University of Illinois is widely credited with starting Online education way back in 1960. This was the pre-Internet era and the university created an intranet through which students could access materials. We have come a long way since then. In a 2017 report by KPMG & Google estimated India online education market at USD 1.96 billion and 9.6 million users by 2021.One can be reasonably certain that India will surpass these estimates with ease thanks to COVID-19 and changes in the Digital landscape in India.

COVID-19 has forced educational institutions to remain shut since March 2020. Till the time we have a clear diagnosis in place, the number of cases will continue to rise, and educational institutions will be forced to remain shut. Despite multiple challenges in access, adoption and effectiveness, educational institutions and students are forced to shift to online classes. There has been unprecedented surge in online classes and users thanks to the lockdown.

Secondly, Jio has clearly changed the Digital landscape in India forever. All it took was 3 years for Jio to become India’s No.1 telco by user base and revenue.By creating an affordable platform, Jio not just attracted millions to its platform but led to an explosion in data consumption. Ericsson Mobility report of June 2020 has ranked India number 1 in data usage per smartphone user. The data usage is estimated to double from 9.8 GB/month to 18 GB by 2024.

Online Education will grow faster than expected in India and events like COVID-19 is likely to make policy makers, industry leaders, educators, students, and other stakeholders relook how they evaluate Online Education. In the process, the Online Education will continue to disrupt the industry and introduce its own version of “New Normal”. Here are few things to watch out for:

Platforms will replace traditional universities

The KPMG & Google report that I referred to earlier states there are 39,000 colleges in India. All colleges are affiliated to a university who in turn are affiliated to the University Grants Commission (UGC). Effectively the 30-odd million students pursuing various under graduate and post graduate programs are following a similar syllabus that is dated and does not reflect the needs of the industry. EdTech platforms are inherently agile and innovative and aware of this gap. Currently the programs offered by most platforms adapt from the University syllabus but it is only a matter of time before which platforms will start curating their own courses and offer programs that are most relevant, have the updated syllabus and more importantly reflect the needs of the industry.

Academic qualification will be redundant

As EdTech platforms continue to innovate, build modern programs, and content that reflect the needs of the market, the industry is most likely to start recognizing candidates with online degrees and certificates. With companies like Google, Amazon,and many others innovating at breakneck speed they need candidates who understand and can potentially build the future. Unfortunately, the current university system fall short of industry expectations.

Industry leaders will be the new teachers

This will be most significant impact EdTech industry is likely to witness. If courses are to reflect the needs of the industry, then who best to teach them? The concept of a ‘Guest/Visiting Faculty’ will become more mainstream. Expect people with industry experience manage current topics like AI, ML etc. The presence of industry leaders as teachers will make it easier for academic teachers to build a strong fundamental understanding.

Education will become more expensive

As the education narrative shifts from earning a degree to becoming a subject matter expert, EdTech platforms will invest heavily in content and bringing in the best of faculty to deliver these contents. And this will come at a cost. While the cost of delivery might keep going low, platforms will charge a premium for the content. So, from the current models of offering free to reasonably priced online classes will give way to premium classes where the student will pay top dollar to learn from the best.

Prabhakaran is a Senior Marketing & Communications Consultant with 20 years of experience. An MBA from Berlin School, Germany, he helps companies unlock their revenue & growth potential by crafting compelling brand strategies and helping execute them. He loves teaching and is a certified case method faculty from Harvard.