Exploring the Role of Ed-Tech Start-Ups and Digital Divide in Online Learning During the Coronavirus Pandemic in the Indian Education System

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to closure of educational institutions all over the world. More than 1.2 billion children were out of the classroom. In India almost 320 million learners stopped going to educational institutions. This resulted in a perceptible change of the way education was imparted, giving rise of alternative ways of education like online learning whereby teaching-learning was conducted through digital platforms. The change in teaching-learning as brought by coronavirus might become an integrated part of the education system post pandemic. Online learning is also gaining popularity due to technological investments made by ed-tech companies to promote it. This chapter talks about how the education continued in India, growth and role of ed-tech start-ups during COVID-19 pandemic, and addresses how the digital divide affected online learning in the Indian context.