Byju's Group Firm Aakash CEO Says Digital Medium By Itself Cannot Meet Students’ Requirements

The executive commented on the need for consolidation in edtech and test preparation industry. The sector has notably seen several changes in the business models of multiple firms

Funding by investors in the edtech industry is causing ‘unwarranted behaviour’ which is not good for the sector, Deepak Mehrotra, CEO and Managing Director, Aakash Education Services Ltd (AESL) said on Monday. The education company is owned by Indian edtech start-up Byju’s. 

In a conversation with PTI, Mehrotra said that the digital medium by itself cannot cater to the aspirations of medical and engineering students who are trying to get into premium institutions. “It is important to address requirement of new learners. Investors' funding is very clearly driving behaviours which are not good for anyone, I only hope sanity prevails,” the newly appointed executive said. 

The executive commented on the need for consolidation in edtech and test preparation industry. The sector has notably seen several changes in the business models of multiple firms. “Digital alone is not enough to address the requirement of students preparing for high stake examinations. If a learner that you are talking to is preparing to pick up premiere Indian institutions, be it medical or engineering, it needs long learning. I am completely convince it cannot be done digitally alone,” Mehrotra noted. 

At the same time, the executive said that the digital medium is needed to look into the needs of new joinees, ‘who are more of digital natives’. He added that his company will examine on how to reach out to digital natives in their preferred language by raising the component of ‘digital in the system at AESL’. 

Regarding the investment from Manipal Group’s Ranjan Pai in the education firm, Mehrotra noted that he became a part of the firm ‘when entrepreneurs with solid credentials of having built institutions, that has been delivering core higher education for decades, have put their might behind the company’.

Mehrotra succeeds Abhishek Maheshwari as the CEO at Aakash. Maheshwari resigned in September 2023 and the firm has been on the lookout for filling the position ever since.