ONLINE LESSONS

AS CLOSURE OF SCHOOLS, COLLEGES BRIMGS NEW STUDENTS INTO THEIR FOLD, ED-TECH STUDENTS INTO THEIR FOLD, ED-TECH FIRMS LOOK FOR INNOVATIVE WAYS TO MONETISE THEIR NEW USER BASE

- SONAL KHETARPALI

While browsing through online tutoring platform Vedantu, 22-year old Natasha came across a live class on ‘How to write Marvel-style comic books’. There were quizzes and interactive games, including some ‘fastest fingers first’ questions that would give anyone an adrenaline rush. The class of 584 did not feel a bit overcrowded. Students could send in their comments on the ‘public chat’ forum option. The instructor addressed all queries, and even welcomed ‘late joiners’. Natasha had fun posing as a 15- year-old, and the acknowledgment served as an incentive to finish the lesson.

India’s ed-tech space is dominated by players such as Byju’s, Vedantu, Toppr, Unacademy, White Hat Jr, Great Learning and Coursera, all of whom are seeing phenomenal growth. With schools and colleges shut during the lockdown and around 320 million students facing the heat, ed-tech platforms made their offerings free for students. The result: Prospects of fresh revenue streams emerging from new business models.