India has 13.6 mn learners on platform, 2nd highest globally: Coursera

Edtech major Coursera on Tuesday said India accounted for the second-largest base of learners on its platform with 13.6 million registered learners at the end of September 2021 quarter.

As of September 30, 2021, Coursera has 92 million registered learners on the platform, and 189 million enrolments.

The US accounted for 17.3 million learners, followed by India (13.6 million), Mexico (4.8 million), Brazil (3.7 million) and China (3.3 million).

Paraguay, Lebanon, the Philippines, Guyana and Indonesia were the top 5 countries for Coursera in terms of learner growth.

"Early in the pandemic, online learning shaped the response to a global crisis that changed the way we learn. More than a year later, new trends show that the combined force of online learning and remote work is creating a powerful opportunity to provide not just skills but more equitable job opportunities worldwide," Coursera CEO Jeff Maggioncalda said in the second annual Coursera Impact Report.

With the double disruption of the pandemic and automation intensifying the unemployment crisis, people everywhere need to develop new skills for a digital future, he added.

"Over 20 million new learners have come to Coursera in the past year to access world-class learning. The highest growth came from regions where higher education infrastructure is severely constrained in its capacity to meet the demand of a growing population," he said.

Maggioncalda added that growing collaboration between universities, industry, and governments to address the skills shortage through online learning is shaping a new and inclusive lifelong learning model.

"...offering flexible pathways to skills and credentials that prepare people for remote and digital jobs can pave the way for talent to rise from anywhere in the world. Together with our partners, we're excited to continue our efforts to fulfill this promise in our quest to build a more just world," he said.