Abstract:  Distance education in India has played a significant role in higher education. The content or instruction delivery method has changed from ancient times to the present. At present, students are enriched with the high-tech infrastructure of technology as well as ICT tools. Distance education in India has gained popularity since 1960, after the revolution of technology and the reformation of higher education. By using this advanced technology, learners who could not get higher education can now access it. IGNOU, the open distance education university, is crucial in this field.  Distance education enrollment increased by 7% from 2020 to 21 and from 2019 to 20. Most students for online programs come from Karnataka, Maharashtra, UP, Rajasthan, and Delhi. Between 2021 and 2022, enrolment in online education increased by 170 per cent, while open and distance learning (ODL) enrollment increased by 41.7 per cent, where Business Administration is the most popular U.G. program and MBA courses are the most popular P.G. program. 43% of women nationwide were enrolled in distance learning programs, according to the Distance Education Council's (DEC) 2009–10 study. This study intends to highlight the overall situation of distance education in India, which we faced before and after COVID-19. It aims to glimpse how distance education has grown rapidly in India.