-Madras, IIIT-Bangalore, MICA, NMIMS Global Access, Jindal Global Law School, etc. “The ongoing global crisis calls for evolution on a recurring basis, especially amid the online education space, which seems to be the only way forward, owing to its robustness and accessibility,” Screwvala had earlier commented.   Government help The rare buoyant mood witnessed in private education circles, has been boosted by immense support from the government which has given the green signal to 100 universities, allowing them to offer online courses. This was announced by the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on 17 May during the last of her five press conferences on the government’s relief measures for the economy. This comes as part of the government’s new initiative to push a multi-layered digital education programme called ‘eVidya’. “This programme includes: DIKSHA (one nation-one digital platform) which will now become the nation’s digital infrastructure for providing quality e-content in school education for all the states/UTs; and TV (one class-one channel) where one dedicated channel per grade for grades one to 12 will provide access to quality educational material, etc,” explains Ramesh Pokhriyal. And some experts are ready to vouch that in terms of intention, this programme could well take online education to a new level. “This truly marks the arrival of multi-modal modules (including television and community radio) in imparting education, which is even bigger than the computer or smartphones which define online education,” opines Narayanan of KPMG. Around the middle of June, the University Grant Commission (UGC) gave its nod to 100 top notch universities (as per the National Institutional Ranking Framework or NIRF rankings) to kick-start online courses and this is expected to result in more action. For instance, IIT-Madras has launched India’s first online BSc degree in Programming and Data Science. And on 6 July, IIT-Roorkee, in collaboration with WileyNXT, announced the launch of its ‘AI in Banking Programme’. The four-month course is India’s first-of-its-kind online programme made for existing as well as recently graduated technology and finance professionals, who aspire to build a career in AI and analytics in the banking domain.

Mohit: an overwhelming response

A similar drive has also been witnessed in top-notch universities (part of the top 100 list) which now have the backing of the UGC, validating their online programmes. This simply means the addition of more magnetism to their drawing power and the resultant initiatives are expected to soon become visible. “Considering the technological churnings all around, the explosive growth pattern of online business was waiting to happen. Covid-19 may have just put it in top gear,” observes Anil Swarup, former secretary, HRD ministry. Though the unprecedented surge triggered by what is probably the crisis of the century is likely to change the Indian education delivery system forever, the addition of new elements has certainly been far from smooth for a majority of stakeholders in the value chain, including those who are entrusted with the actual delivery responsibilities. The education circle today is full of stories where teachers, especially at the primary and secondary levels, have been asked to learn the technology at a breakneck speed. Sunetra Pathak, a secondary level teacher with Mamasaheb Khandge English Medium School, Pune presents this tale of woe for teachers in detail saying that they have been forced to learn the basics of the virtual classroom, including understanding the technology of the Zoom application, Google Duo, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, etc. And even after having painstakingly surmounted these odds, the teachers, attuned to offline models, have to worry about the quality front. “We are unable to interact with our students the way we do in a classroom. We do not know whether the child is completing his classwork and homework,” she points out, while adding that conducting tests and practical exams, co-scholastic activities, team projects, sports, music, dance, etc, are also missing at the moment. Pathak may be representing a larger emerging voice, maintaining that online education can’t match the quality deliverables of the traditional classroom model, especially at the school level. When it comes to vocational online courses, it could again lack punch, with lack of effective practical lessons. “Our experience over the last three months has allowed us to deliver over 80 per cent of our regular academic curriculum online. The only gaps are really in the practical hours students spend in the culinary courses which require our kitchen infrastructure,” explains Dilip Puri, director, Indian School of Hospitality and a hotel industry veteran. “Online education, like any other form of education, has some limitations. In the case of skill training, the importance of classroom training cannot be negated,” says Dr Manish Kumar, MD & CEO, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), an agency closely aligned with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. It had launched a major e-learning aggregator portal last year called eSkillIndia, which has now tied up with 25 knowledge partners and associates, including Saylor Academy, Simplilearn, IBM, TCS, UpGrad, etc.   Making it happen But even with the limitations there are strong contrarian views within the education sector. First, there is the issue of adjustment to tech-driven teaching modalities. “Since the middle of March, we conducted around 6,000 hours of online teaching till the end of June and have executed parents’ meets and students’ town hall sessions – all online. Our own technology-savvy faculty has made it happen without any outside support, making use of popular available platforms like Zoom or Google Meet. It is quite doable and I think, private institutes have shown more agility in adopting it,” says Dr Indu Shahani, noted educationist and president & chair of ISDI (School of Design & Innovation).

Krishna: a windfall moment

And when it comes to quality of education, Narayanan of KPMG makes his point bluntly. “How many Indian offline institutes can really boast of providing education on par with the best in the world? Imagine what could this lead to – international institutes opening up their courses for Indian students at significantly lower rates vis-à-vis what they charge for the traditional campus classroom and Indian institutes too providing this kind of service for foreign students,” he says. A senior faculty member of a leading private university based in Greater Noida, however, says established private institutes are somewhat perplexed at this stage in terms of how to harness this emerging hybrid model. “For private institutes, courses delivered in a campus environment are a high-margin proposition. If the same course is delivered online, the pricing advantage can’t be sustained. So, for them, it would mean moving from value to volume,” he points out. But there are those who strongly believe that the future normal educational regime (minus corona and the restrictions imposed by it) would mostly comprise of a hybrid formula where the online constituent would play a robust role. “The future lies in the blended learning approach where the candidate undergoes a mix of online and offline training. In such cases, theory sessions may be taken up online and the candidates may come to classrooms only for practical sessions or assessments,” says Kumar of NSDC. And this is a point which even some of the most popular online brands are not refuting. “The current scenario is proving to be an inflection point in the field of education and on the other side of the crisis we can expect the rise of a blended model of education. The proliferation of smart devices coupled with the democratisation of the Internet will quicken this process,” says Mohit of Byju’s. And with this understanding, different online players across the educational value chain are mooting their future expansion plans, promising this space will be extremely lively for quite a long time.

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Here are four interventions that can make education in India more accessible and inclusive

India is the second largest market for online education after the US. Image:  Unsplash.

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Lalita sachdeva.

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• Learning outcomes among school children in India show significant scope for improvement.
• The Education 4.0 India report identifies key learning gaps within education and proposes several solutions.
• A multi-stakeholder approach can bridge these gaps with a transformative framework.

The potential of digital interventions in the field of education in India is immense: the market for online education has grown four times since 2019 to $3 billion . A KPMG assessment showed that India is the second largest market for online education after the US. With conducive policies and initiatives of the Government of India, such as the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and over 5000 EdTech start-ups across the learning lifecycle , the current education environment is potent for digital transformation.

Alongside this, learning outcomes among schoolchildren show significant scope for improvement. The National Achievement Survey (NAS) of 2021 reported an average learning level of 59% in grade 3, 49% in grade 5, 42% in grade 8 and 36% in grade 10. This indicates a decline in learning levels with an increase in grade level and has far-reaching implications for young Indians’ readiness for the 21st-century workplace and India’s preparedness for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Have you read?

How many children in the world are getting a proper education, 'now or never': why we need to do more to save schools' 'lost generation', covid-19 has locked children out of their education with girls at highest risk.

Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the digital divide caused by disparate access to, and affordability of, technology infrastructure (such as internet connectivity and electricity) and devices (such as computers and mobile devices). This divide varies across geographies, demographics and communities. Additionally, students with disabilities face unique challenges due to the lack of peer support, lower concentration levels and the need for better parental support.

Enhancing learning and reducing inequities

While recognizing the huge potential of technology for enhancing learning, as well as the need to reduce inequities in educational access for all girls and boys, the Education 4.0 India initiative utilizes digital and other technologies to address learning gaps and make education accessible to all.

A joint effort between the World Economic Forum, UNICEF and YuWaah (Generation Unlimited in India) proposes solutions that align with, and augment and amplify, India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Digital Education Architecture of 2021 .

India’s NEP 2020 aims to improve the delivery of quality education for all learners, including through digital means. From revamping the educational structure to creating a robust digital learning system, the NEP 2020 is aligned with the goals of 21st-century education. It emphasizes the development of the creative potential of each child.

Keys areas that require intervention

The report identifies four focus areas for interventions: foundational numeracy and literacy (FLN), teachers’ capacity building, school-to-work transition and connecting the unconnected. The interventions are categorised under five building blocks, namely: curriculum, content, capacity, community and digital.

1. Foundational literacy and numeracy

For instance, in FLN, a major gap identified is the lack of “byte-sized” content in early learning that can ignite a child’s interest, as well as engage parents who may not be educated.

Storytelling, read-aloud and interactive content, flip books, and the use of digital tools can address these challenges. FLN solutions are centred around the following criteria: the capability of the solution to engage the home environment and the relevant actors (parents, caregivers and community); the adaptability of the solution; whether the solution is multi-modal in nature (hybrid or phygital) so as to reach parents and communities in the remotest and most resource-challenged locations.

2. Teachers’ capacity building

Enhancing teachers’ capacity to deliver education in newer formats is essential, as is their buy-in and involvement in creating and providing tech-enabled curricula. To this end, the report suggests ways to strengthen teachers’ capacity building – for instance, by improving the quality of teachers’ training, linking training with career progression, and involving teachers in designing a holistic teachers’ capacity building programme.

According to our Future of Jobs 2018 report, more than one-half of India’s workforce will need to be re-skilled by 2022 to meet the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

With the world’s largest youth population and more than half of the population of working age, skills development is critical for India to sustain inclusive growth and development.

In late 2018, the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with India's oil and skills development minister as well as the head of business consulting company Infosys, launched a Task Force for Closing the Skills Gap in India .

The task force brings together leaders from business, government, civil society and the education and training sectors to help future-proof India’s education and training systems. Find out more about our Closing the Skills Gap 2020 initiative.

3. School-to-work transition

The third priority area, school-to-work transition, focuses on making students job-ready in a rapidly evolving employment landscape. Nearly 85% of Indian schools have yet to implement vocational courses as part of their curriculum. This report suggests interventions using digital and hybrid models to upskill students to find a good fit with available and emerging jobs.

4. Connecting the unconnected

The global pandemic has not only made digital learning central to teaching worldwide, but it has also widened the digital divide, leaving those without devices and internet connections further behind. According to the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) 2020-2021 survey, only around 41.3% of schools have access to computers, and 24.5% had access to the internet in 2020-2021.

