Coursera, the largest provider of online courses from top universities, has revealed the list of the 'Most Popular Courses in India of 2016', based on an analysis of enrollments by Indian users in online courses in 2016.
Coursera has a whopping 1.8 million learners from India out of 23 million registered learners globally, establishing the country as the second largest base of online learners after the US.
Over the past year, the country has witnessed an uptake of high quality, flexible, career-relevant online courses. Maximum growth was witnessed in Technology courses which constituted 70% of the list of the 10 most popular courses, followed by courses teaching English for career advancement.
As compared to 2015, Coursera has seen a 50% increase in the number of registered users, especially amongst technology learners.
The most popular courses of 2016 include a healthy mix of courses that teach skills for some of today's hottest technology careers as well as skills that are broadly useful for career and life. The trends revealed today showcase how India's aspiring professionals are looking for new alternatives to learn skills throughout their careers in order to keep pace with the fast pace of change in business and technology.
"Considering, the crucial role played by the IT industry, employing over 13 million people in India, it's no surprise that 7 out of the top 10 online courses in India are technology-focused. Indians are vying for top jobs at startups and at the many multinational technology companies that continue to come to India to find talent. Most of our Indian learners see online courses as a way to stand out in a sea of qualified job applicants," said Nikhil Sinha, Chief Business Officer, Coursera.
"If a university's primary job is to augment and disseminate knowledge, it is platforms like Coursera that will be a key partner in bringing that knowledge to people at unprecedented scale. Indians have been early adopters of online education. Over the next few years, we predict that online courses and credentials will become extremely common and even requirements to be considered for job roles that need specific skills," he added.
