India’s online higher education market is entering a new phase of growth, powered by students from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, according to Siddharth Banerjee, CEO of Univo Education. 

Banerjee said the country’s digital learning landscape is evolving beyond metro audiences, with smaller cities increasingly turning to online degrees and certifications. 

“India is not one market — it is many Indias. Learning models built only for metro audiences often don’t work for Bharat,” TOI quoted as saying by Banerjee.

Industry studies show that 79% of students attend online classes on smartphones, while only 17% use laptops. This has pushed platforms to redesign content for smaller screens, patchy internet access, and varied learner readiness.

Banerjee emphasised that learners outside metros often need more than just content access. 

“Assisted onboarding, WhatsApp and IVR-based help, and local facilitators can make online education more usable for learners outside large cities,” he said.

Univo partners with industry leaders such as TCS iON, HCLTech, KPMG, Medvarsity, and Paytm to provide internships, capstone projects, and live industry sessions.

Banerjee linked the sector’s expansion to India’s ambition of raising the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) to 50% by 2035, up from the current 28%. 

“As India’s economy expands, education models must become more flexible, affordable, and aligned with industry needs, especially for learners beyond metros,” Banerjee said.