Kiran Dham is the Chief Executive Officer and HR Head of the Globus Infocom Limited. She spearheads the departments like Marketing & Business Development, Human Resources, Client Servicing & Support, Training, IT and Administration. She designs the blueprint of Marketing Policies, Strategies, and Roadmap ahead for their efficient execution. She also designs Talent Acquisition and Talent Growth paths for the company. Kiran has diverse expertise in multiple domains of Marketing & Business Development and Human Resource and Development. The focus work areas for her are Business Development, Strategic tie-ups for the company, and designing and execution of company Marketing Policies. Additionally, she is diligently engaged in identifying, selecting and hiring a Talent Pool that alienates with the Organizational objectives.
In the post-Covid world, schools are amidst disruptions and transformations. The traditional learning pedagogy is being modified and innovations are being introduced. Remote and hybrid learning have emerged at the forefront and curriculum as well as teaching processes are being altered. They have now realized that redesigning classrooms is imperative to deliver exceptional learning outcomes.
Challenges faced by the Indian educational system
The Indian educational system is indeed robust. However, it faces its fair share of challenges as well. Good quality education for now unfortunately is not equally available for all. In urban areas, students do have access to high-end educational experiences. However, in rural areas, the quality does drop at significant levels. In fact, the mere definition of quality education is quite blurred and is restricted solely to academic excellence, results, and marks.
The impact of the pandemic and the present scenario of the Indian educational system and ed-tech market
The pandemic severely impacted the sector. This was the time when ed-tech platforms came as a blessing in disguise. It is due to them that education could move seamlessly into the online space and remote learning could be facilitated. The ed-tech segment boomed like never before.
Even in the present scenario, ed-tech platforms are facilitating online and hybrid learning seamlessly. They have been trying their best to help resolve the issues faced by the country’s educational system. They are the reason that now education is reaching even the remotest of locations and has now become an anytime anywhere concept. Ed-tech platforms have even enabled video assistive remote learning driven by immersive learning methods, AI, and VR, on-demand learning, as well as customized experiences. This is how the ed-tech segment has ensured that educational experiences become engaging and interactive so that the students actively participate in their studies. They have also enabled the transformation of education from being theoretical heavy to undertaking the holistic route wherein the students are shaped into professionals for the futuristic job roles. The government has been working relentlessly towards strengthening the digital infrastructure of rural areas but still the transition from traditional to online/hybrid learning has not been smooth enough for many teachers & learners. In the light of the pandemic, the bitter fact of a week digital infrastructure in many of the rural areas surfaced and was needed to look after urgently. EdTech brands again took up this challenge & provided highly user-friendly technology solutions that require minimum technical knowledge & also offer advanced content based on NCERT. Leading EdTech brands are also providing training & counseling to the teachers to make this transition smooth.
The future landscape of the Indian ed-tech market
As per IBEF, the Indian ed-tech industry was valued at $750 million in 2020 and is projected to be valued at $4 billion by 2025 by growing at a CAGR of 39.77%. The study further states that this growth will primarily be driven by the rising demand for non-academic courses from tier 2 and 3 cities as well as the need for personalization. The market growth is indicative of the fact that it will be playing an integral role in the development of the overall educational system. It is also anticipated that the ed-tech segment will keenly adopt a hybrid approach in the times ahead.
Education should not be perceived as a tool for seeking employment. Rather a weapon for transforming the world and making it a better place. The need for platforms is very much there and will continue to rise in the future as they enable ease of knowledge exchange.
Ed-tech bridging the teaching-learning gap
The ed-tech market possesses the power to bridge the learning gap whilst overcoming geographical barriers. Digital adoption is the need of the hour. However, schools also wish to sustain a few distinct benefits of the traditional classrooms wherein peer discussion, support from educators, and the ability to work collaboratively on assignments can be facilitated easily. Hence, it is anticipated that hybrid learning will be the future of the Indian educational system. Ed-tech platforms driving this trend would play an important role in upscaling the market and helping the sector deal with the core problems.