Indian edtech firms step up expansion, driven by familiar demographics

As Byju's and Unacademy struggle, Indian edtech firms like upGrad, Simplilearn and BrightCHAMPS expand steadily across Southeast Asia and West Asia

Even as Byju’s turmoil and Unacademy’s funding stress continue to cast a shadow over Indian edtech, a new growth story is quietly taking shape, with homegrown players accelerating their expansion into Southeast and West Asia.

 

The players, from K-12 learning to higher education and professional up­skilling, are finding resonance in mark­ets such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Thailand, Ind­o­nesia, and the Philippines. Companies that Business Standard spoke to said th­e­se countries resemble India’s demogr­a­phic and economic profile, making th­em a natural extension for edtech players.

  The edtech sector is part of the services sector that received a strong policy thrust in the annual budget announced on February 1. A high-powered standing committee on ‘education-to-empowerment and enterprise’ has been proposed to guide coordinated reforms and positi­on India as a global leader in services, wi­th an aspirational target of a 10 per cent share in global services exports by 2047. 

 

“Recent analyses show growing interest in GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) nations, Southeast Asia, and parts of Africa. These regions mirror India’s demographics - young, tech-enabled, and aspirational - creating a natural demand for scalable, job-linked digital education,” said Shantanu Rooj, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of TeamLease Edtech. 

Growth hotspots  Bengaluru-based edtech firm upGrad has expanded its presence in countries like Thailand and Vietnam and strengthened enterprise partnerships for workforce training in the UAE and the broader MENA region (Middle 

East and North Africa). 

Skilling platform Simplilearn is another example of a firm that has expanded operations in the US, UK, and West Asia through institutional and government partnerships. Kids’ learning firm BrightCHAMPS operates in more than 30 countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and Indonesia. 

Krishna Kumar, founder and CEO of Simplilearn, said that in the case of West Asia, there is a strong focus on building a digitally skilled workforce backed by proactive government policies and a young population.

 

West Asia, he said, “presents one of the most exciting opportunities for growth. Over the past decade, the region has made remarkable progress, moving toward a more diversified economy that emphasises technology, innovation, and talent development. Governments across the region are also investing heavily in professional skill development and digital readiness through national vision initiatives”. 

Noting that similar reasons are driving adoption in Southeast Asia too, Rohit Sharma, president of consumer business at Upgrad, gave the example of Thailand, where the government aims to reskill 1.8 million workers, presenting a powerful opportunity for impact.

 

“Southeast Asia is one of our strongest growth regions. Countries like Thailand and Vietnam are fast-emerging digital economies where the appetite for structured, career-oriented learning is rising sharply. The recent launch of our Bangkok office validates the trust we have built through our online presence and marks a new chapter in our regional expansion,” Sharma added. 

Competition in global markets  With skilling and learning becoming a global focus, global players such as Udemy, Eruditus, Udacity and Coursera are also gearing up their presence in Southeast and West Asian markets. 

 

Speaking on the competition in foreign markets, Rooj of TeamLease EdTech said that Indian companies succeed wh­e­re they combine academic excellence wi­th cost efficiency and rapid localisation. Other edtech firms highlighted the uniqueness of their offerings as a key fac­tor in their competitive edge, noting that the edtech market has matured significantly. 

 

For Upgrad, the top two competitors in the foreign markets are Coursera and Eruditus, the company said. However, it noted that in the financial year ending Mar­ch 2025, international markets contribu­ted 20-25 per cent of its total revenue. 

 

In the case of Simplilearn, the top three competitors in West Asia are Emeritus, Coursera, and Udacity. The company has 11 per cent of its global users in geographies including the UK and West Asia. Taken together, 33 per cent of the demographic in these two regions is in the 25-35 age bracket and 44 per cent in the 35-45 year age group.  

