India has one of the largest education systems in the world with a network of over one million schools and 18,000 higher educational institutions.

The sector has witnessed sea change over the years and e-learning is one of the recent trends. This involves the use of digital media and technology to stimulate learning.

2015, India emerged as the second largest market for e-learning after the US. It is expected to reach $1.29 billion by 2018, growing at CAGR of 17 per cent.

The rapid increase in Internet connectivity has provided a fillip to e-learning. With the number of netizens expected to reach 250 million, rivaling the US and China, India holds the immense potential of e-learning. The leveraging of technology in the education domain has made elearning a reality.

Moreover, a spate of government initiatives like Digital India has acted as a catalyst. A recent McKinsey report points out that this would lead to a good per cent increase in GDP. With a robust infrastructure, e-learning will play a vital role in shaping the skills and education. The burgeoning student-teacher ratio, poor learning outcomes and shortage of trained faculty are some of the ills plaguing Indian education.

It is here that the role of e-learning model assumes importance. One of its major advantages is that it enables people sitting at the remotest corner of the world to access the lessons just at the click of the mouse.

The evolution of satellite technology with its host of benefits such as competitive cost, multicast capability, universal coverage and low cost and simple installation, is playing an instrumental role in bridging the gap.

Online nano degrees are preferred by corporate professionals who are looking to re-skill themselves without taking time off from their careers. Despite being a home to over half the population under 25 years of age, India is expected to face a shortage of 250 million skilled workers by 2022. E-learning can play an important role enhancing the employability of youth.

It is a boon for differently abled who may find it difficult to pursue classroom education. It also ensures a unique personalised experience to all students. In a conventional education model, this is only possible when a highly skilled tutor offers one-to-one tutorials.

This offers tremendous scope especially in underdeveloped and developing countries, as it has the potential to raise a level of education, literacy and economic development. Moreover, the access to education is possible at an affordable cost, thanks to satellite technology.

Along with the traditional textbooks, interactive tools such as blogs, tweets, podcasts, webcasts, online chats, discussion boards, virtual study jams ensure that learning becomes multi-dimensional. The evolution of technologies such as cloud, big data and the Internet of Things are changing the way elearning content is being produced and consumed.

However, to say that it would completely replace traditional classroom model would be an overstatement since this too faces some challenges.

In traditional classroom model, this is achieved by the physical constraints, the teacher and social behaviour. Reaching a large base and sustaining interest levels will require integrating social engagement aspects.

Companies in India will increasingly adopt features to simulate a classroom study environment. Gamification will also play a key role in making learning platforms more engaging and taking it to a larger audience.

Another challenge is to maintain in sync with technology. The e-learning model needs to continuously adapt and innovate in order to survive. Both the model of delivery as well as content needs to be relevant in terms of pedagogy and features.

One of the key challenges to resolve would be to enable local content providers foray into the e-learning space. This would require both education as well as innovation in terms of tools and platforms.

From a delivery point of view, product innovations centred on customised content delivery for regions will go a long way in improving adoption.

(The writer is chief executive officer, EduGorilla)