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YouTube on Monday announced a new product during the 8th edition of Google for India, revealing its plan to offer structured learning on the video-sharing platform.

Dubbed Courses, the product would not only provide richer learning experiences for its audiences, but it would also offer another monetisation avenue for creators.

“Learning is a top priority area for YouTube,” Ishan John Chatterjee, Director, India, YouTube said, as the firm launched its next chapter of learning on the video-sharing platform. Courses will soon be available on YouTube in India across all types of learning, he added.

A select group of qualified creators can begin offering free or paid Courses to provide in-depth, structured learning experiences for viewers. In India, LearnoHub, Speak English With Aishwarya, and Telusko, among others, will develop courses across academic and vocational subjects in various Indian languages in the beta phase.

While Courses would help with difficult concepts—simplifying, structuring, organising, and explaining one step at a time—it would also provide reading materials to enhance learning. 

YouTube, said to be the world’s largest platform for education and skilling content, has been the starting point of education for some of the giants in the edtech space. 

In India, YouTube claims it has over 60 million videos related to digital skills or subjects taught in school, and 50% of Indians currently working use YouTube to develop skills to further their career in 2021.

The platform has helped democratise information, opening new possibilities to discover and be discovered for millions of Indians, the company said, adding that the number of YouTube channels in India making Rs 1 lakh or more in annual revenue is up by over 60% annually. 

At Google for India, the company released the findings of the latest Oxford Economics study on the state of the creator economy. In 2021, YouTube’s creative ecosystem contributed over Rs 10,000 crore to the country’s GDP, supporting more than 7,50,000 full-time equivalent jobs in India, the report said.

“We are delighted that YouTube’s creative ecosystem continues to power India’s creator economy, supporting new jobs and opportunities across the length and breadth of the country,” said Ajay Vidyasagar, Director – South, Southeast Asia, and APAC Emerging Markets, YouTube. 

He added, “We have come a long way in this journey and remain committed to introducing new ways for creators to engage with their audiences across languages and grow their revenues.”