India adds highest no. of new learners globally for Coursera since Jan 2020

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in an increasing demand for upskilling, Coursera Inc., one of the world's largest online learning platforms, has seen India gain the highest number of new learners worldwide since January 2020, at 7.5 million.

India currently has 12.5 million enrolled learners as of June 30, 2021, with a 49% growth representing one of the fastest growth rates for Coursera globally. According to Coursera CEO Mr. Jeff Maggioncalda, the student additions have given impetus to Coursera upgrading its India operations to become the hub for the whole Asia Pacific (APAC) region.

“The pandemic has had a significant impact on how we learn, teach, and work. In India, our high momentum shows the ongoing trend of individuals and institutions using online learning to acquire skills for a digital future” Mr. Maggioncalda stated. “We're excited to collaborate with India's leading higher education institutions to provide a wider range of job-relevant material and certifications, as well as launch new platform features that will make Coursera learning even more accessible and tailored for Indian students.”

Coursera currently boasts a total of 87 million enrolled learners worldwide as of June 30, 2021, with India coming in second only behind the United States.

In terms of enrollments, whereas Coursera had a global total of 94.5 million as of June 30, 2021, India had one of the highest numbers at 24.6 million. India's entire student population is made up of 62% men and 38% women, with women's course enrollments increasing from 26% in 2019 to 35% in 2020, the fourth largest increase internationally.

Furthermore, India has experienced a significant growth in the share of STEM enrollments from women learners, rising from 23% in 2019 to 32% in 2020, the second largest increase globally.

Coursera said on Wednesday that it has partnered with four additional higher education institutions in India, bringing the total number of university partners in the nation to ten. IIT Bombay, IIT Guwahati, Indian Statistical Institute, and Ashoka University are among the new partners.

Coursera also announced additional scholarships from industry partners, including Microsoft, which will give 500 scholarships in cooperation with Women in Cloud to help expand women's representation in cloud computing. IBM will also award 500 scholarships to Coursera students for different IBM Professional Certificates, Specializations, and courses.

“As the pandemic widens skill gaps, there is a growing need for large-scale reskilling efforts,” said Mr. Raghav Gupta, Coursera's MD for India and APAC. “As India adopts online learning at a quicker rate, Coursera is committed to assisting many more Indian learners and institutions in navigating change and disruption by providing world-class learning.”

India is also the world leader in the use of Guided Projects, a hands-on learning experience that allows students to develop a job-relevant skill in less than two hours. India has accounted for half of the 2.6 million global Guided Projects enrollments since its introduction in May 2020. Coursera will continue to add to its Indian-focused portfolio, including Guided Projects from local businesses.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.