Online education became more mainstream and accessible due to disruption by Covid: Snehal Shetty

The education sector has been perhaps the most disrupted by the pandemic, making online learning more mainstream and accessible, and a phenomenon that’s here to stay, said Dr. Snehal Shetty, chief operating officer, Amrita Technology Business Incubator.

The impact has been seen in people of all ages navigating the online medium for the purpose of learning, and the heavy investments in the edtech sector through the past couple of years.

“The UGC in September 2020 rolled out guidelines on universities offering online degrees, and today there is great potential in these programmes. At Amrita Ahead, our online learning arm, we have seen learners from all parts of the country who have a deep desire to learn, upskill, and change their careers,” said Shetty, speaking on Day 2 of the India Economic Conclave.

The learners span different ages and are not limited to 17 or 18-year olds, said Shetty.

“There was even an 85+ year old learner from Kerala who wanted to specialise in cybersecurity,” he said. “Last year, we had students from 17 countries who enrolled in our courses.”

Online universities in India are expected to be a gamechanger with their ability to attract students not just from India but all over the world, as well as their ability to attract the best faculty. At Amrita Ahead, there are faculty members based in Silicon Valley, Singapore, and Canada, Shetty said.

The institute has also been partnering with companies like Cisco and Amazon to roll out certifications for new-age skillsets to make students more employable.