BBC reports that at present, only about 12% of young people in India get university places and the Indian government has a target to increase university enrollment by 30% by 2030.
The Indian higher education sector could not realistically expand that quickly in terms of traditional universities says Steve Hill, director of external engagement at U.K.’s Open University, who sees distance learning as a practical way for India to reach its target for another 14 million university places in less than 15 years. “The only way it is going to reach its target is online. India has to embrace distance learning,” he adds.
Open University, does not offer courses directly, but works with local institutions and support courses accredited by Indian universities. “They will deliver their own local qualifications,” but with content and online teaching resources provided by us, says Hill.
Coursera, a company based in California, wants to be part of India’s drive to expand access to higher education. It offers “Moocs” (massive open online courses), and offers free online courses from 140 universities including Yale, Stanford, Columbia and Edinburgh.
However, since Coursera courses do not lead to an external exam or an accredited degree, and Dr. Rick Levin, CEO of Coursera says that if employers in India accept online Mooc courses as relevant for job applications it would help close the skill gap.
A recent report from the British Council forecast that by 2025 India will have the biggest student-age population in the world. It means a decade of even more intense competition from international universities for a share of this expanding market.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
