Online learning still on uptick led by small towns, vernacular languages

Online learning remains a prominent choice for learners, with tier-2 and tier-3 cities leading demand for such courses.

More Learners from Smaller Towns

As many as 61.6 per cent, or more than three out of five learners opting for online learning to upskill for jobs hail from tier-2 and tier-3 cities, according to an Internshala report.

Edtech platform Physicswallah said it has reached 98 per cent of India pin codes, with a 300 per cent surge in student enrolments in Hindi medium batches.

The student base for vernacular languages has seen a 5-fold growth, with Marathi, Bangla, Gujarati, Kannada, and Telugu being India's most in-demand vernacular languages, findings from its annual report suggest.

The analysis was conducted from a database of PW’s 4 crore YouTube subscribers and 27 lakh students on the dedicated app.
Alakh Pandey, Founder and CEO of Physics Wallah, said their efforts are directed towards ensuring that students from the remotest corners of the country have access to these resources, in order to provide them with a fair chance at success.

The city trends revealed in the study conducted by Internshala suggests that 38 per cent learners enrolled from tier-1 cities, as opposed to the small town majority.

Internshala registered 1.27 lakh students in 2023, with a monthly peak of 20,000 users in May.

Key cities contributing to the highest number of online learners include Hyderabad at 6 per cent, Bengaluru at 5 per cent, followed by Pune at 4 per cent each.

In the online learning scenario, Delhi led the metro capitals at 7 per cent, followed by Mumbai at 4 per cent, Kolkata at 3 per cent and Chennai at 2 per cent.

Still Online

PhysicsWallah’s annual report suggests 182 per cent growth in paid online course enrolment post-pandemic.

PW said its demand surged from 8.5 lakh paid orders in  2022 to 24 lakh orders  in 2023, with a 38 per cent increase in app downloads from 68 lakh downloads in 2022 to 94 lakh downloads in 2023.

Internshala said there has been a six-fold increase in the number of students opting for online certification courses to enhance their skillsets over the past five years.

1.27 lakh enrolments were seen in 2023 itself, but this was lower than the surge for skill training courses in 2020 when 1.73 lakh students had signed up.

The average watch time on PhysicsWallah increased from 50 minutes to 65 minutes per day, while users on Internshala spent 43 minutes daily on self-steered learning.

The company in December reported total student enrolment touching 24 lakhs for the financial year 2023, and revenue numbers at Rs 778 crore.

What Leaners are Seeking

Close to half of Internshala users at 49 per cent said the online certifications will help them land internships and future job opportunities.

Other reasons specified for undertaking online courses were acquiring new skills (32 per cent), obtain certifications for training in these courses (11 per cent) and personal project development, as well as fulfilling college requirements.