For the fourth focus area, connecting the unconnected, this report categorizes schools based on their access to digital infrastructure. It suggests interventions to enable schools at each level to get better connected.

Transforming the education sector

The Education 4.0 India initiative builds on efforts by the central and state governments and leverages their interventions. The interventions recommended by the initiative can create tremendous impact – from making education more accessible and inclusive to reducing dropout rates and improving learning outcomes by using more adaptive learning systems and community engagement.

The report presents a roadmap to enhance India’s school education ecosystem and gives out a call to action to all stakeholders in the edtech space to come together to transform the sector.

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The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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• Premium Statistic Size of the higher education market in India 2022-2028
• Premium Statistic Indian EdTech market size 2020-2025

Market size of education industry across India in financial year 2020, with an estimate for 2025 (in billion U.S. dollars)

School market size in India 2022-2028

Size of the school market in India from 2022, with forecasts until 2028 (in billion U.S. dollars)

School market distribution in India 2023, by education level

Distribution of school market in India in 2023, by education level

Preschool and childcare market size India 2022-2028

Market size of preschool and childcare in India from 2022, with forecasts until 2028 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Size of the higher education market in India 2022-2028

Size of higher education market in India in 2022, with forecasts until 2028 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Indian EdTech market size 2020-2025

Value of EdTech market across India in 2020, with an estimate for 2025 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Key Indicators

• Premium Statistic India's performance in quality education SDG 2023, by indicator
• Premium Statistic Rate of literate population in India 2022 by gender
• Premium Statistic Ratio of pupil to teacher in India 2022, by education level
• Premium Statistic Multidimensionally poor and deprived population in education in India 2006-2021
• Premium Statistic CPI of education India 2022-2023

India's performance in quality education SDG 2023, by indicator

India's performance in quality education as per sustainable development goals (SDG) as of 2023, by indicator

Literacy rate among population over 15 years of age in India in 2022, by gender

Ratio of pupil to teacher in India 2022, by education level

Pupil to teacher ratio across India in FY 2022, by education level

Multidimensionally poor and deprived population in education in India 2006-2021

Share of multidimensionally poor and deprived population in the years of schooling indicator in India between 2006 and 2021

CPI of education India 2022-2023

Consumer Price Index (CPI) of education across urban and rural India from March 2022 to March 2023

Expenditure on education

• Premium Statistic Education consumer spending per capita worldwide 2020, by country
• Premium Statistic Budget allocation for education sector in India FY 2018-2023
• Premium Statistic Budget expenditure on teachers training and adult education in India FY 2022-2023
• Premium Statistic Total budget expenditure on STARS project in India FY 2022-2023
• Premium Statistic Budget allocation towards Samagra Shiksha Scheme in India FY 2022-2023

Education consumer spending per capita worldwide 2020, by country

Ranking of the per capita consumer spending on education by country 2020 (in U.S. dollars)

Budget allocation for education sector in India FY 2018-2023

Total budget allocation for the education sector in India from financial year 2018 to 2023 (in billion Indian rupees)

Budget expenditure on teachers training and adult education in India FY 2022-2023

Total budget expenditure on teachers training and adult education in India for financial year 2022 and 2023 (in billion Indian rupees)

Total budget expenditure on STARS project in India FY 2022-2023

Budget expenditure on Strengthening Teachers-Learning and Results for States (STARS) project in India for financial year 2022 and 2023 (in billion Indian rupees)

Budget allocation towards Samagra Shiksha Scheme in India FY 2022-2023

Total budget allocation towards Samagra Shiksha Scheme in India in financial year 2022 and 2023 (in billion Indian rupees)

School education

• Premium Statistic Number of schools India 2022, by type
• Premium Statistic Number of school students in India FY 2022, by education level
• Premium Statistic Distribution of K-12 schools in India 2023, by funding institution
• Premium Statistic Market share of pre-primary education India 2023, by players
• Premium Statistic Gender parity index at primary school level India FY 2016-2022
• Premium Statistic Net enrollment ratio for primary and upper primary education India FY 2016-2022
• Premium Statistic Gender parity index at higher secondary school level India FY 2016-2022
• Premium Statistic Gross enrollment ratio for higher secondary education India FY 2016-2022

Number of schools India 2022, by type

Number of schools in India in 2022, by type (in 1,000s)

Number of school students in India in financial year 2022, by education level (in millions)

Distribution of K-12 schools in India 2023, by funding institution

Distribution of K-12 school segment in India in 2023, by funding institution

Market share of pre-primary education India 2023, by players

Share of market of pre-primary education in India in 2023, by players

Gender parity index at primary school level India FY 2016-2022

Gender parity index at primary school level in India from financial year 2016 to 2022

Net enrollment ratio for primary and upper primary education India FY 2016-2022

Net enrollment ratio for primary and upper primary education in India from financial year 2016 to 2022

Gender parity index at higher secondary school level India FY 2016-2022

Gender parity index at higher secondary school level in India from financial year 2016 to 2022

Gross enrollment ratio for higher secondary education India FY 2016-2022

Gross enrollment ratio for higher secondary education in India from financial year 2016 to 2022

Higher education

• Premium Statistic Distribution of the higher education market India 2023, by segment
• Premium Statistic Estimated number of student enrolments in higher education in India FY 2020-2035
• Premium Statistic Number of student enrolments in higher education in India FY 2016-2022, by gender
• Premium Statistic Number of universities in India FY 2015-2022
• Premium Statistic Share of universities in India FY 2012-2020, by type
• Premium Statistic Number of colleges in India FY 2016-2021
• Premium Statistic Number of Indian students studying abroad 2017-2022

Distribution of the higher education market India 2023, by segment

Distribution of the higher education market in India in 2023, by segment

Estimated number of student enrolments in higher education in India FY 2020-2035

Estimated number of students enrolled in higher education across India from financial year 2020 to 2035 (in millions)

Number of student enrolments in higher education in India FY 2016-2022, by gender

Number of students enrolled in higher education across India from financial year 2016 to 2022, by gender (in millions)

Number of universities in India FY 2015-2022

Number of universities across India from financial year 2015 to 2022

Share of universities in India FY 2012-2020, by type

Share of universities across India in financial year 2012 and 2020, by type

Number of colleges in India FY 2016-2021

Number of colleges across India from financial year 2016 to 2021 (in 1,000s)

Number of Indian students studying abroad 2017-2022

Number of Indian students studying abroad from 2017 to 2022 (in 1,000s)

Edtech and private coaching

• Premium Statistic Share of students who attend tuition classes in rural India 2018-2022
• Premium Statistic Share of students who attend tuition classes in rural India 2018-2022, by state
• Premium Statistic Leading K12 and test preparation platforms in India 2022, by website traffic
• Premium Statistic Edtech platform users in India 2023, by platform
• Premium Statistic Share of Ed Tech consumers in India 2023, by type
• Premium Statistic Time spent on education apps India 2022, by subgenre
• Premium Statistic Funding raised by Byju's from 2013 to 2023
• Premium Statistic Profit of AESL FY 2014-2020

Share of students who attend tuition classes in rural India 2018-2022

Change rate of students (grade I-VIII) who attend paid tuition classes in rural India between 2018 and 2022

Share of students who attend tuition classes in rural India 2018-2022, by state

Share of students (grade I-VIII) who attend paid tuition classes in rural India between 2018 and 2022, by state

Leading K12 and test preparation platforms in India 2022, by website traffic

Leading K12 and test preparation platforms in India in 2022, by website traffic (in million)

Edtech platform users in India 2023, by platform

Edtech platform users in India in 2023, by platform (in millions)

Share of Ed Tech consumers in India 2023, by type

Share of Ed Tech consumers in India as of January 2023, by type

Time spent on education apps India 2022, by subgenre

Time spent on educational apps in India in 2022, by subgenre (in million hours)

Funding raised by Byju's from 2013 to 2023

Funding raised by Indian Ed-Tech Byju's from 2013 to 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

Profit of AESL FY 2014-2020

Profit of Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) from financial year 2014 to 2020 (in million Indian rupees)

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What’s the Future of Business Education in India?

• In a virtual roundtable hosted by AACSB, representatives of Indian business schools considered the future of management education and the role of accrediting bodies.
• Participants agreed that, to solve today’s business problems, managers must have the multidisciplinary skills they can only gain from exposure to the sciences, the arts, and the humanities.
• Participants also had suggestions for improving undergraduate programs at Indian business schools.

  Where does the university-based business school fit into the landscape of business education in India? Where is it today, and where is it heading?

These vital questions were addressed in a recent invitation-only virtual roundtable organized by AACSB as part of a continuing conversation about critical issues in management education. The discussion was facilitated by Amy Memon, AACSB’s Regional Head in South Asia, and led by Pankaj Chandra, vice chancellor and chairman of the Board of Management of Ahmedabad University.

Additional academics from the region shared their perspectives during the discussion. Participants also debated other pertinent topics, including the state of undergraduate business education in India today. Their comments, presented here, have been edited for brevity and clarity.

The Current Picture

Chandra led off the discussion by providing background on the history of higher education in India. The first phase of its history started in 1857 with the founding of the University of Calcutta and lasted about 100 years as additional universities across the country were established.

The second phase, which ran from the 1950s to 2000, encompassed the rise of national institutions in every discipline, including technology, medicine, and management. The third phase started in 2000 and has seen the creation of private universities that are driven by the liberal arts and have their own distinct models.

Early business schools focused on the three fundamentals of math and statistics, economics, and industrial psychology. “Over time, as we came to understand the functions of a firm, schools added marketing, finance, and operations,” said Chandra. “This is the most exciting part of the story in India.”

But over the past 25 years, he said, society has witnessed the emergence of complex global problems stemming from poverty, war, and climate change. These societal issues have been accompanied by economic volatility caused by events such as the financial crisis of 2008 and the economic aftermath of the pandemic. None of these problems can be solved by a single discipline.

“In my mind, there’s no such thing as a ‘marketing problem.’ Any marketing problem is often just as much a supply chain problem or a manufacturing problem or a clever financing problem,” said Chandra. “Hence, the old format of business schools is not capable of delivering the sustained solutions that society requires.”

Tomorrow’s leaders must think very differently if they are to achieve the “deep innovation” they will need to address global challenges. To help managers develop this capacity, business schools need to move away from teaching “end-of-the-book Mickey Mouse problems to really discussing the problems facing business firms and society in all their goriness and complexity,” Chandra said.

