For a brighter future: What Indian edtech startups want from the government in Budget 2021

What Indian edtech startups and education-focussed entrepreneurs want from the government in Budget 2021:

• Tweak or remove the tax payable on employee stock options (ESOPs).
• Cut GST on online learning courses from the current 18 percent to bring parity with offline teaching.
• Offer a tax deduction to people for taking up online learning courses.
• Provide tax sops or credit guarantee to education-focussed fintech firms and NBFCs to increase lending.
• Offer students a rebate or subsidy to buy devices such as computers for online learning.
• Ramp up digital infrastructure in smaller towns and rural areas to reduce the digital divide.
• Set up open digital networks that ed-tech startups and financiers can use to expand access to education.
• Provide an incentive to teachers to upgrade skills and use modern teaching methodologies.
• Revamp the B.Ed teacher training system and include an online element.
• Encourage public-private partnerships, nudge colleges and universities to tie up with ed-tech firms and fintech financiers.
• Implement the National Education Policy and encourage universities to offer online degrees.

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Budget 2021: Edtech startups seek lower tax burden, incentives to boost online learning

For YourStory's multimedia coverage of Budget 2021, visit YourStory's Budget 2021 page or budget.yourstory.com