The EdTech Accelerator, part of the ShikshaNext initiative, aims to strengthen learning outcomes for children aged 4 to 10 through technology in India. The Accelerator will catalyse the supply of pedagogically sound, contextually relevant, high-quality EdTech and AI solutions, serving students, parents, and teachers from underserved communities and democratising access to quality learning solutions
Opportunity
India’s digital learning landscape has reached an inflection point.
As per the Bharat Survey for EdTech 2025, 72% of students now have access to a smartphone at home, and nearly all of them are connected to the internet. For these learners, devices are not occasional tools but part of daily life, with 84% of children spending over 30 minutes a day on them. EdTech awareness and use is already mainstream with 63% children already using it for learning. Half of these children are also aware of generative AI pointing to a rapidly evolving digital learning environment
72%
of students have smartphone access
84%
of children spend over 30 minutes daily on smartphones
50%
of children using EdTech are aware of generative AI tools
Despite the steady growth of the EdTech market, high digital penetration and increased salience for EdTech usage, the EdTech opportunity for the underserved segment remains untapped. Most solutions target higher-income users, they are unaffordable and not available in vernacular languages, thereby leaving a large segment underserved. Despite a vibrant ecosystem of ~8k EdTech products in India across K-12 as of December 2025[1], only a small percentage focus on ages 4 to 10, and even fewer cater to the low-income segment.
This gap is evident in usage patterns. According to BaSE 2025, 94% of children rely on YouTube for learning, with minimal awareness of specialised EdTech platforms. Demand for digital learning is clear, but it is being met through unstructured, general-purpose channels rather than purpose-built, pedagogically sound solutions.
Encouragingly, there is emerging evidence in recent years that highlights the effectiveness of pedagogically rigorous primary grade learning apps, underscoring a strong opportunity to expand access to high-quality solutions for underserved learners.
[1]Tracxn. (n.d.). K-12 EdTech startups in India.Vision
The EdTech Accelerator will promote access to and use of high-quality, contextually relevant EdTech and AI solutions for parents, teachers, and students in underserved communities to enable equitable access to impactful learning.
Approach
The Accelerator aims to enhance reach to contextually relevant EdTech solutions for more than 1.5Mn users by creating a supply of 5 EdTech players serving ages 4-10 from underserved communities.
Reach
Enhance access to contextually relevant and pedagogically strong EdTech and AI solutions
1.5 Mn+ users from underserved communities have access to high-quality, pedagogically strong and contextually relevant learning solutions
Supply
Enhance the supply of high-quality EdTech and AI solutions for ages 4-10
A vibrant ecosystem of 5 EdTech and AI solutions serving age groups 4-10 from underserved communities
Evidence
Establish the impact of these solutions
Generate evidence for solutions on the impact of EdTech for the larger ecosystem
Support Provided
The ~2.5 Mn+ USD Accelerator will provide support to selected solutions over 3 years, across a range of areas, tailored to the specific problem or use case that each solution is addressing. This includes:
Funding
Catalytic funding towards product iteration, strengthening pedagogy, and unlocking pathways for adoption to improve learning
Building rigorous evidence to establish the efficacy of learning solutions
Mentorship from industry experts at multiple touch points to build long-term capacity and capacity-building workshops to strengthen product development and delivery
Events
Showcase events for partners to present their approach, impact, and offering to obtain feedback and guidance