Byju's Group Entity, Aakash Educational Services, Names Deepak Mehrotra As CEO

The entity made the announcement for the role after Mehrotra’s predecessor, Abhishek Maheshwari, resigned from the firm seven months earlier in September 2023

Indian edtech Byju’s group entity, Aakash Educational Services Ltd, on Monday named Deepak Mehrotra as the new managing director and chief executive officer of the firm. The entity made the announcement for the role after Mehrotra’s predecessor, Abhishek Maheshwari, resigned from the unit seven months earlier in September 2023. 

The entity further said that the new appointment comes into effect immediately, reported PTI. The unit was operating without a MD and CEO for seven months since Maheswari’s resignation. 

“As we enter the next phase of growth, it's our pleasure to welcome Deepak to lead Aakash Educational Services Ltd. In his role as CEO, he will be responsible to deliver on our aggressive growth plan and to build on the significant momentum the company is currently experiencing. His business acumen and stellar record as the Managing Director for Pearson India will be pivotal in leading Aakash BYJU'S into its next phase of growth and impact,” an official statement from Byju’s founder and Chairman, Byju Raveendran, said. 

Commenting on his appointment, Mehrotra noted, “I am honoured to join AESL, a pioneer in the education sector, and look forward to working closely with the talented team to deliver quality education and empower students to achieve their full potential.”

Who Is Deepak Mehrotra?

Mehrotra comes with prior experience of more than 35 years in executive roles, and has worked across FMCG, telecom, and education sectors. Before joining AESL, the executive was working as the managing director at Ashirvad Pipes. His earlier employers include Pearson India, Bharti Airtel, Coca-Cola, and Asian Paints. 

Mehrotra completed his graduation in electrical engineering from IIT Roorkee and has also done an Executive program from The Wharton School, Philadelphia (USA).

Last year in September, then CEO Abhishek Maheshwari resigned from AESL amidst a shareholder conflict as the parent company, Byju's, entered into a negotiation for equity swap for the company with the Chaudhry family and Blackstone. AESL then set up a committee to find a CEO for the firm.