India is on the verge of a once-in-a-generation explosion in edtech.
I've invested in 2 co's that are growing like wildfire and want to do more. Let's talk if you're building in this space.
Here's what's going on and why you should pay attention now, if you weren't before:
1/ There are 5 factors that are simultaneously driving the rapid rise of edtech in India.
- Favorable demographics
- At scale internet adoption
- Deteriorating incumbent quality
- Declining budget / capacity
- Cultural relevance
Let's talk about how all 5 are interconnected.
2/ The quantum of "digital first" Indians that will need to be educated is like nothing the world has ever seen.
India has:
- 500M+ people under 25
- 125M+ English speakers
- 250M+ people that will be added to its population over the next 40 years (est. peak is 1.6B)
3/ In parallel, increased internet accessibility at very low prices has resulted in a massive surge of online users
- 830M internet users in 2021 (+83% from 2019)
- 860M smartphone users in 2022 (+84% from 2017)
- 8.3GB monthly data consumption (+100x from 2014)
4/ India's existing education system is rampant with outdated curricula, low quality instructors and inflexibility. India:
- Ranks 49/50 in higher ed
- Spends <5% GDP on higher ed
- Teaches "to the test" - the system is oriented around entrance exams