ForumIAS
ForumIAS is a New Delhi-based EdTech platform that prepares Indian candidates for the UPSC Civil Services Examination and Indian Forest Service Examination through online programs, six-city classroom centers, a residential coaching track, and a large free content ecosystem that funnels aspirants into paid courses and study supplies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersNew Delhi, India
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What ForumIAS does
ForumIAS, operating through Flaviant Network Private Limited (CIN: U80904DL2018PTC338126), is a privately-held, New Delhi-based EdTech company founded in 2012 that prepares Indian candidates for the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) and the Indian Forest Service (IFoS) Examination, with a growing extension into state PCS examinations such as UPPSC. Its offering spans a full multi-year UPSC preparation arc anchored by two flagship programs — the GS Foundation Program (GSFP) for Pre-cum-Mains coverage and the Mains Guidance Program (MGP) for answer writing and test practice — complemented by modular add-ons (GSAP, Ethics+, Essay Guidance Program, Current Affairs+, PYQ Accelerator, AWFG) and the residential RankForge program at the Tapasya Center. The platform is delivered through a hybrid architecture combining a web-based LMS at academy.forumias.com, an Android mobile application, an online discussion forum, and physical learning centers in Delhi (Karol Bagh headquarters, Mukherjee Nagar), Patna, Hyderabad, Gurgaon, and Bengaluru, with an All India Simulator Test Series rolled out across 30+ cities.
The revenue model blends tuition-priced programs (₹16,499–₹34,999 for typical GSAP bundles, ~₹25,000 blended estimate), test series subscriptions, residential program seats, and ancillary one-time purchases of physical study supplies (Pragati and Genesis notebooks priced ₹99–₹1,099) and current-affairs publications (MGP EPIC Monthly, SFG Essential Quarterly). A free, content-led top-of-funnel — the 9 PM Current Affair Brief, 10 PM Daily Quiz, 7 PM Editorial, Prelims/Mains Marathons, Factly, and Must Read News Articles — drives community engagement at scale (reported reach of 50,000+ aspirants weekly) and feeds conversion into paid programs. Distribution is omnichannel: self-serve enrollment online, direct enrollment at physical centers, mobile-app access, and a retail storefront for consumables. The customer base is individual B2C learners across vertical segments (UPSC CSE, IFoS, state PCS), with pricing set per program tier and no enterprise or institutional concentration.
ForumIAS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ForumIAS
- Legal name
- Flaviant Network Private Limited
- Website
- https://forumias.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ForumIAS is a New Delhi-based EdTech platform that prepares Indian candidates for the UPSC Civil Services Examination and Indian Forest Service Examination through online programs, six-city classroom centers, a residential coaching track, and a large free content ecosystem that funnels aspirants into paid courses and study supplies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ForumIAS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- UPSC Civil Services Examination Coaching and Test Preparation
- NAICS
- Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Certification & Exam Prep Course Marketplaces (EDAFAIAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Portfolio, Performance & Rubric-Based Assessment Platforms (EDAFADAL), Test Item Banks, Question Authoring & Assessment Design Tools (EDAFADAC)
Keywords
Where ForumIAS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New Delhi
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices6 records
Markets served
ForumIAS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Classroom Programs: Paid offline and online classroom programs including GS Foundation Program, Mains Guidance Program (MGP), GS Advance Program (GSAP), Current Affairs classes, Ethics classes, Essay Guidance Program with mentor-guided test series and concept classes. Pricing ranges from ₹16,499 to ₹34,999 depending on program combination.
- Residential Programs: Residential coaching at Tapasya Center (Forum Residential Coaching - FRC) including Pre-cum-Mains programs like RankForge with 4-phase structure covering Prelims foundation, Mains answer writing, and focused Prelims execution.
- Test Series: Prelims Test Series, Mains Question Bank, Optional Test Series, All India Simulator Tests, PYQ Accelerator, Answer Writing Focus Group (AWFG).
- Publications and Study Materials: Sale of current affairs magazines (MGP EPIC Monthly, SFG Essential Quarterly), answer writing booklets (Pragati Notebook), note-making notebooks (Genesis Notebook), subject-specific booklets (Science & Technology Prelims Booklet), and study material compilations.
- Free Content and Community: Free blog content, daily quizzes, current affairs summaries (9 PM Brief, 10 PM Quiz), must-read articles, prelims/mains marathons, interview transcripts, and discussion forum - used as top-of-funnel to drive paid enrollments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | GSAP Complete Bundle - Offline |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | GSAP Complete Bundle - Online |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | GSAP + CA Bundle - Offline |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | GSAP + CA Bundle - Online |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | GSAP + Ethics Bundle - Offline |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | GSAP + Ethics Bundle - Online |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | GSAP Standalone - Offline |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | GSAP Standalone - Online |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pragati Notebook - Spiral Binding |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pragati Notebook - Detachable Sheets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Genesis Notebook |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Science & Technology Prelims Booklet |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
ForumIAS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ForumIAS offers structured preparation programs for the UPSC Civil Services Examination and Indian Forest Service Examination through online, offline classroom, and residential delivery modes. Its paid catalog spans foundation courses (GS Foundation Program), Mains-focused programs (Mains Guidance Program, GS Advance Program, Ethics+, Essay Guidance Program, Current Affairs Classes), Prelims/Mains/Optional/PYQ test series, AWFG answer-writing groups, and the residential RankForge (FRC) program. The portfolio is rounded out by current affairs publications (MGP EPIC monthly, SFG Essential Quarterly), physical notebooks (Pragati, Genesis), and free daily content assets used as top-of-funnel acquisition tools.
