Glance, the world’s leading smart lock screen platform, has partnered with upGrad, one of Asia’s largest integrated learning skilling and workforce development companies, to unlock critical upskilling opportunities for millions of young Indians. Through this collaboration, upGrad provides free courses under its Intern-Zip programme on Glance Smart Lock Screen. This association is part of the “Glance for Good” programme, which uses the power of Glance Smart Lock Screens to promote personal growth and positive social change.
upGrad’s Intern-Zip is designed to impart essential, job-ready skills to youth between 20 and 24 years of age. Glance reaches over 235 million users daily, 47% of whom are under 24. This makes Glance an ideal platform in terms of scale and relevance for upGrad to reach its intended beneficiaries. Within three weeks of the partnership’s launch, upGrad’s content has garnered over 100 million views (glances) on lock screens.
Most young Indians start their day with a Glance Smart Lock Screen at 6 am. By bringing Intern-Zip to its users on their lock screens, this initiative aims to address the 13.4% unemployment rate among graduates by helping them build their professional futures with confidence and competence. Courses offered under this initiative cover foundational topics such as technical savviness, soft skills and professional development.
Commenting on the partnership, Piyush Shah, Co-founder of InMobi and COO and President of Glance, said:
With Glance, we’re not only reaching millions—we’re empowering them to seize opportunities and inspiring them to discover something new every moment. By bringing upGrad’s workforce-ready content directly on smart lock screens, we’re equipping users with technical expertise, soft skills, and professional development tools. We’re creating a platform that fuels career growth, closes the skills gap, and directly contributes to India’s future.
Founded in 2019, Glance is an AI-driven platform that delivers a diverse range of engaging experiences directly on Android lock screens, including updates, sports, games and shopping, available in seven Indian languages. By partnering with reputable publishers and developers, the platform’s AI curates premium content tailored to each user’s preferences. This allows users to access relevant information seamlessly without needing to unlock their phones or navigate multiple apps. Headquartered in Singapore, the company operates some of the most disruptive AI-powered digital platforms, including Glance. Over 450 million smartphones now come enabled with Glance’s next-generation internet experience. It is an unconsolidated InMobi subsidiary funded by Jio Platforms, Google, and Mithril Capital.
Mayank Kumar, Co-founder of upGrad, added:
India has now become a global epicentre of learning and skilling, and this is the most opportune time we could really scale our value proposition to a different demographic altogether. We notice a steady migration of individuals to service-based economies and AI-first businesses. It is crucial to provide the new generation with the right support, guidance and empowerment to shape their professional trajectories. Partnering with Glance allows us to expand our reach and leverage smart tech integration, further reinforcing our commitment to this cause.
Bikash Chowdhury, Chief Marketing Officer at Glance, also stated:
As India becomes a $5 trillion economy, a skilled, adaptable workforce is essential for sustaining growth and solidifying the nation’s standing as a global talent hub. Our goal with the Glance for Good program is to harness our massive user base in India and ease of access to content on the lock screen to inspire positive behaviour and actions that drive large-scale, real-world impact. This partnership with upGrad is a big step in that direction.
upGrad, founded in 2015, provides various online and hybrid skilling programmes, certifications, and bootcamps under its B2C portfolio. It also enables leading Indian and international universities to offer diplomas, master’s degrees, and executive doctorates. In addition, the corporate skilling section offers chosen programs specialized to Enterprise clients and additional recruitment and employment services.
