India’s higher education (HE) system is the world’s largest. Still, Indian HE gross enrolment ratio (GER) is only 26.3%, just above the world average of 24%, and far lower than in ot her Asian countri es l i ke Chi na (51%), South Korea (94%) and even in Malaysia (45%) and Indonesia (36%). COVID 19 and factors like increasing HE fees, and contemporary skill required by the industries; the challenges facing Indian HE institutes (HEI) are enormous. Online education has come as a blessing in disguise in the current disruption scenario. This article shows how the economic and soci al be nef i ts of online courses would help HEI in dev el opi ng resi l i ence . I t al so elaborates on how an HEI can get online strategies right, through faculty and student engagements and taking care of security issues and making ecosystem partners like industries work together.