BrightCHAMPS, too, noted that West Asia and Southeast Asia are among its fastest-growing markets. “Nearly 30 per cent of our global user base comes from these two regions, with month-on-month growth continuing to accelerate,” the company said, adding that it does not see a direct like-for-like competition in these regions. 

 

According to market intelligence platform Tracxn, both Coursera and Eruditus are among the top players in the global edtech market. Eruditus, in fact, has collaborated with more than 80 universities (including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard, and INSEAD) in Latin America, Europe, and Southeast Asia. The platform claims to have educated over 350,000 individuals. 

 

On the other hand, Coursera says on its website that nearly 162 million learners and over 7,000 campuses, businesses, and governments have been a part of the platform. 

Priorities for 2026 

As edtech firms look ahead, the emphasis is shifting from simply geographic expansion to impact creation. An expansion frenzy, especially during the pandemic years, led to the downfall of various edtech companies.  

For instance, Byju’s, which was once the poster child of the edtech sector, has seen its valuation crumbling to effectively zero from $22 billion at its peak. Another player, Unacademy, saw its valuation drop over 90 per cent recently from a 2021 peak of $3.4 billion. 

 

Mindful of these examples, edtech companies are aiming for sustainable growth. Bhushan of BrightCHAMPS said, “In 2026, the company aims to de­epen its footprint in its existing markets, prioritising well-rounded educational outcomes that combine academic learning with next-gen skill development.”

 

In order to add personalisation to learning, companies are tapping artificial intelligence (AI) as a core strategic lever, rather than an add-on.  

“We are deepening our presence in emerging domains such as education, psychology, finance, and c-suite leadership, areas where AI is reshaping how professionals learn, lead, and make decisions,” Sharma of Upgrad said.

 

“This year, we will double down on growth across our strategic markets while deepening our impact through expanded partnerships and localised offerings. We will also be focusing a lot more on leadership and degree programmes that will be fully delivered by the universities. We are also investing heavily in AI-powered learning innovations,” said Kumar of Simplilearn.

  Opportunities back home

  Even as Indian edtech players eye glo­bal opportunities, they maintain that India will remain central to their strategies. 

Sumeet Mehta, cofounder and CEO of LEAD Group, a business-to-business player, noted, “We are committed to solving the challenges of India by developing best-in-world solutions for India’s education challenges. India has 1.5 million schools and 270 million school-going students, and we have barely scratched the surface by serving 8,500 schools and 3.8 million students.”  

In India, LEAD Group plans to expand its footprint by adding over 1,200 schools to its network in 2026, bringing the total to nearly 10,000. Out of the 8,500 schools that the company has partnered with, 90 per cent are based in non-metropolitan areas, and 50 per cent are in Tier-III and -IV cities. The platform currently has a limited presence in Southeast and West Asia. 

PhysicsWallah, which recently went public, has also noted that even if it has a presence in West Asia, it will specifically cater to the Indian diaspora, emphasising its focus on the country’s own learner community. 

 

Even as other firms also aim to expand in the domestic market, edtech companies, in general, pointed out several challenges that are hindering pene­tration beyond metropolitan cities. Th­e­se challenges include uneven digital readiness on the back of limited broadband penetration; inconsistent internet quality; and the lack of affordable devices.

 

Still, the opportunities are enormous — whether in India, or in other regions with young populations. According to TeamLease EdTech, Southeast Asia and Africa together account for around 20 million people under the age of 35.  Meanwhile, India, with 500 million youth under 25, remains the largest learning market in the world. 

 

Going places

• Upgrad has presence in Thailand, Vietnam; up to 25 per cent revenue from international markets
• Simplilearn active in the UK & West Asia with 11 per cent user base
• BrightCHAMPS present in 30+ countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and Indonesia
• BrightCHAMPS has 30 per cent user base in Southeast and West Asia
• LEAD Group, PhysicsWallah present in West Asia
• India single largest market with 500 mn youth
• Competitors in foreign markets: Coursera, Udemy, Udacity, and Eruditus