The Tech Panda asked EdTech sector players what they think of the Union Budget 2023 policies for education.
The Indian education sector went through an overhaul, and technology entered it in a big way. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Union Budget 2023 has infused more tech into it with the announcement of three specialized AI centres to be set up in educational institutes under Make AI in India. New courses like coding, robotics, AI, and 3D printing are also in the wings.
Read more: Union Budget 2023 wish list: EDTECH
The government’s decision to set up 100 labs in engineering institutes for developing apps using 5G services will produce a workforce ready to build apps on India’s 5G stack.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Eklavya Model Residential Schools allocated INR5943 crore
- PM Awas Yojna allocated INR 79,590 crore
- Make AI in India: Three specialized AI centres to be set up in educational institutes
- Setting up 100 Labs in engineering institutions
- PMKVY 4.0 launch covering new courses like coding, robotics, AI, 3D printing
- Revamped teacher training
- National Digital Library
- Physical libraries at Panchayat and ward levels
Aarul Malviya, Founder, Zamit
“Union budget 2023-24 reflects that the government is profoundly interested in bringing a digital revolution in the education sector and promoting the use of artificial intelligence in education. We are glad that the government’s new budget is in line with India’s EdTech sector. With the government’s announcement of establishing a National Digital Library for children and adolescents, the EdTech sector will definitely get a boost; it will create a digital ecosystem in the education sector and encourage digital education. It will largely benefit the students who are lagging behind due to the pandemic.
Perhaps the government could have also announced a reduction of taxes on online learning programs as well as incentives for those providing digital education and skilling programs in the private sector
“This budget has also highlighted the importance of artificial intelligence in the education sector by announcing the establishment of 3 ‘Centres of Excellence’ for artificial intelligence to enable ‘Make AI for India’ and ‘Make AI work for India’. This step is going to encourage ed-tech companies and start-ups on an enormous scale.
“The government have introduced the National Data Governance policy which will enable access to anonymized data. The decision of the government to set up 100 labs in engineering institutes for developing apps using 5G services will bring new opportunities in enhancing the concept of smart classrooms and enabling extensive reach of education. However, even as we still wait for the fine print to come out, perhaps the government could have also announced a reduction of taxes on online learning programs as well as incentives for those providing digital education and skilling programs in the private sector.”
Atulya Kaushik, Co-founder & CEO, PrepInsta
“The Budget seems to give more push to employability readiness in youths. Direct Benefit Transfer under a pan India national apprenticeship scheme which will impact 47 lakh youths seems promising. Setting up 100 Labs in engineering institutions will help graduates be ready to build applications on India’s 5G stack. Focus on smart classrooms will also help us take advantage of the metaverse and immersive learning.
By proposing 30 Skill India International centers across various states, surely, this year’s budget clearly emphasizes the importance of closing the skill gap in youth across India
“Overall it should help India to release its demographic dividend for inclusive development. We applaud the government’s decision to establish a National Digital Library for children and adolescence to facilitate access to high-quality books on any device. The finance minister’s decision to expand Eklavya model schools for tribal students is another step forward in promoting digital literacy. Furthermore, by proposing 30 Skill India International centers across various states, surely, this year’s budget clearly emphasizes the importance of closing the skill gap in youth across India.”
Rishabh Khanna, Founder & CEO, Suraasa
“The budget reflects the government’s commitment to improve access to quality education and to promote the use of technology. The establishment of three centres of excellence for AI will help advance ‘Make AI for India’ & ‘Make AI work for India’, fostering innovation and providing opportunities for students to learn the latest technology.
The budget provides teachers with the resources they need to grow and succeed. This commitment to teacher growth will help ensure teachers are equipped with the latest knowledge and skills
“The reenvisioning of teacher training programmes through innovative pedagogy, curriculum transaction, and continuous professional development will help address the challenges such as the shortage of qualified teachers and the lack of teachers’ career growth. The budget provides teachers with the resources they need to grow and succeed. This commitment to teacher growth will help ensure teachers are equipped with the latest knowledge and skills.
