Key Takeaways
- Order of entry matters more than market size. English now shares the timetable with two Indian languages, so a first product has to show results in fewer hours.
- Listening is the clearest product gap, so a focused listening and speaking programme is easier to justify than a broad course.
- Start with employers and private CBSE schools, which can be sold directly, and leave state government schools until you have results and a state partner.
India has 246.9 million students in school, and the way they learn English is changing this year. A new three-language rule from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) turns English from a default second language into one of three language slots. For a global English language training (ELT) brand, that makes the order of entry matter more than the size of the market.
This blog discusses what the data says about market size and English skills, what the new rule changes in schools are, and which buyers a foreign brand can reach first. It takes a clear position on that order, and a reader may reasonably disagree with it.
Table of Contents
- How big the market is
- Where English skills fall short
- What the CBSE three-language rule changes
- Where global ELT brands can enter
- What this means for your brand
- Frequently asked questions
How big the market is
Analyst firm Technavio forecasts that India’s language training market will grow by $10.87 billion between 2024 and 2029, a compound annual rate of 17.3%. The figure covers all languages and is an analyst estimate, so it frames the English segment and does not measure it.
Estimates also shift between editions. An earlier Technavio forecast put the same market’s growth at $7.55 billion between 2023 and 2028, at 14.37% a year. A planning team should treat any single analyst number as a range and not as a fact.
Public figures for English alone are thin, and school enrolment is the most solid number available. The Ministry of Education’s school census, UDISE+, counts 1,471,473 schools and 10.1 million teachers in 2024-25. Government schools enrol 121.6 million students and private unaided recognised schools enrol 95.9 million, about 39% of the total.
A foreign brand will get further by sizing the market buyer by buyer, across schools, employers and individual learners, than by quoting one headline number.
Where English skills fall short
India scored 484 on the EF English Proficiency Index 2025, placing it 74th, below the global average of 488. The index uses results from people who chose to take EF’s online test, so it works as a signal and not as a census.
The gap is uneven across skills. On the same fact sheet, India scores 504 in writing, 500 in speaking, 494 in reading and 457 in listening. That puts listening 43 points below speaking, and it is the clearest gap a product can address.
It is also uneven across job functions and states. Customer service scores 531 and sales 500, while legal scores 444 and purchasing and procurement 428. Telangana leads the states at 548, followed by Himachal Pradesh at 540 and Uttarakhand at 538.
Teachers matter here too. EF records a score of 480 for teachers, slightly below the national score of 484.
The shortfall starts in school. The ASER 2023 survey found that about 42% of rural 14 to 18 year olds cannot read easy sentences in English. Among those who can read them, about 73.5% can explain what they mean. Both figures cover rural youth only and are not national averages.
What the CBSE three-language rule changes
A CBSE circular dated 9 April 2026 told affiliated schools to start the third-language structure for Class 6 within seven days. A board circular is binding on affiliated schools. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 behind it is a policy and not a law.
For students entering Class 6 in 2026-27, two of the three languages they study must be native to India, according to reports on the policy.
Reports in February 2026 said that where a school teaches English in Class 6, it is treated as the “foreign” language option. The same report notes that the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023 asks for the home or regional language as the medium of instruction at least until Class 5. It also asks that the third language get enough time for students to build basic interpersonal communication skills.
The view taken here is that this does not shrink demand for English. It changes what a product must prove, because English now shares the timetable with two Indian languages and a programme has to show results in fewer hours.
Where global ELT brands can enter
The three main buyer segments differ in scale, access and risk. The table compares them:
| Segment | What the data shows | Main risk |
|---|---|---|
| Private unaided schools (including many CBSE-affiliated schools) | 95.9 million students in private unaided recognised schools (UDISE+ 2024-25) | English competes with two Indian languages for time in CBSE schools |
| Employers | EF scores range from 428 (purchasing and procurement) to 592 (R&D) | Needs differ by job function, so one course does not fit all |
| State government schools | 121.6 million students in government schools (UDISE+ 2024-25) | Entry runs through state education departments |
In this blog’s view, a foreign brand should start with employers and private schools. Both can be sold directly, and both suit a focused product. State government schools are a later step that needs a state partner.
Private schools are also the easier place to test a product. UDISE+ records 339,583 private unaided recognised schools, and they employ about 4 million teachers. A brand can pilot in a small group of these schools and show results before it approaches a state.
What this means for your brand
India’s English market rewards a narrow, proven product more than a broad one. The first decision is the buyer: employers and private CBSE schools can be reached without a state partner, and government schools can wait until you have local results to show.
The second decision is the skill. Listening is the weakest area on the EF index, so a programme built around listening and speaking addresses the clearest gap. In schools, short and structured units will be easier to adopt than a full-year course, since English now shares class time with two Indian languages.
The third decision is teacher support. With teachers scoring 480 on the EF index, a school product that arrives without teacher training is likely to be taught as a worksheet exercise. Bundling training into the sale gives the programme a better chance of delivering the results a school will ask for.
The fourth decision is geography. Scores run from 548 in Telangana to much lower in other states, so city and state choice should follow your target buyer and not a national average.
IME has already covered the early years side of this topic in two earlier posts: Play-Based vs Rote Learning in Indian Pre-Schools and NEP 2020 and Early Childhood Education. This blog looks at school-age and workforce English instead.
Planning an English language learning entry into India? India Market Entry (IME) helps international education brands choose a first segment and an entry route. Explore IME’s services for global education brands, or book a call with our team.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the English language learning market in India?
No primary source gives a current English-only figure. Technavio estimates that India’s wider language training market will grow by $10.87 billion between 2024 and 2029. A bottom-up estimate by segment is more reliable for planning.
Is English still taught in CBSE schools after the three-language rule?
Yes. Reports say that where a school offers English in Class 6, it counts as the foreign-language option alongside two Indian languages. English now shares the timetable and no longer stands as the second language.
How good is English proficiency in India?
India scored 484 on the EF English Proficiency Index 2025, ranking 74th and slightly below the global average of 488 (EF). Listening is the weakest skill at 457.
Which segment should a foreign ELT brand enter first?
Employers and private CBSE schools. Both can be sold directly, and a focused speaking and listening product suits both. State government schools need a state partner and suit a later phase.
Which Indian states score highest on English proficiency?
On EF’s 2025 data, Telangana leads at 548, followed by Himachal Pradesh at 540 and Uttarakhand at 538. Scores come from people who took EF’s test, so they do not describe every resident.
References
- UDISE+ 2024-25 Report, Ministry of Education
- India Language Training Market Analysis, Technavio (analyst estimate, 2024 to 2029)
- India Language Training Market 2023 to 2028, Technavio (analyst estimate)
- EF EPI 2025 India fact sheet, EF Education First
- ASER 2023 English reading, 14 to 18 age group, PTI via Careers360
- CBSE directs schools to roll out R3 for Class 6, Careers360, 9 April 2026
- CBSE 3-language policy and English as a foreign option, Careers360, 27 February 2026
