A Transformative Convergence: Key Takeaways from the ASU GSV and Emeritus Summit 2025

In its third year now, the ASU GSV and Emeritus Summit has become an annual calendar event for leaders of the education industry, edtech players, learning facilitators, investors in the education sector, and policymakers. The ASU GSV and Emeritus Summit 2025 was a remarkable gathering of thought leaders, educators, and industry disruptors, converging to explore the evolving landscape of education, technology, and workforce development. Over the course of three days, panel discussions, fireside chats, and keynote addresses shed light on the most pressing issues shaping the future of learning and employment. 

Here are the key themes and highlights that emerged from this dynamic event.

India’s Unique Position as an Education Market: Why India, Why Now

Pooja Jayaram from Emeritus, speaking at the India Rising: Shaping the Future of Global Education panel

India stands at the epicenter of an educational revolution. With over 45 million learners in higher education and millions more aspiring to access quality education, the country presents an unparalleled opportunity for global education providers. As Pooja Jayaram, Senior Vice President of University Partnerships in APAC at Emeritus, in a panel, India Rising: Shaping the Future of Global Education, emphasized, “India has so much demand. We need more and more universities to come because the supply and demand gap (between learners and universities/learning platforms) is massive. The more the number of universities come in, the more the collaborations here, the more it is going to benefit the students in India.”

Prashasti Rastogi, Senior Director of Education and Government, in another panel titled, Why India, Why Now, outlined India’s potential using the three P’s: Policy, People, and Participation. “Only 3% of our workforce is formally skilled. There’s a lot of work to be done,” she noted, emphasizing the urgency of skill-building initiatives,” she explained.

AI and Its Deeper Integration in Education and Industries

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept—it is fundamentally altering how we learn, work, and innovate. The panel on AI in EdTech, featuring leaders like Ankit Aggarwal (Unstop) and Vishal Sunil (Rocket Learning), explored the power of AI in personalizing education. “We need to move from information to insight (with AI) and ensure that this information is clean of perception because it doesn’t take too much to push perception out as reality on the internet,” said Maheshwer Peri of Careers360.

However, challenges persist. Vishal Sunil warned, “We should stay away from creating an AI divide like the digital divide. AI should help all users, not just super users.”

Michael Crow, President of Arizona State University, emphasized AI’s role in achieving “inclusive excellence.” He highlighted ASU’s success in integrating AI to improve graduation rates and employability: “We have an unbelievably complicated environment, and yet we are helping 40,000 students, both online and offline, graduate with degrees at par with the best colleges in the United States.”

IPOs and the Business of Education: Should EdTech Go Public?

There has been a lot of talk about edtech companies going public in 2025, which is a theme that continues from the last edition of the ASU GSV and Emeritus Summit in 2024. So, are IPOs the next step in growth and consolidation for education enterprises or just one of the trending milestones that companies want to have in their kitty?

In a panel discussion on funding and IPOs for education companies, Pranjal Kumar, CFO at Emeritus, explained his stance as he said, “From our perspective, some of our biggest stakeholders are our university partners. So, we have to be very deliberate and measured about working to get a strategic alignment with them. Hence, we will have to be a lot more deliberate on these infractions.” On the same panel, 

Ashwin Damera, CEO and Co-founder at Emeritus, actually put this question to Rahul Bothra, CFO at Swiggy, in a special fireside chat: do edtech companies risk diluting the value of their association with legacy education brands when they go public?

To this, Botha replied, “My personal belief is that every company should aspire to be in the public market. An IPO is not just a financial event—it’s the single largest marketing event in a company’s life,” opined Rahul Bothra, CFO at Swiggy

Rajendra Pawar, a veteran in the education sector, underscored that IPOs bring greater transparency, accountability, and sustainability. “An IPO means you’re building a company to last. It’s not just about getting more money; it’s about becoming more transparent,” he noted.

Skills and Jobs of the Future in an AI-Dominated Market

The future of jobs is not just about AI but also about adaptability. Ronnie Screwvala, co-founder of upGrad, shared a crucial insight: “The next 200 million jobs are not necessarily going to come only through skilling. There will be a lot of self-employment in India.”

Skilling was a recurring theme throughout the summit. With AI automating many routine tasks, the demand for problem-solving, creativity, and human-centric skills will surge. “Any advances in AI are keeping not just tech but business on its toes. I wish the use of AI in education improves critical thinking instead of reducing it,” said Ankit Aggarwal.

One critical takeaway was the need for a lifelong learning mindset. As Sanjeev Sanyal, renowned Indian economist and author who is currently serving on the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, noted, “The current education model—where you learn till 25 and work for decades without reskilling—is absurd. We will have to create a way where people go back to university all the time.”

The Learning Overhaul from Pre-K to Gray

Education is no longer confined to classrooms. Co-founder and Chair of the non-profit CK12 Foundation, Neeru Khosla’s fireside chat with Chaitanya Kalipatnapu, Co-Founder at Emeritus, on Building a Global Classroom highlighted the need for democratized, personalized learning. “Each student, parent, and teacher should be able to customize their learning experience,” she stated.

Smita Deorah of LEAD School stressed the need for teacher empowerment. “If you remove the crutch of a textbook and empower a teacher with tech, even an unskilled teacher can skill quickly and deliver better learning outcomes,” she explained.

Last but not least, Mary Kom’s inspiring session moderated by Ashwin Damera brought a different dimension to learning—grit, perseverance, and continuous improvement. “To become a champion is not easy at all. I travelled by bus and train, in sleeper class, with no reservations. But I never gave up,” she shared.

To this, former captain of the Indian Hockey Team and Olympian Viren Rasquinha further added, “In sports, as in life, resilience and persistence separate the greats from the rest. Mary’s journey is proof that with the right mindset, anything is possible.” Rasquinha is the Managing Director and CEO at OGQ, a non-profit organization that supports athletes like Mary Kom for the Olympics and Paralympics.

Conclusion: Charting the Future of Education and Work

The ASU GSV and Emeritus Summit 2025 served as a powerful reminder that education and work are undergoing seismic shifts. India’s strategic position as an education hub, AI’s rapid transformation of learning and jobs, and the ongoing debate around edtech IPOs all signal a redefined future.

As we move forward, the key to success will lie in adaptability, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to making education accessible to all. Whether through AI-driven personalization, continuous upskilling, or fostering an entrepreneurial mindset, the future belongs to those who embrace change and learning as a lifelong journey.

We leave this summit with renewed energy, inspired by the thought leaders who are shaping the next chapter in global education. As Mary Kom said, “Where there is a will, there is a way.” The revolution is here—are we ready to lead it?

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