Purpose: The study aims to model the factors influencing online learning adoption by Indian students as well as examine the mediating effect of attitude on the proposed relationships. Design/methodology/approach: A survey was conducted online using a well-structured questionnaire. The target respondents of the study were students of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in India. Structural equation modeling was employed on a final sample of 402 respondents to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings: The results reveal that there is a significant impact of the perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, social influence, peer influence and self-esteem on attitude toward online learning. Further, attitude significantly mediates the impact of these factors on intention to adopt online learning. Originality/value: The study is one of the initial attempts in the backdrop of the pandemic to examine the mediating role of attitude in affecting intention to adopt online learning by university students in India.