China’s TikTok today launched an education program in India as the popular short-video app looks to expand its offering and assuage local authority in one of its biggest markets.

TkTok, owned by the world’s most valued startup Bytedance, said it’s working with a number of content creators and firms to populate the platform with educational videos. These bite-sized clips cover a range of topics from school-level science and math concepts to learning new languages. The social app is also featuring videos that offer health and mental awareness, share life tips, and offer motivation.

The social platform, which is used by more than 200 million users in India each month, said its education program is aimed at “democratizing learning for the Indian digital community on the platform.”

It has partnered with edtech startups Vedantu, Toppr, Made Easy, GradeUp that will produce educational content for TikTok. It is also collaborating with social enterprises Josh Talks and the Nudge Foundation to mentor 5,000 people across India. An executive with Josh Talks said the firm was able to reach more than 35 million users on TikTok, far more users than it has attracted through other platforms.

Sachin Sharma, Director of Sales and Partnerships at TikTok, said the social app’s foray into education is a response to the demand it has seen from users. Educational videos are some of the most popular and engaging videos on the platform, he said at a press conference in New Delhi.

In recent months, more than 10 million educational videos have been created and shared on TikTok, where they have garnered over 48 billion views, Sharma claimed.

More to follow…



from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/2pos6vp