What Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET) — NCERT (OER activities) does

CIET (Central Institute of Educational Technology) is the Government of India's premier national institute for educational technology, operating since 1984 as a constituent unit of NCERT under the Ministry of Education. It was formed through the merger of the Center for Educational Technology (1973) and the Department of Teaching Aids (1959). The institute's mandate is to coordinate federal educational technology activity for school education, spanning digital platforms, broadcast television, radio, and physical media, and to deliver nationwide teacher capacity-building. Operationally, CIET serves as the official coordinating body for State Institutes of Educational Technology (SIETs), DIETs, SCERTs, and other teacher education institutions across India's 28 states and 8 union territories.

CIET's product surface is structured as a platform-plus-initiatives architecture. Core platforms include PM e-Vidya (the unifying multi-modal mega-initiative encompassing DIKSHA as the One Nation One Digital Platform), ePathshala (e-resource repository launched 2015), SWAYAM MOOCs (with NCERT designated as National Coordinator for Classes IX–XII), and the NCP Tech Platform implementing NEP 2020. Broadcast distribution comprises 200 PM eVidya DTH TV channels (expanded from the original 12 One Class One Channel), 40+ Gyan Vani FM radio stations, and the NCERT Official YouTube channel. Production infrastructure includes TV studios (A and B), music and talk studios, graphics/animation and post-production facilities, VR/AR labs, and the Vidya Samiksha Kendra analytics facility. Annual production cadence is approximately 100 audio programs and 200 video programs. Specialized programs include NISHTHA/NISHTHA 2.0 teacher training, the AI Cell (established 2024), the Translation Cell for 22 scheduled Indian languages, accessibility resources for Children with Special Needs (DIVYANG) including ISL Channel 31 and Prashast, and the UGC CARE List-Group I indexed Indian Journal of Educational Technology (IJET).

CIET's business model is government appropriations-funded: there is no commercial revenue model, and all content — DIKSHA, PM eVidya, ePathshala, SWAYAM MOOCs, NISHTHA, webinars — is provided free of charge. Marginal revenue exists through CD/DVD catalogue sales at CIET counters, but this is incidental. The customer base comprises the Government of India/Ministry of Education as the sole institutional funder, with beneficiaries spanning approximately 25 crore (250 million) school-going students, teachers, teacher educators, SIETs/DIETs/SCERTs, Children with Special Needs, schools, and parents. The GTM model combines direct-to-consumer digital broadcasting and platforms with event-driven outreach (webinars, NISHTHA cohorts, AICEeCC competition) and community-led engagement with state-level education institutions. CIET employs a structured workforce across four divisions — Department of ICT & Training (DICT), Media Production Division (MPD), Planning & Research Division (PRD), and Engineering Division (ED) — led by Joint Director (I/c) Dr. Amarendra P Behera and Professor & Head of DICT Dr. Indu Kumar, who additionally serves as National Coordinator for DIKSHA.

Name

Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET) — NCERT (OER activities)

Legal name

Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET)

Website

https://ciet.ncert.gov.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Short description

CIET is the Government of India's premier national educational technology institute under NCERT and the Ministry of Education, operating multi-modal OER platforms including DIKSHA, PM eVidya (200 DTH TV channels), Gyan Vani FM radio, ePathshala, SWAYAM MOOCs, and NISHTHA teacher training to serve 25 crore Indian school students, teachers, and educator institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Technology Services / Public Sector Education Content

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital/Interactive Curriculum Content (Apps, Games, Multimedia Lessons) (EDACAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Certification & Exam Prep eLearning Modules (EDAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Educational technology services
• Digital learning platforms
• Teacher training programs
• Educational content broadcasting
• Inclusive education resources

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Funded Operations: CIET is a constituent unit of NCERT under the Ministry of Education, Government of India. Operations are funded through government budget allocations from MHRD/MoE for educational technology initiatives including PM eVidya, DIKSHA, NISHTHA, and content development programs.
2. Free Educational Content Distribution: All educational content including e-textbooks, audio/video programs, MOOCs on SWAYAM, DIKSHA resources, and teacher training are provided free of charge to students, teachers, and teacher educators across India.
3. Sale of Audio/Video Program Catalogues: Physical media (CD/DVD) containing educational audio and video programs are available for sale through CIET sale counters

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CIET, a constituent unit of NCERT, develops and disseminates multi-modal educational technology content and platforms for school education in India. Its primary offerings include the PM e-Vidya umbrella initiative (unifying DIKSHA, 12 DTH TV channels, SWAYAM MOOCs, community radio, podcasts, and accessibility content), the ePathshala digital repository, NISHTHA teacher training programmes, and broadcast infrastructure such as Gyan Vani FM radio and NCERT TV. All content is provided free of charge to students, teachers, and teacher educators across India.

