How has been the experience after your transition from OLX to Udemy?
My experience at Udemy has been really great so far. I have been amazed at how global the company is and how much Udemy has become integrated in India even before formal operations in the country. It’s an inspiration to see so many Indian students taking courses from instructors around the world and learning new skills to better their lives.
I’m currently reliving the challenge and excitement of building a business and team from the ground up, and I know that my success means the success of many more students and instructors in India. Helping people improve their lives through learning is a humbling experience.
Is there any localisation of projects intended especially for Indian students?
Currently, my focus is on proactively growing the market and delivering a better personalized and localized experience to our students and instructors in India. Having local operations will allow us to better understand the unique needs of Indian students and tailor our experiences to serve them better.
How would students in remote areas benefit from Udemy?
Key benefit of Udemy and online education is the democratisation of access — people can learn from world class teachers anytime and anywhere at their own pace. We have already developed many features to help students learn in remote areas. For example, they can adjust the streaming quality to ensure that courses play even on slow internet connections. We also offer a download feature on our mobile apps which allows students to learn offline. In addition, our platform is designed in a way that anyone can move seamlessly between Udemy’s mobile and desktop experience, so they can start taking a course on their phone and continue on their laptop.
What are the main challenges that Udemy faces as an education provider?
India is a big country with many regions and dialects — that in itself is a challenge. In addition, people in India have adopted a mobile first nature which presents more user experience opportunities of delivering an immersive learning experience. Having said that, traditional education in India is no longer adequate for equipping people with all the knowledge they’ll need throughout their careers.
Technology is changing job functions too quickly and many current students will find themselves in roles one day that may not even exist today. Udemy’s focus is on helping people at all stages of their career gain the skills and competencies they need in order to advance at work. We’re the largest online marketplace, and because most of our instructors are working practitioners, we’re best suited to provide access to the latest skills and trends in the job market.
What are your expansion plans for India?
We are excited at the opportunity to better localize our platform in India. We see this as an ongoing process that will require time, dedication, and expanding our team. We’re hoping to have a few new hires join us soon and help us bring learning to even more people in India.