From crisis to transformation: Evaluating the implementation of DIKSHA in India's EdTech landscape

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic catalysed governments worldwide to rapidly implement large-scale EdTech solutions. In India, the temporary shutdown of schools in March 2020 necessitated an improvement in the education sector's readiness for remote learning. This prompted the rapid evolution of the DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing) platform, initially designed as a teacher-centric digital repository, into a comprehensive national EdTech solution under the PM eVidya initiative. This paper employs an implementation research framework to examine the transformation of DIKSHA from an emergency response tool into a sustainable and scalable digital learning ecosystem. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines policy analysis with primary survey-based research to assess the platform's effectiveness in reaching diverse learner groups across socio-economic and linguistic backgrounds. This research, involving educators and students across multiple states, explores user engagement, accessibility and barriers to adoption. The results underscore the critical need for flexible, scalable and accessible digital solutions, alongside strategic partnerships and timely interventions to prepare education systems for the challenges of a digital future. This study contributes to the nascent field of EdTech implementation research in LMICs by providing empirical insights into the ‘how and why’ of large-scale digital intervention success. It critically examines the role of government policy, infrastructure and stakeholder collaboration in ensuring sustainability and scalability. By contextualising DIKSHA within the broader discourse of EdTech implementation, this research offers actionable implications for replicability in other LMIC contexts, highlighting interventions in policy, technology and education.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic?

• EdTech implementation in LMICs is often characterised by fragmented systems, limited digital infrastructure and weak integration with public education governance.
• Most EdTech studies focus on pilot projects or donor-funded interventions, which often have limited scalability and sustainability.
• The existing literature tends to prioritise system metrics, such as reach, downloads or platform engagement, over actual stakeholder experiences or long-term institutionalisation. There is a lack of structured models to assess the maturity and systemic readiness of public EdTech initiatives.

What this paper adds?

• Proposes an EdTech Implementation Maturity Model that links implementation science with digital infrastructure planning, offering a replicable framework for LMICs.
• Brings user experience to the forefront of EdTech evaluation by incorporating large-scale bilingual surveys of students and teachers, addressing a critical gap in research that often prioritises system metrics over stakeholder perspectives.
• Offers a mixed-methods approach that combines structured survey data with document and policy analysis, enabling a more holistic understanding of platform implementation.

Implications for practice and/or policy

• To ensure continuity and relevance, public digital education platforms must be designed as long-term systemic investments, not temporary crisis responses through formal integration into national education policies, budgets and institutional mandates.
• Governance models for EdTech must accommodate decentralisation, enabling states or regions to adapt digital platforms to local curricula, languages and learning contexts.
• To drive effective adoption and equity, platforms must include built-in mechanisms for continuous user feedback and adaptive iteration, as well as real-time analytics.