Tomorrow’s leaders must think very differently if they are to achieve the “deep innovation” they will need to address global challenges.

He recently toured large Swedish manufacturing firms in a number of different industries, and every firm he visited was more than 100 years old. “The only question I heard from any of these places was, ‘How do we innovate to make our operations and our products more sustainable?’ The answer to this requires interdisciplinarity. It requires practice orientation. It requires deep research thinking.”

Chandra pointed to Northvolt , a Swedish firm that recycles lithium-ion batteries from around the world. Since its founding less than 10 years ago, Northvolt has raised about 6.5 billion USD and achieved a market cap of 12 billion USD. Said Chandra, “We need to ask ourselves, do our existing business schools have a curriculum that would enable our students to develop a Northvolt in India? Are we training kids in our program to be able to work and innovate in a company like Northvolt? Because that’s really where the future is.”

A Plan for Solving Tomorrow’s Problems

Chandra believes that, for Indian business schools, future opportunities lie along four axes:

• Data, materials, biology, and behavior.
• Health, transport, energy, and food.
• Air, water, land, and forest.
• The individual and the community.

Not only do many disciplines revolve around these axes, he said, new opportunities lie at their intersections. For instance, he described his time on the board of an IT company that had built software to determine the best way to route planes to European airports. But the software, which approached the challenge as an operations problem, was not successful—because the challenge was also a business problem.

“Most airports make more money through the sale of food and beverages than through landing fees for planes,” Chandra said. Airports would be more profitable if the biggest planes landed near the gates where food outlets were located, but the engineers had failed to take that business reality into account.

To solve today’s problems, he said, managers must have input from science, engineering, the social sciences, and the humanities to understand “what is feasible, what is desirable, and how to integrate it all together.”

Chandra contended that only university-based business schools can build such multidisciplinary environments and curricula. “I don’t think standalone business schools have the understanding or the proximity to do it.” He observed that the world’s best business schools all have symbiotic relationships among learning, teaching, and research functions, which allows them to create programs that are deep, broad, and integrated. “And I believe that’s an opportunity for us.”

An Interdisciplinary Emphasis

Others at the roundtable echoed Chandra’s comments about the need for synergies between business programs and programs within the wider university, and they agreed that it is more difficult for standalone schools to create such synergies.

One participant noted that students at university-based business schools have access to courses delivered by experts in their fields, such as computer classes taught by computer science professors and business law courses taught by law professors. Standalone schools that want to provide their students with similar opportunities would need “to build linkages with institutions that can provide them with content and expertise in complementary areas.”

It can be difficult for standalone business schools to create synergies between business programs and programs within the wider university.

Even universities that promote interdisciplinarity must take steps to ensure their efforts work for their programs, according to another participant. He suggested that universities create faculty development programs to ensure that professors understand the requirements of the other schools where they are teaching.

Universities also need to give some thought to how they put together intercollegiate collaborations. For instance, Memon described the Master of Integrated Innovation for Products and Services at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. The joint program was founded by the schools of business, engineering, and design, who were all partners with equal input into its creation.

According to Chandra, business schools can implement multidisciplinarity in a number of ways. At the lowest level, they might allow their students to take a few courses in subjects such as computer science. At the next level, they might encourage students to develop broader mindsets by enabling them to take as many as 30 percent of their courses outside of the business school. At the highest level—“which is where I think we need to be”—schools will recognize that business is about making decisions. Therefore, they will ensure that students develop the interdisciplinary skills they need to become thoughtful decision-makers.

Chandra provided an example from his own school, which offers a global executive MBA for the pharmaceutical industry. For a class that covers pricing, Chandra will request appearances by professors of marketing, economics, and operations. For a class on transformative innovation in the industry, he will bring in biologists. When he discusses plant efficiency, he’ll invite professors from the fields of operations, productions, and chemical engineering. He added, “All of them are available to me at the university.”

The Challenge of Undergraduate Education

Another topic participants discussed was the state of undergraduate business education in India, where graduates often are considered unemployable unless they go on to earn higher degrees.

Chandra had three suggestions for how business schools can improve undergraduate education. First, they should offer students a broad base of learning in nonbusiness subjects. Second, they should provide students with appropriate industry training through opportunities such as co-ops. Third, they should train undergraduates in general skills such as critical thinking, analytical thinking, communication, and technical competence. Undergraduate programs need to be restructured, he said, and “universities can pull together the resources to make it happen.”

Several participants noted that many universities in India offer undergraduate business degrees simply to generate revenue. Others pointed out that in the U.S. and Europe, many leading business schools do not offer undergraduate education at all—in part because the perception is that younger students might not be prepared to master the intricacies of business.

To improve undergraduate business education in India, schools should offer nonbusiness courses, provide students with industry training, and help students gain soft skills.

“There’s no point in teaching 18-year-olds business subjects if they don’t have the baseline ability to critically approach problem-solving in a structured way,” said one. He did, however, feel that undergraduates benefit from studying economics, which teaches an analytical way of thinking.

Another participant had surveyed recruiters at Big Four accounting firms to discover what they were looking for in new hires. She learned that these companies are seeking students who have the type of critical thinking skills that can only evolve within a diverse curriculum. These employers also want students with a strong ability to communicate—an essential skill in India, where people speak in many regional dialects as well as English. Believing that it is worth the effort to help “young and enthusiastic” BBA students develop such skills, she has been introducing elements of theater, the humanities, and other liberal arts into her business courses.

She also emphasized that undergraduate business programs are here to stay. “We can’t run away from the fact that, in India, education is an emotional issue,” she said. “Parents will sell their land to pay for higher education.”

The Role of Accreditation

Whatever happens next with business education in India, roundtable participants expressed the opinion that accrediting organizations have important roles to play. For instance, said one, if more schools embed business courses in law and business programs, AACSB could have a part in certifying or accrediting such courses.

In addition, Memon noted that accreditation can act as a powerful framework for helping business school leaders articulate and achieve their goals. As an example, she pointed out that the 2020 standards focus on the values of diversity, technological agility, and multidisciplinarity, while they also encourage school leaders to consider how their programs could have an impact on society.

Members of the association also have access to a community of peers who can help them achieve their goals, she added. Through the AACSB Exchange, AACSB Insights, conferences, and other services, the association brings together business school leaders to share ideas and improve their programs—in India and around the world.

• accreditation
• future of business education
• undergraduate

50 Leaders Changing Indian Education

Against this sombre backdrop, heavy responsibility has devolved upon the country’s beleaguered minority of bona fide educationists and educators to positively influence public policy and simultaneously guide their own institutions of learning through treacherous waters and currents. This responsibility is not only of education philanthropists and private education entrepreneurs (‘edupreneurs’) who have “established and administer educational institutions of their choice” — a fundamental right conferred upon linguistic and religious minorities by the Constitution of India (Article 30 (1)) and expanded to all citizens in the Supreme Court’s landmark verdict in T.M.A Pai Foundation vs. State of Karnataka & Ors (2002) — but has also devolved upon vice chancellors, faculty and administrators of public universities, and principals and teachers of the country’s government schools. They need to practice leadership skills to nurture institutions under their care into centres of excellence and protect them from the populist leveling down efforts of rampaging politicians and bureaucrats.

Contrary to popular belief, such exemplary education leaders and visionaries are a growing minority within Indian education. After a hiatus of three years, EducationWorld presents thumbnail biographies of 50 education leaders who are struggling within a hostile regulatory environment to raise teaching-learning standards in India’s beleaguered preschool, school and higher education institutions.

Early promise belied

Unfortunately, since then the currents of Sibal’s education reform enterprises of great pith and moment have run awry and during the past two years, Sibal — hitherto the most prominent media spokesperson of the Congress party — has almost completely eroded the massive bank of goodwill that he had built up during his first year in office. Most of the hastily drafted legislation relating to reforms in higher education (National Commission for Higher Education and Research, Foreign Education Providers (Regulation of Entry and Operations) and Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical Education Institutions Bills among others) has been heavily criticised, even by Congress MPs, and stalled by the standing committee of the HRD ministry.

Perhaps the only saving grace of his stint as HRD minister has been the passage of the Right to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 through Parliament. But ab initio, this historic legislation which became law in 2010 has been mired in controversy. And although on April 12 in Society for Unaided Schools of Rajasthan vs. Union of India & Ors, in a split verdict the Supreme Court substantially upheld the constitutional validity of the RTE Act, it is becoming increasingly clear that having failed to even minimally reform the crumbling government school system, the Act represents Sibal’s last-ditch effort to transfer the burden of educating the children of the poor to privately promoted schools.

With his term in Shastri Bhavan drawing to a close, it is clear that like his predecessors in this high-potential office, Sibal hasn’t been able to make any significant headway in implementing overdue reforms in Indian education. His inclusion in this list of 50 great education leaders is ex officio rather than for any notable contribution to Indian education which continues to flounder in shallows and misery.

Rural education messiah

In the early 1960s, first-hand experience of a famine in rural Bihar aroused deep emotion within  Roy, an alumnus of the blue-chip Doon School and St. Stephen’s College. Determined to address the development problems of rural India, in 1972 Roy established the Social Work and Research Centre (SWRC) in a hot and dusty rural tract in the desert state of Rajasthan. Since then, SWRC has metamorphosed into the Barefoot College (BC) which runs 714 night primary schools for 235,000 children in 673 villages in five states of the Indian Union, and transforms illiterate and quasi-literate peasants into competent (but deliberately uncertified) barefoot solar and  water harvesting engineers, hand-pump mechanics, architects, blacksmiths and weavers.

Roy claims that Barefoot College is the sole education institution worldwide which “consciously follows the teaching, life and work style of Mahatma Gandhi who envisioned an India comprising thousands of self-sustaining village republics”.

Moreover in a global initiative BC has transformed over 225 rural women from 26 developing countries around the world into barefoot solar engineers under its GWBSE (grandmother women barefoot solar engineers) programme.

Yet unsurprisingly, BC is more renowned abroad than in India where there is strong adherence to the country’s teacher-centric education model. With the middle class and the media uninterested in rural India, the public is largely unaware of the unique Barefoot College rural development model which if scaled up has the potential to radically improve rural productivity and incomes to transform the Indian economy.

True-blue K-12 educator

Although currently iDiscoveri has restricted the delivery of globally benchmarked curriculums and institutional development services to private schools, Rajpal is ready, willing and able to provide the company’s services to the country’s 1.26 million government schools as and when they “have more respect for their customers”.

