{"id":4610,"date":"2020-09-07T18:05:56","date_gmt":"2020-09-07T12:35:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/blog\/?p=4610"},"modified":"2025-03-05T08:00:28","modified_gmt":"2025-03-05T02:30:28","slug":"digital-literacy-india-tutormate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/razorpay.com\/blog\/digital-literacy-india-tutormate\/","title":{"rendered":"World Literacy Day 2020: How Tutormate is Promoting Digital Literacy in India"},"content":{"rendered":"

How fortunate are we that every day we get to go on the internet and read our favourite articles and blogs. We get to experience the stories in captivating novels and the rhythm in soulful poems. We can take an online course and experience digital literacy firsthand! Literacy, then, truly becomes a privilege when it should be a right.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf we talk about literacy, we have to talk about how to enhance our children\u2019s mastery over the tools needed to live intelligent, creative and involved lives.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Danny Glover<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

However, literacy today has more meaning than just being able to read, understand and write. We have realized that it’s important that every student loves what they study and feel excited about the education they get. This is also the aim of one of our partner companies, which is trying to make digital literacy a norm in India.<\/span><\/p>\n

This Literacy Day, Razorpay brings you the story of Tutormate, an edtech start-up making digital education accessible for all.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tutormate: Democratizing digital literacy for all<\/span><\/h2>\n

The groundwork for Tutormate<\/a> started in 2015 when the team realised that in an average Indian classroom, all students don\u2019t get the same attention. Every student, sitting in any corner of a classroom, has the right to learn at their own pace. In India, 70-80% of classrooms are filled with average or below-average students. These students need revisions, simpler understanding, attention and interactive methods.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Post the in-school hours starts the routine affair where students run from one tuition class to another – without any breaks. After talking to multiple stakeholders, the team at Tutormate realised that most of this is emerging from a hollow trend. With the same classroom experience being imparted in tuitions, there was no place for a student who required extra help.<\/span><\/p>\n

This was when Tutormate decided to enter the education sector to solve the pressing problem at hand. Launched in 2017, Tutormate is an online learning platform that aims to engage students by way of interactive content. This includes video lessons, animations and personalized tutor sessions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike big players in the edtech sector, the team at Tutormate is trying to cater to every student. This especially includes the ones who are in search of a patient, interactive and simpler way of teaching.<\/span><\/p>\n

The objective<\/span><\/h3>\n

Aditya Chandan, Director at Tutormate, says \u201c<\/span>No one in the system was trying to simplify learning. Kids were running from one tuition centre to another and slogging in class. Digital literacy was the need of the hour.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Tutormate\u2019s mission is to simplify content for students by making it engaging, entertaining and affordable. Their team is a firm believer of the fact that rote learning and studying for marks is the ultimate downfall of a nation\u2019s education scenario. They want to vigorously promote \u2018learning by understanding\u2019 which can be affordable to everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

The journey<\/span><\/h3>\n

The brand started with a proof of concept, which got them a positive response from students and teachers. Gradually, they started scaling up their content creation and video lesson production. In September 2018, they launched an app for students studying in class VIII-X. The aim was to judge and observe the initial traction, feedback and user adoption.<\/span><\/p>\n

For more than one and a half years, they were offering their course material on the mobile application for free. This was in stark contrast to competitor brands which were charging thousands of rupees for the same course structure. In Aditya’s words, \u201c<\/span>Good resources are a waste of effort if all students can\u2019t access them at all times\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Backed by this ideology, they started monetising their material for a meagre amount of <\/span>\u20b9<\/span>500 per month for Classes 6-8. <\/span>For <\/span>Class 11-12, availing IIT-JEE and NEET courses, the fee is <\/span>\u20b9<\/span>1000 per month.<\/span><\/p>\n

What makes them different?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Affordable plans<\/span><\/h3>\n

Driven by the idea of making their simple course materials available to all, Tutormate charges low prices as compared to the industry standard. Aditya explains that their plans are designed in such a way that an auto driver\u2019s child can also afford them. Indeed, education is most valuable when shared.<\/span><\/p>\n

Quality and visual-first content<\/span><\/h3>\n

TutorMate has over 1500 hours of video lessons (with 2D and 3Danimations) on its application. Created in-house, their content provides a 360-degree learning solution which makes learning easy and fun for students. The solution also offers notes, practice questions and tests. Their unique Test Guide teaches students how to solve problems, step-by-step, in an exam environment. The product team focuses on facilitating understanding via visualisation.<\/span><\/p>\n

[bctt tweet=”TutorMate has over 1500 hours of video lessons (with 2D and 3Danimations) on its application. Created in-house, their content provides a 360-degree learning solution which makes learning easy and fun for students.” username=”Razorpay”]<\/p>\n

Considerate philosophy\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Tutormate has a philosophy which is unheard in the market till now, but at the same time is much needed. Their focus, unlike many brands, is realistic, empathetic and promotes digital literacy. They want the kids who are struggling with studies to become better but not by pushing them to extreme lengths.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Aditya notes, \u201c70-80% kids in a classroom are not star geniuses. We want to focus on these kids and take them to their maximum potential. Even if the improvement is 20-30%, but they end up loving and understanding what they are studying, our work is done\u201d.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

How Razorpay joined Tutormate in their journey<\/span><\/h2>\n

After one and a half years of putting their content online for free, Tutormate decided to monetise their product for its users finally. Underlining this decision was the principle that they wanted education to be affordable and accessible to the maximum number of people.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Charging a fee came with the demanding task of setting up a payment system. From choosing a plan to receiving the payment – while complying with all necessary regulations – was a daunting task.<\/span><\/p>\n

The problems at hand<\/span><\/h3>\n

When Tutormate was looking towards monetisation, they were facing three key challenges.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n