Coursera inks MoU with NIELIT to explore modernizing India’s digital education landscape

Coursera and the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the India AI Impact Summit to explore collaboration in support of India’s digital education goals.

The MoU outlines a framework to evaluate opportunities such as reciprocal course availability on each organization’s platforms and credential pathways that may help learners demonstrate job-relevant skills. The announcement was made by Coursera CTO Mustafa Furniturewala and APAC Managing Director Ashutosh Gupta, alongside S. Krishnan (Secretary, MeitY) and Prof. M.M. Tripathi (Director General, NIELIT). This MoU builds on the strategic discussions initiated between Coursera CEO Greg Hart and Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in July 2025.

“We are pleased to sign this MoU with the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology to explore formal programs and partnerships to enable the delivery of high-quality courses,” said Ashutosh Gupta, Managing Director, India and Asia Pacific, Coursera. “Our goal is to evaluate ways to offer impactful learning experiences that help students build job-relevant skills and improve their employability.”

Under the MoU, Coursera and NIELIT intend to assess potential initiatives, which may include:

Integration options to broaden access to selected courses on each platform, with the objective to enhance learner employability through globally recognized credentials

Co-development of industry-aligned learning pathways, including leveraging Coursera’s AI-powered Course Builder

“We look forward to a mutually beneficial engagement with Coursera to help us further improve skill and employment outcomes for students,” said Prof. M.M Tripathi, Director General, National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology. “This MoU is the first step to evaluate programs that could incorporate Coursera’s industry-aligned courses on our platform and help develop a future-ready workforce for emerging industries.”