“The plan to set up of 30 Skill India International Centers highlights the importance of skill development. These centres would also increase their chances of finding employment opportunities abroad. Moreover, the launch of PMKVY 4.0 under NEP 2020 would enable the youth to compete in the global job market and grow.”
Dr. Amit Tuteja, Founder, Connecting Dreams Foundation
“The employment of nearly 40 thousand teachers and support staff in the next 3 years for 740 Eklavya model schools supporting tribal students will enable more people from rural areas to access quality education.
The employment of nearly 40 thousand teachers and support staff in the next 3 years for 740 Eklavya model schools supporting tribal students will enable more people from rural areas to access quality education
“In addition, the set-up of a National Digital Library will also encourage access quality books and innovative learning for children and adolescents. However, it is expected that these books are also available in the regional languages for comprehend better learning.”
Ritika Kumar, Founder & CEO, STEM Metaverse
“The emphasis of the government on past mile access is extremely encouraging for the edtech sector. This involves digitization of content and training and skill development becoming part of every sector. Coming to the k12 school education bit, we are thrilled to see the government’s commitment to empowering students through innovative and futuristic learning solutions. The establishment of a National Digital Library for children and adolescents, physical libraries at panchayat levels, and a focus on teacher training are all steps in the right direction.
As a company dedicated to providing cutting-edge edtech solutions, we are particularly excited about the plan to set up Centers of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence in top educational institutions
“As a company dedicated to providing cutting-edge edtech solutions, we are particularly excited about the plan to set up Centers of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence in top educational institutions. Additionally, the allocation for providing age-appropriate reading materials to inculcate reading habits is a step towards promoting literacy and lifelong learning. The commitment to establishing 38,800 teachers and support staff for the 740 Eklavya Model Residential Schools over the next three years is a major boost for tribal students who will now have access to quality education and opportunities. With this budget, we see a promising future for education in India and look forward to supporting the government in its efforts to provide a brighter future for all students in the country”.
Sayeed Anjum, Co-founder & CTO, greytHR
“The government has taken an excellent initiative by establishing three centers of excellence in top educational institutions to nurture quality human resources in AI. A national education policy will undoubtedly facilitate job creation at large scale, and the Skill India Digital platform will allow HR service providers and employers to offer desirable jobs to skilled candidates.
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 scheme is an exceptional project to expand skill training in areas like coding, AI, robotics, mechatronics, IOT, 3D printing, drones, and soft skills
“Also, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0 scheme is an exceptional project to expand skill training in areas like coding, AI, robotics, mechatronics, IOT, 3D printing, drones, and soft skills. While 30 new skill India International centres will not only help professionals from varied sectors but also MSMEs and startups who look for relevant candidates to do the work. The credit guarantee scheme will work as a cushion for growing companies to stay sustainable in difficult times. All in all, the entire economy will benefit on a large scale giving numerous scaling opportunities on various levels”.
Ravindra Katti, Founder & Director, Techpartner Alliance
By expanding the digital ecosystem for skilling and establishing 3 Centers of Excellence for AI in top educational institutions, the budget further stresses the importance of skill development
“The Union Budget 2023-24 is reflecting the advancements made by the country’s digital technology sector, which also includes contributions from MSMEs and startups. By expanding the digital ecosystem for skilling and establishing 3 Centers of Excellence for AI in top educational institutions, the budget further stresses the importance of skill development. Such initiatives will provide immense benefit to businesses, which today are facing skill-shortage challenges.”
Sumeet Mehta, Cofounder & CEO, LEAD
“The first Amrit Kaal Budget’s focus on quality of education for all is progressive and encouraging. I welcome the focus on teacher training and upskilling students with Industry 4.O skills. However, while initiatives such as a National Digital Library and support for Eklavya Model Residential Schools are steps in the right direction to address the massive learning loss from the pandemic, well-designed PPPs are the need of the hour to create innovation at scale for millions of school going students in India.
