Edtech set to become $25-30 bn industry in 10 years: Ulipsu CEO

In the post-Covid-19 world, edtech companies are bringing about far-reaching changes with digitisation gaining momentum, said Sumanth Prabhu, Co-Founder & CEO of Ulipsu, prominent multipotential learning platform for young minds. In an exclusive interview to Bizz Buzz, he said the edtech sector has ample scope to widen in a big way in the years to come. He said through several innovative strategies, they are aiming to make Ulipsu into the world's largest curated platform for non-scholastic learning by 2025.

How big is the edtech industry and where India stands right now?

From a numerical standpoint, there may be a variety of data available. However, based on how the edtech industry has transformed and impacted our country in the last few years, it is expected to reach $25 to 30 billion in the next 10 years. Today, India is one of the world's most potential markets for edtech because of the aspirations of parents to make their children learn better. Considering the huge number of young minds in the country, India is now a leader in the global education technology industry.

Post-Covid, there is phenomenal growth of digital classrooms. Even after improvement of the situation for the massive vaccination campaign, virtual mode classes are still continuing with many preferring hybrid methods. How do you see the growth prospects in the time ahead?

The edtech industry has undergone irreversible changes as a result of Covid-19. The internet has become an integral part of every students' learning process today, and it is expected to have an even greater impact in terms of information impartation, implementation and communication in the future. Despite this, learning still requires a human presence. So, it is important for a learner to adapt to and indulge in both the methods of virtual and traditional classroom learning. That's why hybrids are the future.

Whether it involves reaching out to customers or delivering content, a hybrid flow is undoubtedly the way forward for the education industry. Having said that, it is equally important for the edtech platforms to utilise the internet in a way that gives the students a quality experience with valid tutors and proper learning outcomes. The focus should not be merely on advancing technologies but also on ensuring that the internet is adding appropriate value to a child's learning curriculum.

What trends do you see in edtech platforms?

Education technology is still at a nascent stage in India. Over the last decade, we have seen many edtech solutions for K–12 where the focus is more on digital technologies like online classes, ERPs, LMSs, and so on. However, now the trend has shifted from being a mere technology focus to learning outcomes. Gamification of learning content, data analytics to track a student's progress, assessments technologies are increasingly becoming popular among Edtech platforms.

Is Ulipsu India's first multipotential learning platform? What is the USP of Ulipsu?

Versatility and engagement are the major USPs of the platform. Ulipsu is India's first and only multi-potential OTT like learning platform for children aged 6 to 16. We are committed to the idea of democratising learning, which lets young ones truly explore and learn at their own pace and space with just one subscription. Ulipsu is inspiring young minds to learn as per their wishes, with courses spanning across 15+ skills, from music to art & craft, yoga to life skills, STEM projects to artificial intelligence, and many more.

Ulipsu is converting 'passive screen time' into 'active screen time'. Today, screens have become an integral part of daily life, but various studies show that children spend more than 35 minutes per day on uncurated video sharing platforms and watch passive, unproductive contents. With a mission to create a healthy relationship with screens, Ulipsu came up with a solution that converts passive screen time into active time with age-appropriate, engaging learning content. The technologically driven-gamified content that Ulipsu offers helps children grasp better, ensuring an effective and comprehensive learning process.

Apart from this, Ulipsu also provides a unique learning experience and adheres to the recent National Education Policy to provide its users with a holistic learning experience.

You have been claiming to learn what you wish to as your hallmark with an aim to become the world's largest learning platform by 2025 after launching the startup in 2022. How is it possible to achieve such phenomenal success in such a short time?

Ulipsu was launched in 2022, but it had been in development since 2020. In the last two years, we went through nearly eight iterations with multiple changes to the concept and product. The product on the market today is the most refined version of the idea, which is why we are very confident in its acceptance by customers. With more parents looking for secure and productive learning platforms for their children, Ulipsu has attracted a large number of students and schools in a short period of time. We believe that there is a need for children to find productivity in the content they are watching on screens. This is where Ulipsu meets the needs of parents by converting passive screen time into active screen time with engaging, age-appropriate learning content. Considering the market situation, the needs of the parents, and our unique way of reaching out to the customers, Ulipsu is all set to become the world's largest curated platform for non-scholastic learning by 2025.

Do you provide content to students in India or also some countries abroad?

All of our content is currently curated for students in India. However, we will be curating content for the international markets very soon. Our initial focus will be on the Middle East and Southeast Asia, and we will gradually expand to Europe and the United States with time.

How far is your reach so far?

Ulipsu has one lakh subscribers on its platform, and over a hundred schools have signed up for our programs, in which we provide our product to their students. Ulipsu has users from across India, particularly from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu.

Andhra Pradesh Government recently launched a programme to distribute tablets to students studying eight standard onwards in government schools with pre-loaded content by tying up with a leading edtech company to improve the employment quotient. Do you think all State Governments should also introduce such initiatives?

The Andhra Pradesh Government's distribution of free tablets is a commendable initiative because it ensures that students in government schools learn at the same rate as their urban counterparts. Because of the vast opportunities and avenues of learning that it opens for students in government schools, other State Governments must draw inspiration and help scale this initiative.

What are the challenges faced by the edtech teaching platforms and your suggestions to overcome them?

The main challenges that most edtech platforms, including ours, face are, first, creating engagement and, second, accurately targeting customers. In terms of engagement, most edtech platforms claim to teach only the most important subjects to students. Young minds, on the other hand, are naturally explorative, with their interests shifting frequently. As a result, edtech platforms must ensure that children have the opportunity to explore various subjects and enjoy what they learn. Only when children enjoy what they are learning, they gain the desired knowledge. So with limited courses and subjects, no amount of technology can help the edtech platforms create engagement and provide a valuable learning outcome.

Second, acquiring customers in the proper manner is critical. Most edtech platforms use a freemium model, in which they offer courses for free for a limited time before charging customers. Regardless of how effective it is, it is still misleading to customers due to the difference in intent when providing it for free vs. paid. It is critical to have a stable acquisition model in place where customers are aware of the methods from the start.

Once an edtech platform overcomes these two challenges, it becomes easier for them to sustain customers and retail value for a long term.

How do you define holistic learning?

Holistic learning is a comprehensive learning process. It is the process by which students work to improve their physical, emotional, and intellectual abilities in addition to their academic performance. For example, an academic topper interested in music or art should be given equal freedom and opportunity to excel in these areas. Similarly, an average academic performer cannot be labeled as a student because he may demonstrate tremendous understanding and excellence in other activities such as sports or robotics. In a nutshell, the holistic learning process (from the perspective of Indian education) encourages equal importance for academics and skills.