Science education evangelist

Dr. C.N.R. Rao, chairman, Scientific Advisory Council to the prime minister and president, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore. The country’s most high-profile scientist who seldom misses an opportunity to complain about the neglect of science education and development of the country’s research capability, Rao has repeatedly warned of the dangers of a growing number of arts, science and commerce colleges closing down their science faculties, and of neglect of research in the IITs which are “being converted into ordinary engineering colleges”. A frequent essayist of EducationWorld, in a widely appreciated recent column in this publication, Rao forthrightly called upon the Central and state governments to bite the bullet of raising university faculty remuneration several-fold to attract the best talent into academia as a “national priority”.

An alumnus of Mysore, Benares Hindu and Purdue universities, Rao began his career as professor of chemistry at IIT-Kanpur and rose within academia to the apex position of director of the prestigious Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (1984-94). Currently, this indefatigable septuagenarian is visiting professor at Purdue, Oxford and Cambridge universities and widely acknowledged as one of the world’s foremost authorities on solid state and materials chemistry. 

Tribal children champion

Starting with a capital of Rs.5,000, within the span of a mere 15 years, this deeply religious education entrepreneur has built two great institutions — the for-profit KIIT University comprising 23 colleges of professional education with an aggregate enrolment of 15,225 students, and the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), reportedly the world’s largest boarding school which provides free-of-charge K-12 and collegiate education to 15,000 children drawn from the state’s most backward tribal population. Under an ingenious cross-subsidisation model devised by Samanta, the surpluses of KIIT University — routinely ranked among the country’s Top 50 providers of professional education (engineering, medical, management etc) — are ploughed into KISS to fund the education and upkeep of children in the latter institution which has won unstinted praise from educators in India and abroad.

Having established KISS as a model institution for providing high-quality holistic education to India’s neglected tribal children, Samanta has set his sights on replicating KISS in eight tribal areas of Odisha and across eastern India. “Meaningfully educating and mainstreaming children from bottom-of-the-pyramid families is the best prescription for combating the Naxalite insurgency confronting the nation and raising the poor majority out of poverty,” says this visionary education leader (see EW April 2012 cover feature). 

Primary education benefactor

In the year 2000 he promoted the Azim Premji Foundation (APF) with the object of upgrading the quality of primary education in India, and the state of Karnataka in particular. After several years of insufficiently impactful forays into teacher training and content development for primary education, in 2010, Premji bit the bullet and made an irrevocable deed of gift to APF of a massive sum of Rs.8,846 crore for the construction and establishment of the Azim Premji University (APU) — the largest endowment for public education in Indian history.

The prime objective of APU is to set new standards in teacher training and research for school education. Sanctified by a special Azim Premji University Act, 2010 of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, APU admitted its first batch of 150 students last July. Even as its state-of-the-art campus in Sarjapur in suburban Bangalore is taking shape, APU is set to change the primary education landscape in 21st century India by setting new standards in vitally important teacher training and development.

Co-curricular education pioneer

A distinguishing characteristic of CMS is its extraordinary emphasis on broad co-curricular education for teachers and students. The school hosts 32 international events on subjects ranging from astronomy to robotics annually and has an active student exchange programme with 20 schools overseas. It is also the first school in Uttar Pradesh to have installed an in-house FM radio network and uniquely, has hosted 12 international conferences of chief justices from around the world to discuss ways and means to build a safer world for children.

Although the septuagenarian Dr. Gandhi often draws flak for his aggressive use of the media to promote CMS, there’s no denying this pace setting and exemplary K-12 school, promoted 53 years ago, is highly regarded and respected. In the annual EW Survey of Schools 2011, CMS was ranked among the top 50 day schools countrywide, and among top three in Uttar Pradesh, the country’s most populous and educationally backward state. 

UGC chairman

Prof. Ved Prakash, chairman of University Grants Commission (UGC), the country’s apex level funding and supervisory authority for higher (non-technical) education. Founder vice chancellor of the National University for Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), Delhi, a former director of NCERT, World Bank consultant, and hitherto secretary and vice-chairman of UGC, Prakash was appointed chairman of the council in February 2011.

With an annual budget of Rs.10,350 crore (2012-13), under the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 the commission has the discretion to confer development grants to the country’s 6,014 recognised (by UGC) colleges and Central and state universities. The commission is also vested with regulatory powers to enforce minimum standards of teaching, examination and research in non-technical colleges and universities countrywide.

An eminent academic and author of several books, articles and research papers on higher education, Prakash has helped UGC move beyond its funds disbursing function to evolve as a supervisory and monitoring organisation advising Central and state governments on measures necessary to improve higher education.

Budget schools defender

In the formulation of public policy related to education, this Delhi-based NGO, which has been sternly critical of poor quality education dispensed in the country’s government schools, has made valuable suggestions for systemic reform.

Moreover, under Shah’s leadership CCS has played a major role in propagating government-funded school vouchers which would permit the entry of children from socio-economically disadvantaged households into private schools of their choice. CCS has also emerged as a defender of promoters of private low-fees budget primaries sited in urban slums and villages which offer children from poor households an alternative to dysfunctional government schools characterised by crumbling infrastructure, chronic teacher absenteeism and poor learning outcomes.

Also the author of Law, Liberty and Livelihood (2005), which highlights the harassment of street vendors and citizens working in the informal sector of the economy by policemen and local government officials, Shah has helped CCS emerge as an intelligent and fearless protector of citizens’ economic rights and freedom.

Private professional colleges shepherd

A commerce graduate of Bangalore University, in 2005 Jayaram was appointed chairman of Comed-K which currently has a membership of 157 engineering, 12 medical and 25 dental privately promoted colleges with an aggregate enrolment of 160,000 students in Karnataka. Following the Supreme Court’s landmark judgements in T.M.A. Pai Foundation vs. State of Karnataka & Ors (2002) and P.A. Inamdar (2005) cases, which permitted private colleges of professional education to administer their own collegiate entrance exams and levy reasonable tuition fees, an onerous responsibility to ‘voluntarily’ negotiate government quotas and fees with the state government has devolved upon Comed-K. Under Dr. Jayaram’s leadership, the consortium has successfully resisted arm-twisting by government and has repeatedly negotiated a fair deal for privately promoted colleges in the state.

Founded in 1962 by the late M.S. Ramaiah (1922-1997), a successful civil contractor, visionary, educationist, industrialist and philanthropist, GEF has promoted  18 education institutions (including a B-school, medical, dental, and engineering colleges) which provide Kg-Ph D level education to over 10,000 students.

Inclusive education diva

Apart from promoting SSI and NRCI which provide education to 3,000 physically and mentally challenged children, under the auspices of these two organisations, Alur has staged four global North-South conferences on inclusive education (i.e on ways and means to include challenged children into mainstream education) in Mumbai (2001), Kochi (2003), Delhi (2005) and Goa (2012).

According to Alur, currently 60 million differently abled children in India are denied education. As a result of her tireless efforts to champion the rights of challenged children, the Union government has accepted their inclusion into mainstream schools as a cardinal principle of its education policy. Therefore the Right to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 was amended by a special Amendment Act passed by Parliament in April 2012 to specifically include children with special needs within the category of  poor neighbourhood children for whom the RTE Act reserves a 25 percent quota in class I of private unaided non-minority schools.

Cultural education doyenne

One of India’s first women journalists, who worked briefly in The Mail and The Hindu before she switched to education, Dr. YGP enroled for the B.Ed study programme of Mysore University at age 45. This was followed by an M.Ed and a Masters in history and a doctorate from Madras University. Since then under her enlightened leadership, PSBB schools have attained an excellent reputation for providing high-quality academic learning enriched by culturally-rooted co-curricular education. In the EducationWorld India’s Most Respected Schools Survey 2011, the flagship PSBB school was ranked third among the country’s Top 10 days schools and first in Chennai and south India.

In 2008 the PSBB School celebrated its golden jubilee year, and in collaboration with the Delhi-based ICT (information communications techno-logy)-in-schools heavyweight Educomp Solutions Ltd, Dr. YGP successfully launched the state-of-the-art, fully-wired PSBB Millennium School in Chennai. Currently, four PSBB Millennium schools have been established in peninsular India — two in Chennai, and one each in Bangalore and Coimbatore.

Transnational education providers

Certified India’s first multi-disciplinary, multi-campus deemed (private) university in 1993, MAHE officially transformed into Manipal University in 2006. Over the past half century, MEG (which includes Manipal University) has morphed into India’s first education transnational. At the invitation of the governments of Malaysia, Antigua, Nepal and Qatar, MEG has established state-of-the-art joint venture medical colleges-cum-teaching hospitals in these countries.

Moreover under Dr. Ranjan Pai and Anand Sudarshan, MEG has expanded to provide vocational skills education with the London-based City & Guilds; acquired majority equity stakes in the Singapore-based U21 Global (the world’s premier online business management university) and Merit Trac (India’s largest skills assessment company). Also rapidly assuming shape and form is a state-of-the-art Manipal University campus in suburban Bangalore exclusively for professional education of children of NRIs (non-resident Indians).

Preschool education pioneer

Starting with one preschool in Bandra, Mumbai with a first batch of 13 children, Ashar has engineered the growth of KKEL across 24 cities in India, Dubai and the Maldives. Today the company provides its services to 55 Kangaroo Kids preschools and 18 Billabong High International schools run on the franchise model. KKEL has recruited, trained and nurtured a team of over 65 skilled and experienced educationists who design, develop and deliver curricula based on contemporary education research and pedagogies — apart from dispensing continuous in-service teacher training to its 73 franchised schools.

Over the past 18 years since she started her first preschool in Mumbai, Ashar has refined and enriched her education philosophy and pedagogies, which have beneficially impacted the neglected area of preschool education in particular, raising standards countrywide.

ICT-in-education innovator

Since then, ESL has rapidly diversified its services and products mix signing an agreement with the Singapore-based Raffles Education Corporation, the largest education provision group in the Asia Pacific region, under which the two companies will introduce the entire suite of ESL’s products and services in China; promoted its Roots and Wings preschools division and its ‘Millennium’ K-12 schools. The company has also entered into a joint venture with the London-based Pearson Group to promote a chain of vocational education and training centres across the country.

