Representing half the population of the Commonwealth, the importance of open learning innovation is clearer in India than in any other country. With the challenge of supporting 1.4 billion people, the scale of learning need is recognised by all. India is stepping up to that challenge. Driven by the visionary National Education Policy 2020, India now represents a significant force in global learning innovation. Since COL’s founding, we have been privileged to bring India’s leadership in open education to the world. In the last few months, this has included experts bringing India’s experiences in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the Caribbean.
And of course, we continue to build on long-standing successes, such as with community radio, where we are exploring innovations to extend its already strong reach into rural and remote regions. Our core Lifelong Learning for Farmers in India is also progressing, with work underway to scope a potential new data-driven agricultural learning ecosystem. However, in this issue, we reflect on the recently established directions in which India is leading the world.
COL works closely with the Government of India and vital stakeholder partners at all levels on a significant ongoing body of innovation. Most recently, this has included big strides in advancing open higher education in India, working with vice chancellors to help chart a national roadmap for more unified ODL provision. In parallel, COL is supporting open learning development for open schooling with the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and the National Council of Educational Research and Training.
To crystallise this work, during Professor Scott’s visit to India in November 2025, COL celebrated the launch of new policy instruments on employability and AI at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BAOU) in Ahmedabad, alongside ministers from the Gujarat government. Building on this momentum, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish the Integrated Digital Education Academy and advance e-learning in Hyderabad, Telangana. This partnership, supported by the Honourable Chief Minister of Telangana, Sri Anumula Revanth Reddy, with BAOU focuses on enhancing technology-enabled learning, faculty development through AI micro-credentials, and the development of a ‘digital learning’ consortium.
Overarching all of this, we have initiated a programme to elevate the quality of online and distance education throughout India through an MOU with the National Assessment and Accreditation Council, establishing a new workstream that includes developing quality assurance frameworks for digital learning, enhancing capacity building, and ensuring the employability of India’s tertiary graduates, extending existing COL employability programme investments.
Most recently, recognising India’s leadership in AI, a COL team participated in the AI Summit in New Delhi in February 2026, where they launched a new framework for Frugal AI for learning and highlighted the importance of youth voices in shaping AI development. Participants were invited to endorse the Gaborone to New Delhi Compact, which calls on signatories to collaborate within a Commonwealth alliance to advance a locally driven, open-source approach to AI that respects national sovereignty and aligns with country-specific priorities in teaching and learning.
This story was originally published in the April 2026 issue of Connections. Read the full issue: https://hdl.handle.net/11599/6130.
