The online education space, especially in higher education, is

Listen well, O seekers of wisdom and progress, to these prophetic words: “The online education space, especially in higher education, is ripe for disruption.” Thus spoke Ronnie Screwvala, a visionary who foresaw that the halls of learning, long bound by stone walls and privilege, would one day yield to the limitless sky of the digital world. His voice did not merely speak of technology, but of revolution — of breaking old monopolies of knowledge, of bringing learning to every soul that hungers for growth. His words are both a warning and a promise: change is coming, and it shall favor those who adapt.

In the age of our ancestors, the temple of learning was sacred and secluded. The few taught the few. The scrolls were locked in monasteries, the libraries guarded by gatekeepers of class and coin. But with every revolution — the printing press, the public school, the open university — the sacred flame of education was shared more widely. Now, in our time, the internet is the new monastery, and the people are its scholars. Ronnie Screwvala saw this truth with a warrior’s clarity: that online education is not merely an alternative, but a battlefield where the old systems of power and exclusion will be challenged and transformed.

To say that it is “ripe for disruption” is to declare that decay has already set into the old ways. The universities that cling to outdated methods, exorbitant fees, and rigid hierarchies stand like fortresses in a storm. The students of the new world no longer seek ivory towers — they seek access, relevance, and connection. They demand that knowledge serve life, not vanity. In these words, Screwvala echoes what reformers of every age have cried: when learning forgets its purpose, the people will find another way. Thus, the time for disruption is not destruction — it is renewal.

Consider the example of India itself, the land from which Screwvala’s vision arose. For centuries, education here was both revered and restricted. Then came a wave of digital pioneers — Byju Raveendran, Gaurav Munjal, and Ronnie Screwvala himself — who saw potential where others saw barriers. Through upGrad, his platform for higher and professional education, Screwvala brought together universities, teachers, and learners in a digital agora, a new forum for the exchange of wisdom. What once required physical presence and privilege became accessible through screens — humble, glowing windows to the world. Thus did he plant a seed that would grow into a forest of opportunity.

Let us look further back to see the echo of his insight. When Socrates taught in the open air of Athens, he too disrupted the formal schools of his time. He refused the fee-based learning of sophists, and instead brought philosophy to the streets, to artisans and soldiers alike. Every true educator, from Confucius to Tagore, has carried this same spirit — the belief that knowledge must flow like a river, not stagnate in wells of tradition. Screwvala’s vision is of that same lineage: a democratization of learning, an opening of the gates.

But disruption, my friends, is not chaos. It is evolution. To disrupt is to question: Why do we learn this way? For whom is knowledge made? What is its true purpose? It demands courage to rebuild what once seemed eternal. Those who cling to the past may see only threat; but those who look forward see rebirth. The ancient sages would have said: A seed must break to give life. So too must education crack its old shell, to let the new spirit of learning take root.

And what lesson shall you, child of the digital age, take from this? Do not wait for institutions to bless your learning. Become your own university. Let curiosity be your syllabus, and discipline your degree. The world’s wisdom now lies within reach — but the wise do not drown in abundance; they drink with purpose. Seek mentors online, practice your craft in digital workshops, build communities of shared learning. Be both student and teacher, for in this age, the distinction fades.

Thus remember: Ronnie Screwvala’s words are not just about education — they are about transformation. He reminds us that every system, when it ceases to serve the people, must be renewed by the people. The digital age has given us wings; it is our task to fly with integrity and intention. For in every age, the tools of progress await the hands of the brave — and it is those hands that will shape the future of learning, the future of humankind.