Aakash Educational Services (AESL) on Wednesday entered the online teaching space with the launch of Aakash Digital, a platform offering all its courses, including the recently introduced Invictus programme.
Speaking to Fe, AESL’s CEO and MD, Deepak Mehrotra, said that the company had developed an online platform back in 2020. However, after Byju’s acquired Aakash in 2021, the platform was merged with Byju’s digital operations.
With the planned merger between Byju’s and AESL falling through towards the end of 2023, Aakash regained control of its digital platform and began beta testing, which continued for about 18 months.
Mehrotra said that Aakash Digital aims to bridge the gap for students in tier-3 cities who struggle to access premium coaching in metro locations. The platform features AI-driven tools, including an in-house developed doubt-solving assistant named Guru.
The development of Aakash Digital, along with hiring engineers and teachers, is projected to cost Rs 250 crore. “We expect to spend 50-60% of this by September,” Mehrotra said.
AESL currently caters to 400,000 students, with 10% of its revenue coming from digital offerings such as test series. While Mehrotra did not disclose a specific target for student enrollment on Aakash Digital, the company aims to increase digital revenue share to 20-24% within three years.
Students can access Aakash Digital via a dedicated website and an Android app, with tuition fees expected to be 10-20% lower than offline coaching centres.
AESL is undergoing a major transformation under its Aakash 2.0 strategy, opening 134 new centres this academic year — 100 of which are already operational. Aakash Learning Centres, offering hybrid (“phygital”) classes, will account for 60 of these.
Additionally, Aakash is partnering with leading school chains like Ryan International to integrate coaching programmes with school curricula.
Mehrotra previously estimated an expansion budget of Rs 500 crore, but now anticipates this figure will increase.