India's higher education system faces a significant challenge to meet the New National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 target of 50 percent Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) by 2035. A recent report by the Confederation of Indian Industry and Grant Thornton Bharat reveals that the country must enroll approximately 86.11 million students, representing an 85 percent increase from current levels. This ambitious goal requires a sustained 5.3 percent compounded annual growth rate over the next decade. Traditional campus-based institutions alone cannot achieve this scale, necessitating a differentiated approach that includes technology-enabled learning pathways such as digital universities, virtual ecosystems, and credit-based online programs. The report, based on roundtable discussions with over ten universities and secondary research, emphasizes that transformation in higher education has shifted from a policy aspiration to an operational necessity, with focus moving beyond access to include scale and quality.
Technology and Employability Driving Educational Transformation
The report highlights that nearly 40 percent of core job skills are expected to change by 2030, making employability a critical design principle in higher education. Institutions are responding by embedding micro-credentials, modular credits, and work-integrated learning into their curricula. They are also utilizing AI-enabled assessments and forming industry partnerships to better prepare students. As technology, globalization, and learner expectations reshape the educational landscape, higher education institutions are experimenting with academic flexibility, participatory governance, process improvements, and automation. Technology now plays an integral role in both academic and non-academic spheres, helping institutions navigate the transformation needed to accommodate growing student numbers while maintaining educational quality.
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