Indian EdTech giant BYJU’S acquired Aakash Educational Services Limited (or simply Aakash) for nearly $1 billion. It is the largest acquisition deal in the Indian EdTech space thus far. It is also the first time the EdTech giant has acquired a pure-play offline education company.
Putting aside all the business aspects, one could also concur that this deal will bring about a significant change in the test-prep space. But before we discuss more on that, here is what you should know.
A brief about Aakash
Aakash is a comprehensive test-preparatory platform that was started in the year 1988. It has over 200 centers across India, helping more than 250,000 students prepare for medical and engineering entrance exams, Olympiads, school (board) exams, NTSE, and other foundation level exams. Aakash is ranked as the #1 coaching institute in India for medical entrance exams (according to India Today Magazine).
A brief about BYJU’S
BYJU’S is a household name in India. It is also a multinational EdTech company with footholds in the UAE and the US. BYJU’S has over 80 million students learning from the app and is one of the largest EdTech companies in the world.
What Can Aakash Add to BYJU’S Portfolio?
BYJU’S thrives on K-12 as well as test-prep courses in the online ecosystem, whereas Aakash is a leader in the offline test-prep space. This synergy could turn out to be a win-win situation for both the companies and bring about an impactful educational experience for students.
BYJU’S Founder and CEO, Byju Raveendran believes that this acquisition will enable them to build their capabilities and create more engaging and personalized learning programs.
However, Aakash Managing Director- Aakash Chaudhry, confirmed that Aakash will continue to operate as an independent entity, and BYJU’S will make further investments in it to provide education on a larger scale.
BYJU’S acquires Aakash; How will this transform the Indian test-prep space?
Together BYJU’S and Aakash aim to build an omnichannel learning program that can take the test‑prep courses to the next level.
This could lead to the dawn of a new hybrid model of learning. One that brings the flexibility and convenience of online classes together with the live interaction and other advantages of offline classes.
What is your take on this? Let us know in the comment section below.