Product overview

CIET-NCERT operates as a comprehensive educational technology ecosystem with a platform-plus-initiatives architecture. The core platforms include PM e-Vidya (multi-modal mega-initiative unifying DIKSHA, 12 DTH channels, SWAYAM MOOCs, and accessibility content), DIKSHA (national digital learning platform), ePathshala (educational resource repository), and NCF Tech Platform (curriculum framework technology). Supporting initiatives include NISHTHA (teacher training), MOOCs on SWAYAM (online courses), AI Cell (AI education), Translation Cell (22 languages), and various broadcast channels (Gyanwani FM radio, DTH TV channels). Production facilities include TV/Radio studios, VR/AR labs, and Vidya Samiksha Kendra for data analytics. The organization publishes the Indian Journal of Educational Technology and conducts competitions like AICEeCC for content development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PM e-VIDYA: A comprehensive initiative unifying digital/online/on-air education to enable multi-mode access to education for school children across India, offering resources through digital/online, TV, radio, community radio, and podcast platforms.
• ePathshala
• DIKSHA
• MOOCs on SWAYAM
• NISHTHA
• NISHTHA 2.0
• NCF Tech Platform
• ICT Curriculum
• Indian Journal of Educational Technology (IJET)
• All India Children's Educational Audio Video Festival (AICEAVF)

Products and services

• PM e-Vidya A comprehensive multi-modal education initiative unifying digital/online, TV, radio, community radio, and podcast platforms; encompasses DIKSHA (One Nation One Platform), 12 NCERT DTH TV channels, SWAYAM MOOCs, accessibility content for DIVYANG, and IIT-PAL for competitive exam preparation. Aimed at school children across India.
• DIKSHA National digital platform for school education declared as 'One Nation, One Digital Platform' under PM eVidya. Hosts verticals for FLN, NIPUN Bharat, Adult Education, Jadui Pitara, Virtual Labs, Vocational Education, DIVYANG/CWSN, and CPD for educators.
• ePathshala Joint initiative of MHRD and NCERT for disseminating educational e-resources including textbooks, audio, video, periodicals, and print/non-print materials for students, teachers, and educators, accessible via web and mobile app.
• NISHTHA (National Initiative for School Heads' and Teachers' Holistic Advancement) Integrated national teacher training programme under NEP 2020 covering Elementary, Secondary, FLN, and ECCE levels. Provides 50 hours annual Continuous Professional Development for teachers through online courses on DIKSHA.
• MOOCs on SWAYAM NCERT-developed Massive Open Online Courses for Classes IX-XII accessible through the SWAYAM portal and mobile app; free courses with video lectures, downloadable reading materials, self-assessment tools, and online discussion forums.
• NCF Tech Platform Technology platform for the development of the National Curriculum Framework following NEP 2020 guidelines, covering Early Childhood Care and Education, School Education, Teacher Education, and Adult Education.
• ICT Curriculum National Policy on ICT in School Education framework preparing youth to participate creatively in the knowledge economy, part of the Digital India Campaign promoting extensive use of ICTs in teaching-learning.
• Accessibility in School Curriculum Inclusive education programme encompassing ePathshala, Barkhaa audio books, Indian Sign Language resources, audio books, tactile maps, Prashast disability screening tool, and PM e-Vidya DTH ISL Channel 31 for CWSN/DIVYANG learners.
• AI Cell AI education and promotion cell conducting workshops on AI tools, ethical AI usage, and AI integration in education per NEP 2020; includes collaborative AI skilling workshops with Intel for students.
• Translation Cell Project translating NCERT contents into all 22 scheduled Indian languages under NEP 2020 for mother-tongue/home-language instruction; disseminated through official NCERT web portals.
• PM eVidya DTH TV Channels The 'One Class One Channel' initiative comprising 12 NCERT DTH educational TV channels for Class 1-12, expanded to 200 PM eVidya channels; broadcast via DD, DishTV (#756), TataSky, Airtel (#440), Videocon (#477), Sundirect (#793), Jio TV, and DD FreeDish (#128).
• PM e-Vidya DTH ISL Channel 31 Dedicated Indian Sign Language TV channel under PM eVidya providing educational content for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
• Gyan Vani FM Radio Educational FM channel broadcasting from 14 (40+) stations across India including Delhi, Lucknow, Bhopal, Patna, Indore, Mumbai, Jaipur, and Allahabad, carrying audio educational programs produced by CIET for school and non-school going children.
• Indian Journal of Educational Technology (IJET) Online open access peer-reviewed journal, ISSN 2581-8325, published bi-annually in English by CIET; listed in UGC CARE List-Group I.
• All India Children's Educational eContent Competition (AICEeCC) Annual national competition to facilitate eContent development among teachers, teacher educators, and students; 26th edition held in March 2022 received 761 entries; offers cash prizes and certificates.
• Live Inclusive Classrooms Live interaction series on PM eVidya DTH-TV Channels for Class 1-12 with weekly schedule of Teaching Learning Interventions for Inclusive Classrooms, broadcast 12:00-12:30 PM Monday to Friday.
• Webinar Series on ICT Tools Month-long daily webinar series (Monday-Friday, 4:00-5:00 PM) covering themes related to educational technology and ICT in education, including e-content creation, Content-Pedagogy-Technology integration, AR/VR content creation, and AI-based platforms.
• Bharatonthemoon Educational initiative celebrating Chandrayaan-3 and National Space Day (23 August), offering commemorative content for students about India's space achievements.
• Prashast Disability screening and accessibility tool helping identify and support learners with special needs; part of CIET's accessible digital resources for CwSN (Children with Special Needs).
• eJaadui Pitara Pre-primary educational material vertical on the DIKSHA platform for young learners as part of the NIPUN Bharat mission.
• Vidya Samiksha Kendra (RVSK) Data analytics centre for Ministry of Education and NCERT initiatives featuring an Active LED wall and smart podium; enables integrated, data-driven decision making, progress tracking, and predictive analytics for academic and administrative programs.
• Experiential Learning Centre (AR/VR Lab) AR/VR content development facility at CIET for creating immersive educational content for science and mathematics, including a VR Lab for teacher capacity building in VR content creation.

