Buy in the wrong order and you'll spend ₹40,000 and still look amateur. Buy in the right order and ₹8,000 transforms your classes. This checklist covers every piece of an online teaching setup for India — with what to skip at each tier.
Tier 1 — ₹0–5,000: teach tonight
Phone rear camera at eye level (1080p/30fps). Window in front of you as the key light. Wired earphones with inline mic clipped to your collar. A stack of books as a stand. Internet: any 4G connection with 10 Mbps down / 5 Mbps up survives a live class; run a speed test at your class hour, not at noon. Software: SuperLive in the browser — no OBS, no encoder, the platform records for you.
Tier 2 — ₹20,000–35,000: the professional default
This is the tier for a running academy. USB dynamic microphone (Samson Q2U / MAONO PD200X, ₹6–10k) + boom arm + pop filter. One LED panel light (₹2–5k) at 45°, bounced off a wall. 1080p webcam (Logitech C270 tier works; C920/C922 better) or phone-as-webcam app. Laptop from the last 5 years with 8GB RAM. LAN cable to the router if possible — wired beats Wi-Fi on class nights. Acoustic help for free: curtains closed, rug down, door shut.
- Mic: USB dynamic + boom arm + pop filter (₹6–10k)
- Light: one LED panel at 45°, bounced (₹2–5k)
- Camera: 1080p webcam or phone-as-webcam (₹0–8k)
- Wired internet to the router (₹500 for the cable)
- Backup: phone hotspot tested before class week
Tier 3 — ₹60,000–1,00,000: the institute studio
For recorded-course libraries and premium batches: mirrorless camera with clean HDMI (Sony ZV-E10 / used α6400, ₹45–65k), lavalier or USB-C shotgun audio, two-point lighting with a softbox, acoustic panels behind the desk, and a teleprompter for scripted lectures. Buy this tier with batch revenue — it raises perceived value for premium pricing, but it won't create a business by itself.
What to skip at every tier
Expensive condenser mics for untreated rooms (they amplify echo), 4K streaming (bandwidth risk, no learning benefit), green screens (keying artefacts distract more than they impress), and second-hand RAID/monster laptops for 'editing' — on PrepVidya your live class IS the recording; editing is optional, not existential.
The pre-class ritual (worth more than any gadget)
Fifteen minutes before class: test mic 10 seconds and play it back, check the light doesn't flicker on camera, verify internet on the wired path, close every heavy app, keep water and a marker within reach, and open the room from your dashboard. The teachers students call 'so professional' are just the ones with a ritual.
Key takeaways
- Tier 1 tonight: phone + window + earphone mic + 4G
- Tier 2 when earning: USB dynamic mic first, then light, then webcam
- Wired internet + tested hotspot backup
- Skip: condensers in bare rooms, 4K, green screens
- Adopt the T-15 minute pre-class ritual
Gear is the easy part — the platform is included
Live classes that auto-record, a branded app, test series and fees — PrepVidya bundles everything the checklist can't buy.
Start freeFrequently asked questions
What internet speed do I need to teach live?
10 Mbps down / 5 Mbps up comfortably runs a live class. The bigger factor is stability — wired LAN to the router beats Wi-Fi, and a tested phone hotspot is your backup for class nights.
Do I need a laptop, or can I teach from a phone?
You can host SuperLive classes from a phone, but a laptop makes whiteboard, screen-share and chat moderation far easier once you're teaching daily. Start on the phone if that's what you have; upgrade within your first term of revenue.