Vocational education missionary

A promising outcome of Khanna’s persistent advocacy of VET is that heavyweight offshore providers of vocational education have begun low-profile operations in this country. Two London-based education behemoths — City and Guilds, which boasts the widest range of VET programmes worldwide and Pearson Plc, arguably the world’s largest education and publishing company — have linked up with the Manipal Education Group and the Delhi-based Educomp Solutions Ltd to promote India Skills and IndiaCan respectively, to dispense VET in India. Belatedly there’s new hope that widespread dissemination of VET will resolve India’s paradox of a massive pool of unemployed and an acute shortage of skilled technicians and workers.

Fast-track education entrepreneur

Since then, Narayanan has operationalised 22 fully-fledged K-12 schools branded Indus World School across the country with an aggregate enrolment of 10,000 students in eight states of the Indian Union. That’s not all. An Indus World School of Business in Noida on the outskirts of Delhi is fully operational (enrolment: 120 students)  and has applied for deemed university status. Moreover, 35 vocational schools including ITIs, are being revamped under the public-private partnership model.

Also on Narayanan’s drawing board are 250 mid-market K-12 schools and a chain of low-cost schools over the next few years.

Divinely inspired edupreneurs

Devout Christians, the Pintos attribute the rapid growth and development of  RIGI into India’s largest school chain to divine inspiration and guidance. But evidently divine inspiration has been supplemented with determined and skillful institution development programmes. In the EW Survey of Schools 2011, Ryan International, Goregaon was ranked among the Top 10 day schools in Maharashtra and several RIGI schools were ranked among the Top 100.

Over the past three years, the RIGI management, which now includes heir apparent Ryan Pinto, a business management graduate of Warwick University, has continued to  spread its operations across the country and has inaugurated eight new RIGI K-12 schools in India. Moreover, living up to its titular description, RIGI has recently promoted two CBSE-affiliated primary-secondaries in the Middle East (Gulf) countries. In addition, driven by a resurgent spirit of upgradation and innovation, the RIGI management is currently engaged in a massive organ-isation streamlining and restructuring exercise to improve teaching-learning standards and learning outcomes across the RIGI chain.

Powerhouse philanthropist

Since it was registered in 1994, the Shiv Nadar Foundation has promoted a Vidya Gyan primary school for rural children in Uttar Pradesh; the first of its proposed chain of state-of-the-art K-12 Shiv Nadar schools across the country; laid the foundation stone of its Shiv Nadar University on a 286-acre site in Delhi’s National Capital Region; promoted the SSN College of Engineering (1996), the SSN School of Management and Computer Applications, the SSN School of Advanced Software Engineering, Chennai, and the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (estb. 2010). “The foundation’s focus on education evolved from my personal belief in education as the single most powerful tool for individual and social change…,” says Nadar.

Liberal face of Hindu nationalism

Homi N. Dastur, Mumbai-based  executive secretary and director general Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB). An English literature and journalism postgraduate of Bombay University who signed up with BVB in 1963, this septuagenarian educationist has been closely involved with the Bhavan’s activities for almost half a century.

Founded by Kulapati K.M. Munshi on November 7, 1938 with the blessing of Mahatma Gandhi, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan has steadily evolved into a nationwide intellectual, cultural and educational movement propagating the liberal and inclusive tenets of Indian — specifically Hindu — culture. During the past six decades, this essentially cultural organisation has promoted 92 schools, several arts, science and mass communications colleges, six business management institutes and 375 institutions and departments through its 125 centres across India and abroad. The aggregate student enrolment in BVB institutions is estimated at 300,000 and BVB’s print  publications exceed 1,750 titles with aggregated sales of over 30 million.

The polar opposite of rabid right-wing and anti-minorities Hindu nationalism represented by the RSS and Vishwa Hindu Parishad, this values driven education and cultural organisation represents the acceptable face of majority nationalism, as envisioned by its founder K.M. Munshi (1887-1971).

Computer literacy pioneer

Short-term IT training programmes for youth and business executives apart, NIIT’s school learning solutions division offers computer training and curriculum-mapped multimedia learning services to 7,800 government primary/secondary and 1,200 private K-12 schools in 15 states countrywide.

Indeed it’s not an exaggeration to state that by spreading computer literacy NIIT has played a major role in the emergence of India’s IT industry as a significant player in the global IT and ICT sectors. And NIIT’s latest contribution to Indian education — Pawar’s brainchild — is the state-of-the-art NIIT University sited on a 100-acre campus in the fortress town of Neemrana, Rajasthan which offers engineering and business management education to 400 students.

New NCERT head

Prof. Parvin Sinclair, director of the National Council of Educational Research & Training (NCERT). An alumna of IIT-Kanpur and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, Prof. Sinclair acquired three decades of academic and teaching experience with TIFR and IGNOU, Delhi before taking charge as director of NCERT in January this year.

NCERT (estb.1961) is an apex level organisation which advises the Central and state governments on all matters related to school education. Its National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2005 is widely acknowledged as an excellent template for Central and state school education boards to adapt and follow. NCERT is also the country’s largest school texts publisher, and the council has often courted controversy for allegedly being used by incumbent governments in New Delhi to inject their ideologies in textbooks published by it.

A low-profile but well-respected mathematician and academic who has designed and developed several certificate programmes for school teachers as well as written school textbooks, Sinclair has reportedly short-listed development and renewal of curricula and instructional materials, and developing contemporary textbooks and teacher training programmes as her priorities.

Private schools defender

Goyal believes s. 12 (1) (c) of the RTE Act, which makes it compulsory for all private schools to admit 25 percent poor neighbourhood children, is in contravention of Article 30 (1) and Article 19 (1) (g) as interpreted by the T.M.A. Pai Foundation and P.A. Inamdar judgments of the apex court. The Society for Unaided Schools challenged the Act and s. 12 (1) (c) in particular by way of a writ petition No. 95 of 2010. However, in a controversial 2-1 majority verdict delivered on April 12, the Supreme Court substantially upheld the RTE Act, but exempted unaided minority and boarding schools from the ambit of s. 12 (1) (c). Convinced that the important principle of the autonomy of privately-promoted education institutions is involved, Goyal has reportedly filed a curative petition in the Supreme Court praying for the society’s writ petition to be adjudicated by a larger bench of the apex court.

School education expert

When the Congress-led UPA-II government was returned to power in 2009, Dr. Kumar was retained as chairman of NCERT and appointed a member of Congress party president Sonia Gandhi’s National Advisory Council with a special brief to advise on the implementation of the landmark Right to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009. However, reportedly disillusioned with the failure of the Central and state governments to implement NCFSE and RTE legislation with sufficient enthusiasm, in 2010 Dr. Kumar put in his papers at NCERT and returned to the faculty of education at Delhi University.  

New CISCE  board chief

Though Aikara’s election to the top post in CICSE was mired in controversy with some associations of CISCE schools strongly opposing his appointment, he succeeded in convincing a majority of the 52-member board to elect him the first non-Anglo Indian chairman of the council (estb. 1958). In the top job for barely three months, Aikara has publicly committed to embarking on a curriculum upgradation drive and introducing new supplementary courses to ensure CICSE retains its position as India’s most preferred school-leaving examinations board.

Amity Group’s can-do family

Since then the Amity Group’s K-12 and higher education institutions have multiplied with unprecedented speed and purpose under the care and management of Dr. Chauhan and his wife Dr. Amita Chauhan and London School of Economics and Wharton Business School educated sons Atul and Aseem. Today the Amity Group comprises five universities, 17 primary-secondary schools and 150 other institutions of education with an aggregate enrolment of 95,000 students and 3,500 faculty spread over 17 campuses in India and seven abroad. These highly rated institutions include the state-of-the-art Amity University, Noida (aggregate enrolment: 35,000) managed by Atul Chauhan and Amity University, Rajasthan (5,000 students) by Aseem Chauhan.

Determined to provide Indian students with globally comparable undergrad and postgraduate professional (engineering, business management, biotech etc) education at Indian prices as well as global exposure, Amity University has established seven campuses abroad and according to Dr. Chauhan has drawn up plans to establish Amity campuses in 25 countries worldwide.

Education behemoth CEO

Among the major business verticals of Pearson Education which are already operational in India are Pearson Vue (which provides online testing services to clients under controlled conditions in its test centres); Pearson Clinical and Talent Assessment (psychological and cognitive evaluation); Tutor Vista (online tutoring); Pearson Test of English — Academic (English language testing); Pearson K-12 (primary- secondary education); and vocational education (IndiaCan, a joint venture with Educomp Solutions Ltd, Delhi); Edexcel (school leaving examinations and certification) and textbooks publishing.

“We are the only company in the country with a full suite of education services ranging from publishing, assessments and tutoring to awarding certification,” says Kawatra, a commerce and business management alum of Delhi University who served with the shaving products transnational Gillette for almost  two decades and iDiscoveri Education before taking charge of Pearson Education (India) in April last year.

Preschool education fast-tracker

A business management graduate of Madras University, Rajan signed up with EIL in 1999 when it was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Egmont International Holdings, a Denmark-based children’s books publishing company.

In 2004 together with three of his colleagues (Uday Mathur, Ganesh Vishwanathan and Vikas Phadnis), Rajan bought out Egmont’s share-holding in EIL and set the company on a fast-growth track in the preschool sector, which has mercifully been spared the heavy hand of government regulation. As a result over 50,000 preschools have mushroomed countrywide mainly under the franchise model.

Although some education purists decry the franchise model on grounds that the quality of learning dispensed tends to be uneven, by introducing, testing and improving ECE play-n-learn pedagogies within EIL’s 29 owned preschools, the company has made standardised, high-quality, globally benchmarked preschool education accessible to hundreds of thousands of middle class households countrywide. 

Conservation philanthropist

An enthusiastic and committed  wildlife conservationist, Kothari promoted the eponymous foundation to reduce the dependence of tribal people residing in habitations abutting wildlife sanctuaries on thinning and depleting forests.

Currently HKF supports NGOs working with over 100 schools sited near the Ranthambhore, Pench, Tadoba, Andhari and Mudhumalai tiger reserves, educating and upskilling children to prepare them for employment in non-traditional occupations. Moreover, HKF supports 21 schools run by the Nashik Education Society with an aggregate enrolment of 27,000 students. “We hope to favourably impact and upgrade neglected communities living near forests. This will stablilise the fragile environments in which tiger reserves and sanctuaries are located,” says Kothari. 

