Every admissions season, students walk into our office with the same dream of a world-class higher education, whether in India or abroad, and very different starting points. Some arrive with polished portfolios, online certificates and a confident grasp of the latest AI tools. Others, equally bright and often more determined, are meeting many of these tools for the first time. Over 24 years of university admissions and study abroad counselling at EdNet, I have learned that talent has never been confined to the metros. Access, unfortunately, often has been.
Artificial intelligence is now reshaping almost every part of learning. Students use it to break down difficult concepts, practise for exams, research topics, refine their writing and even build creative work. For a student who knows how to use it well, AI can feel like a personal tutor available around the clock. That promise is real. The danger is that it reaches only some students.
Beyond “who is online”
For years, the digital divide came down to a simple question about who had an internet connection. That question is now too narrow. Mobile data has spread rapidly across India, and many students in smaller cities are technically online. Being connected, however, is not the same as being equipped.
Working seriously with AI demands a capable device, a stable network, enough data to stream lectures and run tools, current software, and the skill to use all of it with purpose. A student completing assignments on a shared smartphone with an unreliable signal is not competing on equal terms with a peer who has a laptop and fibre broadband at home, even if both are counted as “connected.”
The cost of keeping up
Money quietly shapes who gets ahead. A family may manage a basic data plan yet struggle to justify a laptop, a premium subscription or a paid certification course. In many households, technology competes directly with fees, rent and daily expenses, and it often loses.
Institutions in smaller cities face a similar squeeze. Upgrading computer labs, paying for licensed software and training faculty all require budgets that are frequently stretched already.
The consequences build over time. Students with resources experiment freely, collect credentials and assemble digital portfolios that strengthen their college applications. Others encounter these tools only at university or in their first job, already a few steps behind. In our study abroad counselling, I see this gap reflected in profiles that look thinner on paper even when the student behind them is exceptionally capable.
Infrastructure is the foundation
Closing the gap takes more than handing out devices or laying cables. Online learning depends on steady electricity, dependable broadband, well-equipped classrooms and someone available to fix problems as they arise. Without that foundation, digital learning remains occasional rather than continuous.
Shared spaces can help a great deal. Public libraries, community centres and school labs kept open beyond class hours can act as local technology hubs, giving students the equipment they cannot afford at home. Partnerships among government bodies, educational institutions and technology companies can make such hubs sustainable rather than one-off projects.
AI literacy is the real equaliser
Hardware alone will not create fairness. A student with the best laptop gains little without knowing how to use AI thoughtfully. AI literacy now deserves a place alongside reading, writing and numeracy.
In practical terms, every student should learn the following.
- How AI tools generate their answers, and why those answers can be confidently wrong
- How to frame clear, specific prompts
- How to verify information against reliable sources
- How to recognise bias in outputs
- How to protect their privacy and personal data
- Where the boundaries of copyright and academic integrity lie
Teachers need the same preparation. An educator who is comfortable with these tools can show students how to use AI to question assumptions, test ideas and deepen understanding, rather than as a shortcut for finishing homework. From our own work on essays and applications, I can say that admissions readers can usually tell the difference between a student who has thought deeply and one who has let a tool do the thinking.
Why this matters for higher education and study abroad
The divide is felt most sharply at the move into higher education. Universities in India and abroad increasingly look for applicants who can show independent research, meaningful project work and digital fluency. Students who want to study abroad in the UK, the US, Canada, Australia or Singapore must also prepare for tests such as the IELTS, TOEFL, SAT or GMAT, and much of that preparation now happens on online, AI-supported platforms.
A student comfortable with these tools can research universities and courses, compare scholarships, practise for entrance exams and get quick feedback on drafts while keeping the writing genuinely their own. A student without that access often works with limited information and starts the process later. The difference shows in university shortlists, in the strength of personal statements and statements of purpose, and even in the scholarships a student knows to apply for.
Once on campus, expectations only rise. Students at global universities are expected to use AI responsibly in their coursework while following strict academic integrity policies. Those who arrive already AI literate settle in faster and make far more of their international education.
Geography matters less than ever
Here lies the most hopeful part of this story. Technology has made distance far less of an obstacle. A student in Bareilly, Bhubaneswar or Bhilwara can now attend the same lecture, earn the same certification and explore the same learning resources as a student in Delhi or Bengaluru.
That opportunity only becomes real with the right means and guidance. Schools and colleges can widen access through coding clubs, technology projects, online collaboration with students elsewhere and hands-on exposure to AI applications. Employers can contribute by offering virtual internships, mentoring and industry projects open to students regardless of their pin code.
Such experiences give students practical skills along with something equally valuable, the confidence that serious work and genuine innovation can come from anywhere.
What students and parents can do now
Families need not wait for systems to change. A few practical steps can make a real difference.
- Begin with free resources. Many reputable universities and platforms offer free courses on AI fundamentals.
- Make the most of shared access. Use school labs, libraries or community centres for work that needs a computer.
- Learn by doing. Ask an AI tool to explain a hard concept, then check its explanation against a textbook.
- Build something small. A short project, blog or research paper shows initiative to admissions panels far more than a long list of certificates.
- Seek guidance. Teachers, mentors and experienced higher education and study abroad counsellors can help students use these tools responsibly and present their learning effectively.
Building a fairer AI future
AI holds enormous promise for education. Without deliberate effort, though, gaps in access, cost, infrastructure and skills could widen the inequalities that already exist. Placing devices in classrooms is only a start. Every student, wherever they live, deserves reliable technology, affordable connectivity and the ability to understand, question and use AI responsibly.
Millions of capable, ambitious young people live in India’s smaller cities and towns. Given fair opportunities, they will help shape the AI-driven future rather than watch it from the sidelines. Sustained investment in infrastructure, teacher training and inclusive technology education can level the playing field.
The choice before us is clear. AI can become a powerful engine of educational mobility, or simply another reason some students fall behind. Which path it takes depends on the decisions educators, policymakers, institutions and families make today.
Niharika Sondhi is the Founder and Director of EdNet Consultants, a Delhi-NCR higher education and study abroad consultancy that has guided students toward leading universities in India and overseas for over two decades
