Skillshare, an online learning platform based in the United States, has announced its entry into India's burgeoning EdTech market, having raised more than $108 million in venture capital from international investors. Skillshare aims to meet India's growing demand for creative educational courses.

According to Matt Cooper, CEO of Skillshare, “India has a flourishing edtech sector valued at over $15 billion. Combined with a growing population of millennials looking to pursue and monetize their creative passions, and the rising demand for creative classes, the Indian market presents huge opportunities for Skillshare to widen our online learning community. We’re excited to launch our operations in India and we see this as a crucial part of our global growth strategy.”

India is the world's second-largest market for online learning, with a CAGR of 44 percent expected by 2020. By the end of 2022, it is expected that half a billion new internet users will have signed up. This expansion is fueled by a massive increase in online learning's paid user base, making it the preferred option for businesses looking to enter the Indian market.

Over 30,000 video-based classes covering a wide range of creative disciplines, from graphic design to photography, painting, illustration, and interior design, are taught by experts in their fields on Skillshare, which has more than 13 million registered members.

Union Square Ventures, OMERS Growth Equity, Spero Ventures, Adobe, and Burda Principal Investors are among the investors in Skillshare's India venture.

Aayur Kaul, Skillshare's India market head, stated, “India is a unique market for Skillshare. The sheer number of new internet users, coupled with the demand for microlearning, promises more growth opportunities. Our focus in India is to bring our platform to the growing number of creators looking to level up in their careers or deepen their creative interests – as a hobby or as a step to monetize their passions.”

Over 1,000 Indian creators work for Skillshare, creating authentic content that resonates with locals. He added, “we also plan to invest in initiatives to recruit local talent to get started as teachers — creatively inclined people, who are experts in their areas of interest."

Skillshare offers a wealth of resources and programmes to teachers who want to create content and share their knowledge, allowing them to earn money while doing what they love. Skillshare saw a 35 percent increase in onboarding new local teachers in 2021. The company intends to hire more teachers in the coming year through a variety of initiatives.