Quantifiable outcome

• PM e-Vidya benefits 25 crore school-going children across India
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability11 records

Feature7 records

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Vedantu: Indian K-12 live-online tutoring platform serving school students from Class 1-12 with paid live classes. Competes with DIKSHA/PM eVidya for engaged urban/semi-urban learner mindshare via live instruction.
• Unacademy: Indian edtech platform offering K-12 and competitive exam courses via subscription. Competes for paying students across same age cohorts and subjects as NCERT/CIET curriculum.
• BYJU'S: India's largest K-12 edtech company offering paid adaptive video learning, test prep, and tuition. Competes for the same school-student target audience as DIKSHA/PM eVidya but with a commercial, premium-positioned model.
• National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS): Indian government autonomous institution under MoE providing open schooling, distance K-12 education, and certification via MOOCs and OER content. Closest Indian government peer in mission, target audience, and free-distribution model.
• Khan Academy: Non-profit providing free, multi-modal K-12 educational content globally via video, exercises, and teacher tools. Closest international analogue to CIET in mission (free OER for all), delivery modality (video-first + interactive), and scale focus.
• State Institutes of Educational Technology (SIETs): Six regional government institutes coordinated by CIET that produce state-language educational media and conduct teacher training. Organizational counterparts operating under CIET's mandate in different states.
• BBC Bitesize: UK public broadcaster's free K-12 educational platform combining curriculum-aligned content, video, and revision tools. Highly comparable to CIET's Gyan Vani/DTH channels + DIKSHA + ePathshala portfolio as a public-good educational content service.

Regional players

• Navneet Education: India's largest educational content publisher (textbooks, digital, e-learning) for K-12, primarily in regional Indian languages. Closest private-sector peer to CIET's vernacular translation and curriculum-aligned content work.

Broad incumbents

• Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU): India's largest government open/distance learning university operating at national scale via SWAYAM and direct enrollment. Overlapping mandate in OER and distance learning with CIET's SWAYAM MOOCs coordination role.
• NCERT (parent): Parent organization of CIET and India's apex curriculum body for K-12. Sets the curriculum, textbooks, and policy framework that CIET's digital/TV/radio content is built around.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/NCERTOFFICIAL

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET) — NCERT (OER activities)