Navneet architects

Amarchand, Dungarshi, Harakchand, Shanti & Jitendra Gala, promoter-directors of Navneet Publications (India) Ltd (estb. 1959). A low-profile Mumbai-based school textbooks publishing company, Navneet has established an excellent reputation over the past half century. Currently the company which commissions, prints and publishes textbooks mapped with the syllabuses of the state examination boards of Maharashtra and Gujarat, has more than 5,000 educational, preschool and general titles in print.

The company’s high-quality textbooks are prescribed by 25,000 nurseries, primary and secondary schools reaching over 30 million students in the country’s premier industrial states. With 2,800 employees on its muster roll, Navneet Publications (annual revenue: Rs.610 crore) is the sole textbooks publishing company listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

In 2008, it entered the digital learning space and currently its digitised texts — marketed under the brand eSense — are being prescribed in 925 primary-secondaries in Maharashtra and Gujarat. Moreover the company has also diversified its operations to enter the schools management and brick-n-mortar preschools businesses. Currently Navneet provides management services and advice to over 80 schools in Andhra Pradesh, and has promoted three preschools in Mumbai and one in Pune under the Leapbridge brand name.

Reformist CBSE chief

Since then during the past few years he has introduced several path-breaking curriculum and examination reforms in CBSE affiliated schools. Among them: introduction of the CCE (continuous and comprehensive evaluation) system; making the class X board exam optional for higher secondary school students; introducing in-school formative and summative assessment systems, and mandating evaluation of co-curricular skills (attitudes and values, literary, creative and scientific skills, aesthetic sensibilities and performing arts).

Moreover the curricula of CBSE schools has been enriched through the introduction of vocational education in secondary school, and optionals such as mass media studies, design, hospitality management, healthcare sciences and financial market management for higher secondary students.

Joshi is also credited for streamlining CBSE’s affiliation process by introducing online affiliation for schools and the launch of CBSE’s contemporary and information-rich website www.cbseacademic.in last month (May).

Exemplary soldier educationist

Gen. Ray’s initiatives in education which were widely acclaimed in India and abroad, attracted the interest of Kumar Malavalli, a Silicon Valley (USA)-based IT tycoon of Indian origin, who invited him to promote the high-end, IBO-affiliated Indus International School, Bangalore (IIS-B) under the aegis of the Indus Trust. IIS-B was not only constructed in record time but over the past seven years has quickly established a global reputation as an excellent IB K-XII academy. In the EW-C fore India’s Most Respected Schools Survey 2011, IIS-B was ranked the country’s second most respected international school behind Woodstock, Mussoorie (estb. 1852). Since then, the trust has promoted Indus International schools in Pune and Hyderabad with the three schools boasting an aggregate enrolment of 1,700 students from over 50 countries around the world. Moreover, in an exceptional initiative, the trust has promoted a parallel free school on the Indus International, Bangalore campus which offers the IB primary years curriculum to over 300 children.

Child rights champion

Established in March 2007 as a statutory body under the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005, NCPCR’s broad mandate is to protect, promote and defend child rights countrywide. It has been vested with powers of a civil court to inquire into complaints and take suo motu notice of matters related to deprivation and violation of child rights. NCPCR is also the apex level monitoring authority of the Right to Education Act, 2009, and set up an RTE division in February 2010 to receive and address complaints of denial of the fundamental right to elementary education.

Recipient of the Padma Shri and Ramon Magsaysay awards, Sinha has used her two decades of experience as a child rights activist to create nationwide awareness of children’s rights and societal obligations towards them, initiating interaction with state governments, corporates, and NGOs to gather support for children’s causes.

DPS Society chairman

Run on the franchise model with the owned schools testing and prescribing minimum infrastructure norms and curriculum, DPS schools have established an excellent national reputation for delivering standardised secondary education of high quality, much appreciated by India’s rising new middle class. Indeed the DPS model has proved so popular that DPS schools have been established as far afield as Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and several Middle East countries.

The excellent reputation of DPS schools is testified by the inclusion of 19 DPS primary-secondaries headed by DPS, R.K. Puram, Delhi in the EW-C fore India’s Most Respected Schools Survey 2011 league table. Currently 300 affiliation applications from educators are pending consideration of the DPS Society.

Influential NUEPA chief

Promoted by Unesco in 1962 as the Asian Regional Centre for Educational Planners and Administration, it was taken over by the Union government in 1970 and renamed the National Staff College for Education Planners and Administration. In 1979 the college was again renamed NIEPA and upgraded into a national university in 2006. Today NUEPA’s role is to provide professional services to the Union government on capacity building in education, policy planning, management, research, training and consultancy. In 1995 this institution devised a unique software program christened DISE (District Information System), with which it has been conducting detailed, in-depth surveys of primary education infrastructure, enrolment and related information, in 605 districts countrywide. This massive data gathering exercise is contained in a data-rich and valuable annual report — Elementary Education in India (EEI). Published by NUEPA, EEI offers an accurate picture of the condition of primary and upper primary education in India.

With its annual EEI reports well-established, NUEPA has launched two new ambitious projects — All India Survey of Higher Education to collect reliable data on all public and private institutions of higher education, and Secondary Management Information System to gather data on all secondary schools countrywide. Moreover, as member of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) and the National Advisory Committee on Right to Education of the government of India, Govinda is an influential proponent of reforms in primary and higher education. 

Primary education innovator

Also active in teacher training, curriculum development and education research, since 2005 Pratham has been publishing its Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) which assesses actual learning outcomes in rural (mainly government) primary schools countrywide. This much acclaimed independent audit of government primaries is conducted by 20,000 ASER volunteers — mainly college students — who fan out into 558 of the country’s 630 districts. ASER 2011 reveals that the quality of primary education dispensed in rural India has been steadily deteriorating with over 48.2 percent of children in  class V unable to read and comprehend class II texts and 61 percent unable to solve simple two-digit subtraction sums.

Sports education champion

In 2003 this never-say-die entrepreneur promoted SportzVillage, a firm providing fitness, football and athletics training on a sports field rented in suburban Bangalore. Since then, SportzVillage has morphed into SportzConsult (sports management) and EduSports Pvt. Ltd (estb.2009) which raised venture capital of Rs.4.5 crore in 2010. “EduSports was promoted to create a generation of ‘champions in life’ — healthier and fitter children equipped with key life-skills — all through the magic of sports,” says Majmudar.

And even if belatedly, the parents, educators and teachers communities seem to be heeding Majmudar’s message of the vital importance of sports education. The number of client schools in which the  company’s fitness training and sports education programmes are mandatory, has risen to 200 with over 150,000 children experiencing the magic of sports under the per student per month (fees: Rs.100-150) business model.

Teach for India motivator

Modelled on the highly successful Teach for America programme founded by Wendy Kopp in 1989, Teach For India is a high-potential initiative under which outstanding college graduates and professionals commit two years to teach full-time in under-resourced low-income schools in an effort to end “inequity in education”. Over the past three years Teach For India has placed 370 fellows (paid a monthly stipend of Rs.15,000 plus housing allowance) in 122 schools in Mumbai, Pune and Delhi.

An inspiring educator, through Teach For India Mistri has motivated some of India’s brightest college graduates and professionals to volunteer to spend two years in under-resourced classrooms, and committ to bridging the gap in school education.

Affordable schools promoter

Affiliated with the Andhra Pradesh state exam board, all Gowtham Model Schools offer technology-enabled English-medium K-10 education on contemporary campuses at affordable prices. Now the group, which also runs ten junior (classes XI-XII) colleges and the well-reputed CBSE-affiliated Orchid International School, Hyderabad, is going national with a target of promoting 250 greenfield schools in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

The distinguishing feature of GMS is that they offer high-quality technology-enabled education at affordable tuition fees of Rs.1,000-1,500 per month, catering to the huge demand from parents for affordably priced English-medium K-10 education. In the process, Venkata Narayana has made English-medium school education accessible to over 30,000 aspirational households in Andhra Pradesh.

World’s largest open school chief

Established by the Central government in 1989, with the stated objective of “providing education to those who are unable to attend school for a variety of socio-economic reasons and meeting the educational needs of differently abled children for creating an inclusive education system”, NIOS has played a critical role in providing a second chance to school dropouts, challenged children and adults to access, resume and continue secondary education. Over the past 23 years, NIOS has tutored and certified 1.28 million students aged 14 years-plus as class X school-leavers; 1.03 million senior secondary (class XII) students and provided 150,000 with vocational education and training. Currently an estimated 2.02 million students are enroled in its secondary, senior secondary, and vocational education distance learning programmes supported by 3,994 accredited institutions countrywide.

Since taking charge of the world’s largest open school, Jena has taken important steps to raise public awareness and acceptability of certification awarded by this low-profile institute/examination board. High on his agenda is revision of the NIOS curriculum, integration of ICT and online technologies to improve learning outcomes, and introduction of industry relevant VET and adult education programmes.

English-medium missionary

The seeds of the Sunbeam Group were planted four decades ago by Dr. Amrit Lal Madhok and Deesh Madhok who promoted the first Sunbeam School in the Bhagwanpur area of the holy city of Varanasi. In 1990, their son Deepak, an alumnus of Benaras Hindu and Allahabad universities, then a civic administrator in the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission, took the hard decision of quitting the civil service to help his parents realise their mission of “providing world-class English-medium education to the children of Uttar Pradesh”. Since then, Deepak has transformed the Sunbeam Group into one of UP’s fastest growing school chains by promoting schools in Annapurna (1996), Lahartara (2002), Varuna (2002) — all in Varanasi — and Mughalsarai (2004). In April last year, four new CBSE-affiliated Sunbeam K-12 schools sited in the cities of Jaunpur, Allahabad, Ghazipur and Mau — across the Hindi heartland state of Uttar Pradesh — admitted their first batches of students.

Madhok’s special achievement is that in the educationally backward and lawless state of Uttar Pradesh, he has nurtured an excellent group of education institutions providing children with high-quality English-medium education, knowledge and skills.

Rural science education pioneer

Agastya’s first initiative — a unique, state-of-the-art science education centre for rural children set in a 172-acre campus in Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh — became operational in 2000. Now this unprecedented Rs.30-crore facility provides hands-on physics, chemistry, biology and maths learning to over 500 class III-X children and 40 teachers from government schools in neighbouring villages and districts who are bussed in daily to the campus. Over the past 13 years since it was promoted by a group of educationists and scientists led by Raghavan, Agastya (budget: Rs.12 crore in 2010-11) has reached 5 million children and 150,000 teachers (mainly from rural government schools) in ten states countrywide.

