Artificial intelligence (AI) is shifting from an optional add-on to a formal requirement in several Indian universities, as institutions are eyeing to increasingly include AI and emerging technologies into their core curricula under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
By leveraging the policy’s online credit framework, which allows students to earn up to 40 per cent of their degree credits through approved digital courses, several Indian and global universities are partnering with edtech platforms to meet credit requirements, expand access to in-demand skills, and modernise degree programs.
These credits, integrated through the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), can be accumulated and transferred under NEP’s ‘multiple entry and exit’ system, a model policymakers view as critical to reaching India’s target of 50 per cent Gross Enrolment Ratio by 2035.
Edtech firms move deeper into university curricula
More than 90 per cent of higher education institutions now engage with digital platforms such as SWAYAM, enabling students to earn credits from courses taught by faculty at premier institutions including IITs, IIMs and central universities, often at little or no cost.
This environment has created new opportunities for large edtech platforms, particularly those with university partnerships across India and overseas.
Over the past six months, edtech major Simplilearn has signed agreements with a mix of Indian and global universities.
On the consumer-facing side, these include Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, IIT Madras Pravartak, XLRI, IIM Kozhikode and IIT Bombay, alongside US institutions such as Michigan Engineering Professional Education and Virginia Tech.
The growing interest is closely linked to NEP’s credit-transfer provisions, revealed Krishna Kumar, CEO of Simplilearn.
“What has happened is that 35-40 per cent of the training is allowed to be taken from outside. So we have seen a lot of interest…to embed our AI courses as part of their curriculum and it becomes part of the credit,” Kumar told ETEntrepreneur.
The company said several additional university partnerships are yet to be announced.
On the institutional side, the edtech firm has partnered with universities such as K Ramakrishna College of Engineering and Lovely Professional University, with more contracts in advanced stages.
Many of these institutions are subscribing to the company’s learning platform to upskill students as part of their degree programmes.
In such cases, the AI modules are steering away from being optional certifications to form part of the core degree requirements.
Similarly, upGrad partners with accredited higher-education institutions to deliver their blended programs aligned with the objectives of NEP 2020 and UGC’s evolving credit norms.
“We work with leading institutions to facilitate their industry & faculty-led programs where curriculum design and academic governance remain firmly with the university. This includes one of our recent collaborations, such as a CTO and AI leadership programme with IIM Udaipur and IIIT Bangalore,” said Anuj Vishwakarma, CEO-Higher Education programs, upGrad.
Beyond individual programs, ‘upGrad School of Technology’ works closely with the universities to provide academic and curriculum advisory support, while enabling industry integration within the existing programs.
Newer curriculum models
The policy’s target of exposing 50 per cent of students to vocational education by 2025 has also prompted universities to look beyond traditional classroom instruction.
At present, India is home to 1.5 million schools, supported by over 8.5 million teachers at the primary and secondary levels, and serving more than 260 million students each year, reports EY.
In higher education, over 40 million learners pursue studies across more than 1,000 universities and 42,000 colleges annually.
Edtech firms are increasingly offering courses in AI, data analytics, Internet-of-Things (IoT) and sector-specific applications such as healthcare and finance.
This transition has gathered pace over the last year.
In a first-of-its-kind move, the Punjab government recently approved a policy allowing private players to set up fully digital universities, showcasing a larger acceptance of online-first higher education models.
Several universities are also experimenting with hybrid arrangements, by retaining core academic curriculums and parallely outsourcing parts of assessments to technology partners.
IIT Madras, which offers one of the country’s most comprehensive fully online degree programmes—the BS Degree in Data Science and Applications—delivered entirely by the Institute through its Centre for Outreach and Digital Education (CODE).
“The programme currently serves a large and diverse learner base across India, including working professionals, learners from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, and first-generation college students,” said Professor Andrew Thangaraj, Coordinator, IIT Madras BS Degree.
“The revenue model allows the Institute to sustain quality delivery while keeping fees significantly lower than comparable private offerings, supported by need-based fee waivers and flexibility in pace of learning,” Thangaraj added.
At International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIIT-H), students are already permitted to transfer a limited number of credits from online courses, while faculty themselves are developing and offering AI-focused programmes.
“The university allows students to transfer a limited number of credits from online courses. Further, through the Division of Flexible Learning, faculty at IIIT-H also offer online courses, including those on Agentic AI, with and without partnership with edtech platforms,” said Prof Kishore Kothapalli, Dean (Academics), IIIT-H.
Beyond curriculum design, AI is also reshaping how education is delivered in under-resourced contexts.
Sowjanya Kanuri, Director, ACT For Education, noted that AI-enabled edtech can be transformative where teacher capacity is constrained.
By making use of automated assessments, AI allows instructors to focus on student engagement while generating faster feedback loops for learners.
“Overall, the strongest gains will come not from AI replacing human instruction, but from AI and teachers working in tandem, and in under-resourced contexts, this complementary model holds significant promise for improving both access and learning outcomes at scale,” Kanuri said.
However, she cautioned that scaling AI-led learning requires deep integration into existing systems rather than parallel digital layers. Furthermore, such solutions must also be flexible enough to adapt to local contexts without diluting learning outcomes.
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