India’s online higher education sector is entering a new growth phase, with students from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities emerging as key drivers of demand, according to Siddharth Banerjee, CEO of Univo Education.

The shift marks a broader diversification of India’s online education landscape, as education platforms expand their reach beyond traditional metropolitan audiences.

Banerjee explained that the next wave of online education will be shaped by learners in smaller urban and semi-urban centres who seek flexible, career-focused degrees and certifications that are both affordable and accessible, Times of India reports.

These markets, often overlooked by models designed primarily for metro learners, present a vast and diverse opportunity for digital education providers.

A significant factor in this transformation is India’s mobile-first connectivity, as l79 per cent of students attend online classes on smartphones, while only 17 per cent use laptops.

This trend has prompted edtech companies to redesign content for mobile environments, addressing challenges like limited internet bandwidth and varied learner readiness outside larger cities.

Experts note that the online education boom aligns with broader digital shifts, with studies showing that a majority of top educational content creators are now based in Tier-2 cities, highlighting the grassroots role these regions play in shaping India’s edtech ecosystem.

Industry observers also point to policy and technological enablers like recognition of online degrees and the rise of AI-supported learning tools as catalysts for broader participation from non-metro learners.

Despite challenges such as varying learner support needs and infrastructure gaps, the evolving pattern suggests that smaller Indian cities will be central to the country’s education transformation, expanding access to quality learning and creating new pathways to employment for millions of students.