What Aakash Educational Services does

Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL), founded in 1988 by Aakash Chaudhry in New Delhi, is India's largest dedicated coaching provider for medical and engineering entrance examinations, principally NEET (undergraduate medical) and JEE (undergraduate engineering). The company operates a pan-India network of more than 415 owned and franchised physical coaching centres supplemented by 29 franchisees, serving over 400,000 students annually, with Kota as a flagship hub. Its digital layer consists of the Aakash iTutor tablet-based learning product, which delivers classroom content and mock tests outside centre hours but is positioned as supplementary to in-person instruction rather than a standalone platform.

The business is largely B2C tuition-fee driven, with revenue of Rs 2,438 crore in FY24 declining 16.7% to Rs 2,032 crore in FY25. FY24 reported a Rs 2,443 crore net loss driven by exceptional items including Rs 1,363 crore in interest obligations and Rs 780 crore in written-off related-party loans to Think & Learn (Byju's); FY25 posted Rs 293 crore of pre-exceptional losses. Customers are segmented into medical aspirants (the larger and primary segment, with nearly 60% repeat / drop-year takers) and engineering aspirants, with a notable emphasis on counselling and re-examination support for drop-year students.

Ownership has shifted materially: acquired by Byju's (Think & Learn) in 2021 for ~$1 billion, Aakash was recapitalized in January 2024 when Ranjan Pai / Manipal Education and Medical Group converted $300 million of debt into a ~40% equity stake (valuing the company at ~$700 million), subsequently rising to ~58%. Subsequent rights issues have diluted the Byju's stake to under 5%, and settlement talks with Byju's lenders (Glas Trust) at a ~$2 billion implied valuation are ongoing as of mid-2026. Multiple senior leadership changes — including the August 2025 exit of MD/CEO Deepak Mehrotra and the February 2026 appointments of CFO Alka Garg and SVP Marketing Kanika Kumar Nijhawan — reflect an active professionalization of management under Manipal's control.

Name

Aakash Educational Services

Legal name

Aakash Educational Services Limited

Website

https://aakash.ac.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Aakash Educational Services is an India-based test-prep company operating 415+ coaching centres serving over 400,000 students annually preparing for NEET and JEE entrance exams, now majority-owned by Manipal Education and Medical Group after recapitalization from Byju's insolvency.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Test Preparation Coaching Services

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Competitive Exam Prep (Olympiads, academic competitions, entrance contests) (EDANABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Test Prep Tutoring Platforms (SAT/ACT/GRE/GMAT, etc.) (EDANAGAH), Integrated Tutoring + Learning Content Platforms (Curriculum + Tutors) (EDANAGAL), K–12 Standardized Assessments & Benchmark Exams Prep (State tests, MAP, ISEE/SSAT) (EDANABAD)

Keywords

• Medical entrance coaching
• Engineering entrance coaching
• Competitive exam preparation
• NEET JEE coaching
• Test preparation services

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Coaching and Test Preparation Services: Revenue generated from tuition and coaching fees for NEET, JEE and other competitive exam preparation programmes. FY25 revenue declined 16.7% to Rs 2,032 crore with losses of Rs 293 crore before tax and exceptional items. FY24 revenue was flat at Rs 2,438 crore with net loss of Rs 2,443 crore driven by exceptional items.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Aakash Educational Services operates a pan-India network of more than 415 physical coaching centres providing classroom-based test preparation for NEET (medical) and JEE (engineering) competitive entrance examinations, serving over 400,000 students annually. The coaching offering is supplemented by a proprietary tablet-based digital learning product, Aakash iTutor, which delivers a digital learning experience complementing classroom instruction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NEET Coaching Programme Classroom-based preparation programme for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET UG) for admission to undergraduate medical (MBBS/BDS) programmes in India. Designed for Class 11-12 students and drop-year aspirants, and serves nearly 60% repeat-aspirant students in Aakash's medical cohorts. Includes comprehensive study materials, regular mock tests, expert faculty guidance and counselling support for re-examination scenarios.
• JEE Coaching Programme Classroom-based preparation programme for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE Main and JEE Advanced) for admission to undergraduate engineering programmes at IITs, NITs and other premier engineering colleges. Targeted at Class 11-12 students and drop-year aspirants (~10% of engineering cohort), covering Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics with structured study materials, mock tests and revision support.
• Aakash iTutor Proprietary tablet-based digital learning platform that delivers educational content to complement Aakash's classroom coaching, providing a digital learning experience for NEET and JEE aspirants enrolled with Aakash. Designed to reinforce classroom instruction through on-device digital content.
• Drop-Year / Repeat Attempt Coaching Programme Specialised coaching track for repeat NEET and JEE aspirants (drop-year students), providing focused guidance on high-weightage topics, mental preparation, strategic exam-day approach, free test series, counselling support and revision programmes. Approximately 60% of Aakash's medical students and 10% of engineering students are drop-year aspirants.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Sony Television (Kaun Banega Crorepati)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAakash serves as Knowledge Partner with Sony's Kaun Banega Crorepati television programme for brand visibility and educational content association.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ALLEN Career Institute: Kota-headquartered coaching institute that is Aakash's closest direct competitor, offering NEET and JEE preparation across India through a large physical coaching network. Highly comparable in product mix, target customer, and offline-heavy delivery model.
• FIITJEE: India's largest JEE-focused coaching chain, also offering NEET and other competitive exam prep via a network of physical centres and integrated school programmes. Directly comparable on product (JEE/NEET), customer segment (Class 11–12 and droppers), and pan-India physical distribution model.
• Resonance Eduventures: Kota-based coaching institute offering JEE Main/Advanced, NEET, and other engineering/medical entrance exam preparation. Comparable to Aakash on product category, student demographic, and offline delivery model centered on Kota.

Emerging players

• PhysicsWallah (PW): Fast-growing edtech platform offering affordable online and hybrid NEET/JEE preparation. Comparable to Aakash in target exam and student segment, but competes on price and digital delivery; increasingly encroaching on Aakash's offline stronghold.
• Unacademy: Online learning platform with a strong NEET/JEE vertical and subscription-based test prep, including recorded and live classes. Comparable on exam focus and student demographic; differs in being asset-light and primarily digital.
• Vedantu: Live online tutoring platform with K-12 and competitive exam verticals including JEE/NEET. Comparable in target market and exam prep offering; primarily a digital competitor to Aakash's offline model.
• Infinity Learn by Sri Chaitanya: Digital arm of Sri Chaitanya Techno School, offering NEET/JEE and K-12 online tutoring. Comparable in target exam and customer (K-12 and dropper segment); competes with Aakash across both online and offline channels.
• Extramarks: Edtech platform with K-12, JEE, and NEET prep content delivered via app and live classes. Comparable in exam focus and student segment; positioned as a hybrid online-offline competitor to Aakash.

Broad incumbents

• Byju's (Think & Learn): Former parent of Aakash and India's largest edtech incumbent, with K-12, test prep, and competitive exam offerings. Comparable in target exams and customer base; differs in being a broader portfolio player rather than a focused test prep specialist.

Others

• Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE): Higher education arm of Manipal Group, Aakash's majority owner. Comparable as a downstream destination for Aakash's coached students and a strategic partner; not a direct test prep competitor but the natural vertical extension of Aakash's pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AESL_Official
• Facebookfacebook.com/aakasheducation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aakash-educational-services-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aakash Educational Services