How NEP 2020 Is Reshaping School Franchise Growth in India

There was a time when parents chose schools mainly by looking at marks, board results, discipline, and reputation within the locality. If a school consistently produced top-performing students, families felt reassured about their child’s future. Academic performance alone was often considered the biggest indicator of a school’s quality.

But over the years, parental expectations have evolved significantly. Today, parents are thinking far beyond report cards and examination scores. They are asking whether their child will become confident enough to communicate effectively, adaptable enough to thrive in a rapidly changing world, emotionally resilient enough to handle pressure, and skilled enough to build a meaningful future.

This shift is happening because the world outside classrooms has transformed dramatically. Careers are evolving faster than ever, technology is reshaping industries, and competition has become increasingly global. Parents now understand that academic marks alone may no longer guarantee long-term success.

According to the India Skills Report 2024, only 51.25% of Indian graduates are considered employable, highlighting the growing gap between academic learning and practical skills. Similarly, the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report identifies analytical thinking, creativity, communication, adaptability, and resilience among the most important future workforce skills.

This changing reality is exactly why the National Education Policy 2020 and broader NEP 2020 reforms are becoming highly significant for India’s education sector. The policy is not only transforming classroom learning, but also reshaping how schools operate, expand, and grow as modern educational businesses.

As educational expectations continue to evolve, organised educational networks such as Birla Open Minds are increasingly supporting schools in adapting to future-focused and child-centric learning models aligned with NEP 2020.

The National Education Policy 2020 is one of the most significant education reforms introduced in India in recent decades. The policy aims to transform India’s education system by shifting focus from rote memorisation towards holistic, skill-based, and experiential learning

• Competency-based education

• Foundational literacy and numeracy

• Experiential and project-based learning

• Multidisciplinary education

• Technology integration in classrooms

• Vocational and skill-based learning

• Flexible curriculum structures

• Focus on communication and critical thinking

The policy also places strong emphasis on early childhood education, teacher development, and digital learning infrastructure

For schools, these reforms are creating a major shift in operational expectations. Parents increasingly expect institutions to provide future-ready education that balances academics with creativity, communication skills, emotional well-being, and practical learning exposure

As a result, NEP education reforms in India are driving demand for modern, scalable, and professionally managed school systems

One of the biggest impacts of NEP 2020 is the changing expectation parents now have from schools. Families are no longer looking only for academic scores. They want schools that offer holistic development, experiential learning, technology-enabled classrooms, extracurricular exposure, and future-ready education

• Teaching methodologies

• Student confidence and communication skills

• Emotional well-being support

• Technology integration

• Practical learning opportunities

• Vocational and skill-based learning

• Teacher quality and training

• Overall learning environment

This shift is increasing demand for organised educational brands that can offer standardised systems, modern curriculum frameworks, and consistent educational quality.

As a result, India is witnessing rapid growth in professionally managed educational networks and franchise-based school models. Educational organisations such as Birla Open Minds are increasingly aligning their academic models with experiential and holistic learning approaches encouraged under NEP 2020

One of the strongest focus areas of NEP 2020 reforms is foundational learning and early childhood education. The policy recognises that cognitive, emotional, and communication development begin during the earliest years of childhood.

This growing awareness is significantly increasing demand for organised preschool franchise models across India. Parents today are looking for safe, engaging, and development-focused preschool environments that go beyond basic childcare.

According to industry reports by IBEF and IMARC Group, India’s preschool education market continues to grow steadily due to rising parental awareness, nuclear families, urbanisation, and increasing participation of working parents.

As a result, preschool franchise opportunities are expanding rapidly in both metropolitan and emerging cities. Institutions associated with Birla Open Minds are also increasingly focusing on foundational learning approaches that align with NEP 2020 goals.

NEP 2020 also places strong emphasis on multidisciplinary and skill-based education at the school level. Students are increasingly expected to develop critical thinking, communication abilities, creativity, collaboration, and practical problem-solving skills

Modern k12 franchise systems are adapting by introducing experiential learning models, vocational exposure, activity-based learning, and technology-enabled classrooms.

CBSE has already increased the weightage of competency-based questions in board examinations, encouraging schools to move away from rote memorisation towards application-oriented learning.

This transformation is creating strong opportunities for K12 educational brands that align with the future-focused vision of NEP 2020.

The implementation of NEP 2020 reforms is creating large-scale opportunities for organised educational networks and franchise-led school expansion across India.

Many independent schools face challenges while adapting to curriculum reforms, teacher training requirements, technology integration, and modern parent expectations.

• Standardized curriculum systems

• Teacher training support

• Technology-enabled learning platforms

• Academic planning frameworks

• Operational guidance

• Brand credibility and trust

• Scalable school management systems

As schools increasingly transition towards competency-based and holistic education, professionally managed franchise networks are becoming attractive for both investors and school operators.

This is one of the major reasons why the school franchise industry in India is witnessing accelerated growth after NEP 2020. Educational brands such as Birla Open Minds are contributing to this transition through innovation-led learning models, teacher development initiatives, and future-ready educational frameworks.

One of the most significant education trends in India today is the rising demand for quality education in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Parents in smaller cities are increasingly aspiring for globally competitive education opportunities for their children.

For many families, education today represents social mobility, financial stability, confidence, and access to better career opportunities.

According to IBEF and KPMG India reports, demand for organised educational institutions has increased significantly in non-metro cities due to rising incomes, educational awareness, and evolving parental expectations.

This growing aspiration is creating strong opportunities for school franchise expansion beyond metropolitan regions.

Technology integration is becoming one of the most important pillars of NEP 2020 for schools. Institutions across India are increasingly adopting smart classrooms, digital learning platforms, AI-enabled assessments, and hybrid learning systems

However, technology alone is not enough. Teacher training and faculty development are equally important for successful implementation of NEP reforms.

UNESCO and NCERT recommendations strongly emphasise continuous professional development for educators to support experiential and competency-based learning models.

Forward-thinking educational organisations, including Birla Open Minds, are increasingly combining technology-enabled learning with teacher development and student-centric educational practices.

While NEP 2020 creates significant growth opportunities, schools may also face several operational and financial challenges during implementation.

• Infrastructure upgrades

• Teacher retraining requirements

• Technology investment costs

• Curriculum restructuring

• Assessment reforms

• Increased operational complexity

• Parent expectation management

Many independent schools may struggle to adapt quickly due to limited resources or lack of structured implementation systems. This is one reason why organised franchise models are increasingly becoming attractive for educational entrepreneurs and school operators.

The future of schooling in India is expected to become increasingly holistic, technology-enabled, skill-focused, and student-centred. As NEP 2020 reforms continue to shape educational expectations, schools aligned with modern learning practices are likely to witness stronger long-term growth.

• Rising demand for experiential learning

• Growth of digital classrooms and EdTech integration

• Increased awareness about early childhood education

• Expansion of private schools in emerging cities

• Growing investor interest in education sector growth

• Demand for standardised educational quality

• Need for future-ready curriculum models

As India’s education landscape evolves, organised school franchise systems are expected to play a major role in helping schools adapt to modern educational expectations efficiently and at scale.