Every day, in a rare feat of organisational efficiency and management, 259 Agastya teacher-instructors disseminate hands-on science education to over 4,800 children from government schools in ten states through its major science centre in Kuppam, 28 satellite science centres, 61 mobile science vans, and science fairs. In the process, Agastya has engineered a scalable model for sparking a belated science education revolution in rural India. 

Symbiosis Group inheritor

With the society’s showpiece Symbiosis International University having established a national reputation for academic excellence, under Yeravdekar’s leadership over the past decade the Symbiosis Group has expanded rapidly promoting a campus in Dubai and acquiring 300 acres of land in Pune to construct a Symbiosis Knowledge Village.

New AICTE helmsman

Established in 1945, through its subsidiary the National Board of Accreditation, AICTE supervises, regulates and accredits engineering and technical, business management, pharmacoepial, nursing, hotel management, etc, education in India. All major engineering, pharmacy colleges and B-schools need to be ‘recognised’ by AICTE and accredited by NBA, prominent exceptions being the IITs.

A highly-respected academic and administrator, Mantha has lost no time and has begun a much-needed clean-up drive to infuse transparency and accountability into the council’s administration and accreditation processes. To restore the faith of stakeholders in AICTE, he intends to strengthen the council’s e-governance initiatives, streamline the process of recognition/accreditation of new colleges and programmes, and provide comprehensive statistics on technical education in the country. Dr. Mantha is also helping prepare a National Vocational Education Qualification framework.

Vocational education spearhead

Promoted by the Union government and several representative associations of industry including CII, FICCI and Assocham, NSDC is a first-of-its-type PPP (public-private partnership) not-for-profit organisation to stimulate skills development education countrywide. Established in October 2009 with a corpus of Rs.1,000 crore, of which 51 percent is contributed by the private sector, NSDC’s mandate is to fund competent education entrepreneurs and NGOs to establish vocational education and training (VET) centres across the country.

In the past one year, NSDC has approved 28 VET proposals of private entrepreneurs with an aggregate outlay of Rs.668 crore. This year it has targeted approval of 32 new proposals which will train between 15-20 million people over ten years. Committed to encouraging private sector initiatives in VET, Chenoy has used his organisational management experience to get this high-potential initiative off to a good start by speedily clearing funding proposals.

RTE Act monitor

Since the Right to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 came into force on April 1, 2010, the RTE Forum has presented an annual report to the nation on the implementation status of the Act countrywide. The RTE Forum’s latest stocktaking report released on April 3 this year, reveals that a staggering 95.2 percent of schools are non-compliant with infrastructure norms specified by the Schedule of the Act; 93 percent of teacher candidates failed the National Teacher Eligibility Test conducted by CBSE; 36 percent of sanctioned teaching posts are vacant; 99.68 percent children reported one or more types of punishment in school; and that the Central and state governments failed to spend 30 percent of the funds allocated for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)/RTE in 2010-11.

Also convener of the Peoples’ Campaign for a Common School System, Rai has coalesced over 10,000 child rights and education NGOs under the banner of the RTE Forum to transform into a pressure group for effective implementation of the RTE Act and force the Central and state governments to fulfil the promise of providing free and compulsory education to all children in the six-14 age group countrywide.

Educator extraordinaire

Post 1995 in his avatar as an education consultant, Das has planned the growth and development of 64 highly-reputed private schools including the Scottish High International and G. D. Goenka, Gurgaon; Ahlcon International, Delhi and Heritage School, Kolkata.  Moreover as chairman of People Combine Educational Initiatives, he has supervised the promotion of five Oakridge schools in four cities. A much sought-after education consultant in India and abroad, respected for his years of experience and innovative ideas, Das has made an extraordinary contribution to the development of India’s world class private school education system.

Model schools commissioner

Promoted by the Central government as primary-secondaries for its employees, KVs have since emerged as model government schools with a reputation for academic excellence. Undoubtedly since the first 20 KVs were established in 1962-63, these Central government-funded schools have established a brand reputation on a par with the Central government promoted IITs and IIMs. Little wonder the approach paper to the Eleventh Plan (2007-12) officially called upon state governments to adopt KVs as the model for government schools countrywide to emulate.

Professional sports educator

In December 2009 FitKids Education launched its Leapstart programme for K-class XII children. Leapstart is an age-appropriate sports and physical fitness training programme for children to develop basic athletics and motor skills, designed in partnership with SPARK (Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids), a US-based research and public health organisation whose sports curriculum is being implemented in over 10,000 schools in 30 countries worldwide. Currently FitKids offers a menu of over 4,000 activities and games delivered by 300 full-time physical education professionals to over 60,000 students enroled in 100 schools in India and abroad.

By adapting and introducing SPARK’s intensively-researched fitness and sports education programme in K-12 education in India, Roy has infused professionalism and expertise into ritual and arbitrary sports education dispensed in India’s schools system.

Inclusive education proponent

After having served with the Reserve Bank of India for over 31 years, in 2006 Dr. Jadhav was appointed vice chancellor of the University of Pune (UoP) — the largest university in the world with 612 affiliated colleges and 650,000 students. Within three years, under his leadership, UoP transformed into a favoured destination of foreign students with 45 percent of all foreign students in India enroled at UoP. A bestselling author whose autobiography Untouchables has sold over 400,000 copies, he is acknowledged as a Dalit icon who champions the cause of high-quality education opportunities and reservation in education institutions for India’s 166 million historically neglected Dalit population.

Also a member of the National Advisory Council chaired by Sonia Gandhi and of several Central government higher education committees, Dr. Jadhav is an influential voice in national education policy formulation.

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AI and Education: How India plans to democratise technology in schools, according to PM Modi and Bill Gates

The conversation delved into specific strategies for integrating ai into the education system, with a focus on enhancing teacher capacity and student engagement..

• Updated Mar 29, 2024, 10:01 AM IST

In a recent discussion between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and tech luminary Bill Gates, the focus shifted towards democratising technology in schools through the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into education systems. The dialogue shed light on India's ambitious plans to harness AI to enhance learning outcomes and bridge educational disparities across the country.

PM Modi articulated his vision for leveraging AI to revolutionise education, stating, "We aim to democratise technology in schools and ensure that every child, regardless of background, has access to quality education." This bold ambition underscores the government's commitment to leveraging technology as a catalyst for inclusive and equitable education.

Bill Gates echoed PM Modi's sentiments, emphasising the transformative potential of AI in shaping the future of education. He remarked, "AI has the power to personalise learning experiences and address individual learning needs, thereby unlocking the full potential of every student." Gates highlighted the need for innovative approaches to integrate AI into curricula and enhance teaching methodologies.

The conversation delved into specific strategies for integrating AI into the education system, with a focus on enhancing teacher capacity and student engagement. PM Modi shared insights into the government's initiatives aimed at promoting AI literacy among educators and students, empowering them to harness the benefits of AI for learning and skill development.

Gates commended India's efforts in embracing AI to democratise education, stating, "India's commitment to leveraging technology for inclusive education sets a powerful example for the rest of the world." He emphasised the importance of fostering partnerships between government, tech companies, and educational institutions to drive innovation and scale up AI-enabled solutions.

The discussion underscored the need for comprehensive approaches to address the digital divide and ensure equitable access to AI-enabled educational resources. PM Modi reiterated the government's commitment to bridging the gap between urban and rural schools and ensuring that no child is left behind in the digital age.

As part of their vision for democratising technology in schools, both leaders emphasised the importance of promoting digital literacy and 21st-century skills among students. They highlighted the need for curriculum reforms to incorporate AI education and equip students with the knowledge and skills required to thrive in an AI-driven world.

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Top business coaches in India: Check full list here

Here is a list that showcases the transformative power of expert coaching. specialising in diverse areas these professionals bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the realm of business coaching..

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From India's Premier Business Coach to the seasoned business consultant with over four decades of experience guiding top companies worldwide, here is a list that showcases the transformative power of expert coaching. Specialising in diverse areas such as SME business scaling, organisational performance enhancement, and transformative startup mentoring, these professionals bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the realm of business coaching.

1. Saurabh Kaushik:

Renowned as India’s Premier Business Coach, Saurabh has propelled industry leaders, celebrity entrepreneurs, and legacy business owners to unprecedented growth through his private one-to-one coaching. With over 16 years of experience, his expertise has been embraced by Fortune 500 leaders, Unicorns, and thousands of entrepreneurs nationwide. He is widely known for helping turn-around businesses and delivering massive business growth.

2 Ram Charan:

Ram Charan is a renowned business consultant, who has spent over four decades helping top companies navigate the complexities of the business world. With a background in engineering and a doctorate from Harvard Business School, he has worked with industry giants like Toyota, Bank of America, and Novartis.

3 Rahul Jain:

Specialising in SME business scaling, Rahul's coaching style yields remarkable results in revenue turnaround, profit maximisation, and business scalability. With over 18 years of coaching experience, he has empowered more than 20,000 business owners.

4 Rajiv Talreja:

As India’s Leading Business Transformation Coach and Quantum Leap founder, Rajiv has impacted over 500,000 individuals and 110 corporate organisations with his transformative training programs and coaching initiatives.

5 Ankur Srivastava:

Ankur Srivastava, a seasoned internet entrepreneur and founder of Qi Media, Qi Tech, and DigiPlus Academy, is renowned as a transformative startup mentor and digital coach. With expertise spanning entrepreneurship and consulting, Ankur empowers aspiring founders through personalised coaching sessions and strategic guidance. His leadership extends to media publishing, where he shares insights and expertise on digital innovation and business strategy.

6 Sameer Kaul:

Known for enhancing organisational performance and fostering excellence, Sameer's holistic approach drives sustainable growth and cultivates competitive advantage for businesses.

7 Vandana Shah:

With over 3000 hours of coaching experience, Vandana is a seasoned Executive Coach recognised for her transformative work in corporate environments. She is the driving force behind "Chrrysallis," facilitating self-discovery and growth acceleration for entrepreneurs and executives.

8 Vikram Dhar:

An ICF Mentor Coach and award-winning coach in Asia, Vikram's expertise has impacted participants globally, earning him recognition as one of the top 100 global coaches. He is acclaimed for his mentorship and rising talent in the coaching industry.