Product overview
ForumIAS is an EdTech company specializing in UPSC Civil Services Examination preparation. The company operates a platform-plus-modules architecture combining online and offline (classroom-based) educational programs. Core offerings include the GS Foundation Program (GSFP) for comprehensive Prelims-cum-Mains preparation, and the Mains Guidance Program (MGP) for answer writing and test practice. These are supplemented by specialized modules including GSAP (Advanced content building), Ethics+, Essay Guidance Program, Current Affairs Classes, Optional Test Series, and PYQ Accelerator. The product portfolio also includes physical products (Pragati Notebook, Genesis Notebook) and content publications (MGP EPIC Magazine, SFG Essential Quarterly). Free offerings include the 9 PM Brief, 10 PM Daily Quiz, Prelims Marathon, Mains Marathon, Must Read News Articles, and Factly Articles. The company has expanded to state-level exams including UPPSC PCS preparation. Programs are delivered through multiple channels: online (live and recorded), offline classroom at Delhi center, and hybrid models. Recent expansions include the RankForge residential program for CSE 2027.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Pragati Notebook: UPSC Mains practice booklet designed to match UPSC QCAB dimensions for real exam-like practice.
- Genesis Notebook
- EPIC Magazine
- SFG Essential Quarterly
Products and services
- GS Foundation Program (GSFP)
Quantifiable outcome
- ~70% prelims clearance rate for Top 100 FRC students in 2026
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use ForumIAS
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ForumIAS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
ForumIAS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ForumIAS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- VisionIAS: One of ForumIAS's closest direct competitors in UPSC Civil Services and IFoS preparation; offers online and offline test series, classroom programs, and current affairs magazines with a similar topper-driven brand in Delhi and pan-India delivery.
- Drishti IAS: Major Delhi-based UPSC coaching institute with Hindi and English mediums, residential and classroom programs, and similar test series and current affairs products, competing head-to-head with ForumIAS in Mukherjee Nagar and online channels.
- NextIAS: UPSC coaching institute with foundation, Mains, and Prelims programs plus online test series; directly comparable product portfolio and positioning to ForumIAS for the same aspirant base.
- Khan Study Group (KSG): UPSC-focused coaching brand offering optional subjects, GS Foundation, and Mains programs across multiple cities; comparable portfolio structure with both residential and online formats targeting the same aspirant pool.
- IASbaba: Online-first UPSC preparation platform with daily current affairs, free initiatives, and integrated test series; directly comparable free-content-driven GTM motion and aspirant community positioning to ForumIAS.
- Shankar IAS Academy: Chennai-headquartered UPSC coaching institute with strong reputation in Environment and certain optional subjects; comparable in product breadth and aspirant-focused positioning to ForumIAS, particularly for South India aspirants.
- Vajiram & Ravi: Long-standing UPSC coaching brand headquartered in Delhi offering GS Foundation, Mains, and test series programs; competes with ForumIAS in the offline classroom segment with a more established legacy reputation.
Broad incumbents
- Unacademy: Large Indian EdTech platform with UPSC as one of several verticals alongside banking, SSC, and CAT prep; shares the online course marketplace and subscription model with ForumIAS but operates at much broader scale with significant paid user acquisition infrastructure.
- BYJU's Exam Prep: Online test preparation subsidiary covering UPSC, banking, SSC, and other government exams; overlaps with ForumIAS on UPSC content delivery and test series but within a much larger, capital-backed multi-exam EdTech portfolio.
Emerging players
- Testbook: Online-led Indian test preparation platform for government and competitive exams including some UPSC content; comparable in self-serve enrollment and free-mock-test funnels but with less UPSC-specific depth than ForumIAS.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ForumIAS social profiles
Digital presenceForumIAS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ForumIAS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
ForumIAS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ForumIAS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ForumIAS
What does ForumIAS do?
ForumIAS offers structured preparation programs for the UPSC Civil Services Examination and Indian Forest Service Examination through online, offline classroom, and residential delivery modes. Its paid catalog spans foundation courses (GS Foundation Program), Mains-focused programs (Mains Guidance Program, GS Advance Program, Ethics+, Essay Guidance Program, Current Affairs Classes), Prelims/Mains/Optional/PYQ test series, AWFG answer-writing groups, and the residential RankForge (FRC) program. The portfolio is rounded out by current affairs publications (MGP EPIC monthly, SFG Essential Quarterly), physical notebooks (Pragati, Genesis), and free daily content assets used as top-of-funnel acquisition tools.
Is ForumIAS a public or private company?
ForumIAS is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ForumIAS founded?
ForumIAS was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ForumIAS based?
ForumIAS is headquartered in New Delhi, India, in the Asia region.
How does ForumIAS make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Classroom Programs are the primary driver. The others are residential Programs, test Series, publications and Study Materials and free Content and Community.
Who are ForumIAS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are VisionIAS, Drishti IAS, NextIAS, Khan Study Group (KSG), IASbaba, Shankar IAS Academy and Vajiram & Ravi. Broad incumbents are Unacademy and BYJU's Exam Prep. Testbook is listed as an emerging player.
Does ForumIAS have an API?
No public API is recorded for ForumIAS.
What industry is ForumIAS in?
ForumIAS's product category is UPSC Civil Services Examination Coaching and Test Preparation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFAIAJ, Certification & Exam Prep Course Marketplaces, with a secondary code of EDAFADAL, Portfolio, Performance & Rubric-Based Assessment Platforms. Its NAICS code is 611691 and its SIC code is 8200.