While initiatives such as a National Digital Library and support for Eklavya Model Residential Schools are steps in the right direction to address the massive learning loss from the pandemic, well-designed PPPs are the need of the hour to create innovation at scale for millions of school going students in India
“This will make high-quality learning more accessible and affordable, especially for students in small towns who lack resources; and will result in long-lasting impact at scale. GST rebates on printing of books, assessment material and educational hardware can further enable affordability and access to high-quality, multimodal education in schools. Going forward, I look forward to policy support in this direction.”
Chitranshu Mahant, CEO & Co-founder, Primebook
“Given that India constitutes the 3rd largest startup ecosystem, we are glad that the government will set up a Skill India Digital Platform where digital skills will be expanded and given focus. Setting up a hundred labs for developing applications using 5G services would be an area we at Primebook will look forward to supporting. Moreover, the infrastructure for Digital Library can also be facilitated by PrimeOS; thus, we are excited to see the future of this proposition.
Given that India constitutes the 3rd largest startup ecosystem, we are glad that the government will set up a Skill India Digital Platform where digital skills will be expanded and given focus
“There is a need to encourage digitisation on the grass-root level to help reduce the digital divide. We are glad that the Eklavya Model Residential Schools will be serving 3.5 lakh tribal students and making opportunities more accessible to economically weaker sections. We would have liked to see an allocation to develop smart classrooms because integrating technology for skill development and education is a key way to reach the bottom line and make a real difference. We also missed the government’s push towards the development of infrastructure and education in this announcement which are key pillars for economic growth.”
Yuvraj Krishan Sharma, Co-founder & CPO, Edverse
“We applaud the government’s emphasis on fostering a digital economy and tech advancements in the Union Budget 2023. The National Education Policy and National Digital Library hold immense potential for expanding education access to the youth. As an edtech company, we are inspired to contribute to making education more inclusive and engaging for students from diverse backgrounds with our partnerships with institutions, foundations, and non-profits. The launch of the ‘Make AI in India and Make AI work for India’ center of excellence is a step in the right direction, providing students and researchers access to cutting-edge technology to tackle India’s unique challenges, and enabling industry partners to create AI solutions for the benefit of all.
There is a need for the government also to prioritize and support other emerging technologies such as AR, VR, and Metaverse in the tech sector to enhance the learning and retention of concepts in the students
“However, there is a need for the government also to prioritize and support other emerging technologies such as AR, VR, and Metaverse in the tech sector to enhance the learning and retention of concepts in the students.”
Nihar Sripad Madkaiker, Co-founder, iXR Labs
“In the budget 2023-24, we are happy to see a significant inclination towards startups and skill development. The government is providing advantage to the start-ups by offering tax benefits by extending until March 31, 2024. This year we also see the demand for workers with digital skills is increasing in a wide range of industries.
As technology in education continues to advance and becomes more relevant, we anticipated that the government would bring an approach that is more substantial in the education / edtech sector
“We are delighted to see that the government has focussed on developing hundred labs applications using 5G services that will be set up in engineering institutes. To make this more efficient, it is important to train and upskill workers, learners and educators and this step will encourage employment. As technology in education continues to advance and becomes more relevant, we anticipated that the government would bring an approach that is more substantial in the education / edtech sector.”
Muneer Ahmad, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, ViewSonic India
“We are happy to see that the budget 2023 talks at length about decreasing the digital divide by introducing National Digital Libraries that will facilitate access to quality books for children and adolescents across geographies, languages, genres, and levels. Furthermore, the centre’s mission to re-envision teachers’ training through innovative pedagogy, curriculum transaction, continuous professional development, dipstick surveys, and ICT implementation will help boost the sectoral growth and knowledge sharing with the District Institutes of Education and Training set to be developed as vibrant institutes of excellence for this purpose.
We expected substantial measures in the budget for the allocation of resources for the development of technology in the educational sector. This would have supported higher investment and opened doors for new ventures in the industry
“Furthermore, we are excited to see that the centre is working towards setting up of three Centres of Excellence for AI (Artificial Intelligence) in top educational institutes. It is a progressive measure that will help boost knowledge sharing and technology development in the education sector. However, we expected substantial measures in the budget for the allocation of resources for the development of technology in the educational sector. This would have supported higher investment and opened doors for new ventures in the industry.”
