2021 changed the course of education across the world: Aayur Kaul, Market Head, Skillshare India

By Aayur Kaul, Market Head, Skillshare India

“2021 changed the course of education across the world, but it has especially been a year of change for online learning. This year proved that blended learning, video classes and upskilling are not just temporary trends but will continue to grow and evolve in the years to come.

The online learning industry in India is expected to reach US$ 4 billion by 2025. This growth will largely be driven by the rising demand for non-academic classes from tier II & III cities in India. The Indian government’s National Education Policy too calls for mandatory skill development training starting at school-level and online learning platforms have a huge opportunity to work towards creating top of the line content for upskilling.

Heading into 2022, community-based learning is expected to grow exponentially as new learners are looking for a sense of community since most people have remained indoors over the last two years. Learners are looking for platforms that help them form a network of peers they can learn from. Besides, thoughtful, creative video-based content and micro-learning are likely to become more popular as millennials and Gen Z are forging the gig economy, making it important to discover inspiration, learn new skills, and put their talents to work in ways they care about. In India particularly, mobile-friendly online learning platforms are expected to grow due to the fast-paced smartphone and internet penetration. The drastic changes over the last two years taught us that lifelong learning and upskilling is crucial, making online learning platforms pivotal to young professionals looking to harness their creativity.”