2 Indian education tools among finalists of inaugural Global Edtech Prize

London: One of the largest free online test preparation offers and a platform codifying best practice for greater accessibility were among the Indian finalists of the inaugural Global EdTech Prize, created to spotlight trailblazing solutions to some of the most crucial challenges in classrooms around the world.

While Gurukul from Avanti Fellows in India made the final three in the Non-Profits category, LEAD Learning System from India's LEAD Group made its mark in the Majors category at the World Schools Summit at Yasmina British Academy in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Founded by UK-headquartered T4 Education with Owl Ventures, the winners of the prize included Imagine Worldwide Tablet-Based Foundational Learning Programme in Africa, America’s Brisk Teaching and Australia’s Matific.

“Congratulations to LEAD Learning System from LEAD Group and Gurukul from Avanti Fellows in India on making the Final 3 for the inaugural Global EdTech Prize; their work is a crucial contribution to the cause of improving education,” said Vikas Pota, founder of T4 Education and the Global EdTech Prize.

“We established the Global EdTech Prize to help scale the innovations that are making a real difference to the most intractable educational challenges, from enhancing literacy development to building lifelong skills, supporting social mobility, and closing learning gaps. I hope this award will now allow them to spread their impact across the world,” he said.

The Top 10 finalists for each of the three categories were invited to the World Schools Summit – hosted by T4 Education, Aldar Education, and the Emirates Foundation and supported by CIFF, Google, Microsoft and HP. There, they were invited to showcase their work before an expert panel comprising leading figures in the technology and education sectors, including investors and policymakers from around the world.

The panel then narrowed down the Final 3 per category, who went on to present their products and tools for educators to vote by secret ballot to determine the winner of each category. “By harnessing technology in the service of education, your work deserves recognition worldwide. I hope that through this prestigious award, policymakers, educators, and changemakers alike see the impact of your innovation and help scale the transformation we need,” said Amit A. Patel, co-founder and managing partner of Owl Ventures.

Gurukul, developed by Avanti Fellows and powered by Capgemini, made its mark as one of India’s largest free online test preparation platforms for students preparing for competitive exams. Launched in 2024, Gurukul is a mobile-first, open-source platform tailored for low-resource settings. LEAD Learning System has been hailed for revolutionising school education in India by transforming budget private schools into centres of academic excellence.

It made the final three for its ability to transform student learning by codifying the best practices of curriculum design, lesson planning, teaching, training, monitoring and remediation and making it available in an easy-to-use form by teachers, students, school leaders and parents. The Global EdTech Prize will be awarded annually across three categories: Non-Profits, Start-Ups, and Majors.