9 S A Anand:

A renowned motivational speaker, S A Anand has garnered numerous accolades in less than two years. His impactful training sessions have benefited individuals from various prestigious organisations, fostering personal and professional growth.

10 Sridhar Laxman:

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How to Begin an Education Business?

Why should you start an education business can it be helpful.

Now, the question is, why is the education business important?

The main reason to establish an education-related business sector is that it’s extremely satisfying. You’ll indeed feel happy when you’re helping pupils and kids benefit from the education system.

In contrast to other fields where you need to push and pull to get to the top, all you have to do is embark on this path to success with properly authorised infrastructure and the right certification.

Another reason is that it’s a major part of our business and draws many enthusiastic entrepreneurs to get into it. They are attracted to it because it is full of unique challenges in their market. It’s a way to contribute to the world at large. It’s about minimising the burdens of our education system.

If you look at it compared to the typical selling education business , It’s a one to one relationship. The only thing you have to ask yourself is: does it generate a significant return on investment? Does it cut down on time? Does it spare our employees time? 

However, education isn’t like other professions, involving a complicated decision-making process. Any choice you make can impact students’ lives and is an essential soft point to consider.

Also Read: Best Business Ideas for Students in India

The Process

1) come out with a new idea.

As in all areas of business, in the education field too, people and markets are open to any new concept that can be beneficial to students. To find out the best way to develop your idea, you must first research the market thoroughly and discover the educational resources, strategies, or other materials students are receiving. Find out what issues they encounter and what solutions you can provide. This will assist you in developing an educational idea that could become an established business. If you come up with the right solution, you can set up the business with confidence and focus.

2) Find Out Who Your Target Customers Are

Companies prosper by providing their clients well. In a similar vein, the educational startup you choose to start must also address the needs of certain students. This is the key to success. Don’t make the error of focusing on every segment of students. In general, you should offer education to the students with low incomes who can afford to pay for your reasonable cost. 

However, the middle and urban classes have disposable income and can pay for expensive tuition to well-established educational institutions of high quality. Don’t go after them because they’re unlikely to become your customers. It is also possible to focus on families living in countries with poor infrastructure. You can also seek out school experiments with innovative methods of education. 

3) Business Plan and Receive the Funding

Writing down the details of your venture will help you understand exactly what you need to do and how to accomplish it. Are you planning to invest in a franchise or establish an independently-owned business?

It is beneficial to create a carefully planned document that includes the details of your venture. Additionally, it can help evaluate your competitive landscape and some financial projections. It’s one of the most important aspects of ideas for the education business .

To fund your venture, look for investors or obtain a commercial loan. Both of these methods require a copy of your business’s plan before they decide to give you an opportunity.

4) Hire Experienced Employees

The success of your education startup depends on the team behind the company. Hire experienced workers who can manage your business with professionalism. If you’re a young education business owner, don’t take the risk of hiring youngsters. You should appoint the head and the business manager of your institution. Interview candidates and hire qualified and experienced staff as office staff, teachers who specialise in specific subjects, full-time maids, etc.

5) Promotion

No matter how decent your product is, it’s of no value if consumers are unaware of it. If your product is of interest, communicate with customers through different channels. 

If you’re in the field of e-learning, use social media and online marketing to promote. ATL is expensive, so use your creativity for advertising your product or service. Because of its cost-effectiveness, BTL is an excellent option to begin your journey. It can also provide an excellent idea of marketing efforts. Many pioneers in education use both ATL and BTL; however, timing and location are vital.

6) Collaboration

You can’t be a master in all fields, therefore using the ace network to look for prospective strategic partners to make synergies. Educational leaders have forged partnerships with the world’s top e-learning companies to expand their business and build a name. It is healthy to compete, and with a clear vision and goals, you can accelerate your progress. 

These are the essential steps to beginning an educational learning and tutoring centre that will be long-term and effective in developing the future of many minds. The path to these education business ideas may be quite challenging initially. The best advice to remember is to never give up on your dreams when you encounter one or two obstacles. You must remain committed to them and keep striving to be successful.

The Most Profitable Education Business Ideas for Children

Here are some of the education-related business ideas!

1) Online coaching

Online coaching is the most efficient business model for education. It does not require traveling time and allows you to include additional options to ensure that your customers will get the best value for their money.

Start a website and begin blogging. Add an email newsletter and online ads for the service you’re offering.

2) Computer Training Institute

It’s a smart and inspiring concept for professionals in computers. With the addition of additional value-added products, this could become an incredibly rewarding education business . The only requirement is that you need to be skilled in computers and the internet.

3) Tutor Finder App

It’s a modern-day business that is profitable. Not just students but parents are interested in seeking online experts via tutors who can use apps. If you’re a coder and web developer, you can create this app, and your company will be booming. You can outsource the developing work to a skilled developer if you don’t know anything about app development. 

The idea of creating a mobile or web-based application that allows students to find tutors within the area is an excellent idea in the long run. The only thing you need to do is to sign up local tutors and make their profile that includes their rates, their background, and the previous amount of experience they have.

If you can get the business, it’s no wonder you’ll earn a portion as payment since students can look for tutors with specific subject areas.

Also Read: Guide To Starting A Coaching Centre

4) Business Instructing the Startup 

Business startup training is a popular education-related business idea. If you’re an entrepreneur who has previous experience mentoring or teaching young people, you should know and think about starting an education business in this field.

You need to understand and have expertise in the field you are working in. Help your brain bring others who are young entrepreneurs along with you.

5) Entrepreneurial College

Many entrepreneurs didn’t have the opportunity to pick the proper courses to succeed in their long-term goals. This has led to the shutting down of numerous businesses or not being able to obtain the right financing from investors.

If you’re an expert in this type of coaching online, you can assist many hopeful students who dream of making it onto the ranks of successful startups.

Startups in education are changing the world of education in a variety of ways. Teachers’ interactions with learners have become efficient because of the technology-driven education startups.

Universities and colleges compete with companies that want to offer the same quality of education efficiently and affordably. If you want to start your own education business , you’ve got plenty of means and resources. Not just small tuition, or online training, you can even plan to implement school business ideas if you feel that you have some specific courses that can help students. 

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In India, being educated might increase your chances of unemployment: ILO report

S ince childhood, we have been taught that pursuing education and obtaining a solid degree is the only sure-shot way to secure a lucrative job and financial stability. However, a recent report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has upended this conventional wisdom, revealing a startling trend: the more educated the youth in India, the higher their likelihood of unemployment.

According to this latest ILO report on India's labour landscape, the proportion of unemployed youth with an education has surged from 54.2% in 2000 to a staggering 65.7% in 2022. Astonishingly, the unemployment rate among graduates stands at 29.1%, nearly nine times higher than the 3.4% for illiterate individuals. Even those with secondary or higher education face daunting odds, with an unemployment rate six times higher at 18.4%.

These statistics paint a bleak picture of a widening chasm between the skills possessed by the workforce and the demands of the job market. Per Bloomberg , this reality aligns with the predictions put forth by prominent economists such as former central bank Governor Raghuram Rajan, who had cautioned about the impact of India's inadequate educational system on its economic trajectory.

The ILO report underscores this concern, noting that youth unemployment rates in India now surpass global averages. The lack of creation of viable non-farm jobs for newly educated youths exacerbates the problem, leading to an alarming rise in unemployment rates.

Of particular concern is the disproportionate impact on women, who comprise a staggering 76.7% of the educated unemployed youth, compared to 62.2% for men. India's persistently low female labour force participation, hovering around 25%, exacerbates the issue, despite the “significant increase” in subsistence employment that was seen during the pandemic.

Urban areas bear the brunt of joblessness, surpassing rural regions. The proliferation of gig jobs, characterised by temporary and low-paying employment (like food delivery drivers), further compounds the challenges. Digital platforms have especially blurred the lines between traditional employment and self-employment, presenting fresh challenges for worker well-being and working conditions.

Looking ahead, India faces the imminent addition of 70-80 lakh youths to its labour force over the next decade. For further action, the ILO recommends a multi-faceted approach, including promoting job creation, enhancing employment quality, tackling market inequalities, bolstering skill development, and addressing knowledge gaps in labour market dynamics and youth employment trends.

All in all, the study's findings serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need for comprehensive reforms in India's education and employment sectors. Only through concerted efforts to bridge the gap between skills and job market demands can the country hope to unlock the full potential of its burgeoning youth population and drive sustainable economic growth.

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First Published: Mar 29 2024 | 4:15 PM IST

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Delhi School Results 2024: Class 5, 8, 9, 11 results declared on edudel.nic.in; how to check and all details here

Delhi School Results 2024: Delhi's Directorate of Education has declared the final results for class 5, 8, 9, and 11 today, March 30.

Delhi School Results 2024: The Directorate of Education (DoE), Delhi has announced the final results of class 5th, 8th, 9th and 11th today i.e. on 30 March. Students who appeared for the examination now check their results on the official website of the DoE i.e. edudel.nic.in. These examinations were held at school level in February-March, 2024.

Also Read: Karnataka PUC 1 result 2024 anytime soon: Here's how to check KSEAB Class 11 score at karresults.nic.in

Steps for candidates or parents to check the exam results.

- Visit the official website of the DoE at edudel.nic.in

- Click on ‘Exam Result 2023-24’ link on the home page

- A new page will open where you can select the Class for which you are checking the results. 

-Enter details like Student Id, Class, Section, Date of birth, enter the code and click on submit. 

- After submitting the details the result will be displayed on the screen

- You can now download and take a print out of the Class 5, 8, 9, 11 results.

Karnataka 1st PUC Result 2024 Live Updates

 - If there is any error in the result, contact your educational institution or the DoE for assistance

Earlier on 28 March, DoE had announced the results for Classes 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th.

Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live Updates

What was last year's pass percentage for class 9 and 11.

In the academic session 2022-23, the pass percentage of class 9th students was recorded at 65.52 percent, which was a huge drop from 84.72 percent recorded in 2019-20. The Class 11th students recorded a pass percentage of 73.84 percent in 2022-23 again witnessing a massive drop from 99.25 percent in 2019-20.

In another news, the Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) is also set to declare the Karnataka PUC 1 or the Class 11 results anytime soon today i.e. on March 30 on the board's official website i.e. karresults.nic.in. In Bihar, the Bihar School examination board (BSEB) will announce the Class 10 result 2024 tomorrow i.e. on 31 March. 

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