Section Article

Impact of EdTech Platforms on Parental Aspirations in Lower-Income Groups
Author(s): Karan Kumar

Abstract
The digital revolution in education accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a burgeoning EdTech industry in India. While the impact of EdTech on student learning outcomes has been widely discussed less attention has been paid to how these platforms influence parental aspirations particularly among lower-income groups. This paper investigates how exposure to EdTech platforms reshapes the educational hopes anxieties and decision-making processes of economically disadvantaged parents in urban and semi-urban India. Through ethnographic fieldwork interviews and content analysis in Delhi Jaipur and Patna the study finds that EdTech introduces new possibilities and pressures amplifying both hope and burden. While some parents view EdTech as a pathway to upward mobility others experience it as a site of exclusion and financial strain. The findings reveal a complex interplay of aspiration digital literacy class identity and trust in technology highlighting the need for inclusive and context-sensitive digital education policies.