Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka

What Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka does

COMEDK (Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka) is a non-profit autonomous organization founded in 2004 and headquartered in Bengaluru, India. It serves as a unified merit determination and centralized counselling authority for approximately 190 member engineering colleges across Karnataka, administering the Undergraduate Entrance Test (UGET) for roughly 20,000 engineering seats annually. Since 2019, following the mandatory introduction of NEET for medical and dental admissions, COMEDK has narrowed its scope to engineering admissions only.

The organization operates a computer-based testing platform through technology partner Digialm, delivering exams across 400+ test centers in 200+ cities. Over 200,000 students have been served historically. In 2019, COMEDK combined its UGET with the Uni-GAUGE E test on the same day, enabling students to take both exams in a single sitting. More recently, COMEDK launched the ComedKares Innovation Hub in partnership with Era Foundation, and secured VTU endorsement for skill development courses, extending its activities beyond entrance testing into educational and skill development services.

COMEDK's revenue model is primarily fee-based: Rs 1,950 for the UGET-only exam, Rs 3,200 for the combined COMEDK Uni-GAUGE E test, and Rs 2,000 for the counselling process. The organization operates with a lean team of 1-10 employees, leveraging outsourced technology infrastructure for exam delivery and payment processing (PayU). Its institutional customers are the approximately 190 member engineering colleges, while its end users are the students seeking admission; both sides form a network effect that reinforces COMEDK's market position.

Name

Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka

Legal name

Consortium of Medical, Engineering and Dental Colleges of Karnataka (COMEDK)

Website

https://comedk.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

COMEDK is a Bengaluru-based non-profit autonomous body that conducts the UGET entrance exam and centralized counselling for approximately 190 member engineering colleges in Karnataka, serving over 200,000 students annually across 400+ test centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Testing and Admissions Services

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil Service & Government Entrance Exams Prep (EDANABAG)

Keywords

• Entrance examination services
• Engineering admissions testing
• Centralized counselling services
• Merit-based admissions
• Online assessment platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Bangalore

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Exam Application Fees: Candidates pay application fees to appear for the COMEDK UGET entrance exam. PCM exam fee is Rs 1950 (COMEDK UGET only) or Rs 3200 (for both COMEDK and Uni-GAUGE combined). Fees are non-refundable and collected through online payment gateway (PayU) using credit/debit cards and net banking, with additional convenience charges.
2. Counselling Registration Fees: Candidates pay a non-refundable counselling registration fee of Rs 2000 to participate in the centralized seat allotment process. Additional convenience charges apply for online payment. This fee grants access to document upload, choice filling, and seat allocation across multiple rounds.
3. Convenience Charges / Payment Gateway Fees: Transaction convenience fees are collected on top of exam and counselling fees. Credit/debit card convenience fees range from 1.05% to 1.15% of the transaction amount plus applicable GST. Net banking convenience fees range from Rs 18 to Rs 45 per transaction plus applicable GST.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

COMEDK administers the annual online computer-based UGET (Under Graduate Entrance Test) for undergraduate engineering and architecture admissions across approximately 190 member institutions in Karnataka. Following the exam, it conducts a centralized single-window online counselling process spanning multiple rounds for transparent merit-based seat allocation. Supplementary offerings include a mock test platform (11 variants) and the ComedKares innovation hub for industry-aligned skill development courses endorsed by VTU.

Product overview

COMEDK operates as a unified entrance examination and centralized counselling service for Karnataka's private professional colleges. The core offering consists of the COMEDK UGET (Under Graduate Entrance Test) — an annual online computer-based exam for engineering admissions — followed by a multi-round centralized online counselling process for seat selection and allotment. The counselling system covers engineering, architecture, and includes the ComedKares innovation hub for student skill development. The organization facilitates admissions for approximately 150+ engineering colleges, 16 medical colleges, and 24 dental colleges across Karnataka, processing around 20,000 engineering seats annually through its single-window system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ComedKares: An innovation hub initiative by COMEDK to help students of engineering, dental, and medical colleges choose the right career by building their competitiveness and exposing them to various opportunities available in the industry. ComedKares offers courses designed along with industry experts and endorsed by VTU that enhance the learner's 21st-century skills while also giving access to machines, tools and mentors to build products and solutions.

Products and services

• COMEDK UGET (Under Graduate Entrance Test) Annual online computer-based entrance examination for undergraduate engineering (B.E./B.Tech.) admissions to approximately 190 member institutions in Karnataka, conducted across 400+ exam centres in 200+ Indian cities. The exam uses the Digialm computer-based testing platform with no negative marking. Candidates can also opt to take the Uni-GAUGE E exam on the same day as a combined offering.
• COMEDK Centralised Online Counselling Single-window centralized online counselling process following the UGET entrance test, enabling merit-based seat selection and allotment across multiple rounds for engineering and architecture programmes. Candidates register (Rs 2,000 fee), upload documents, fill choices, and receive seat allotment through the online portal, then physically report to allotted colleges.
• ComedKares Innovation Hub Initiative to help engineering, dental, and medical college students build 21st-century skills through industry-designed courses endorsed by VTU, providing access to machines, tools, mentors, and product-building opportunities for career development.
• Mock Test Platform Computer-based mock test platform providing 11 different practice test variants to familiarize registered candidates with the online examination interface, question delivery, and time management before the actual COMEDK UGET exam.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200,000+ students served since inception
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Karnataka Professional Colleges Foundation (KPCF – Medical & Dental)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKPCF (Karnataka Professional Colleges Foundation – Medical & Dental), along with KUPECA, established COMEDK as an autonomous merit determination authority. KPCF represents medical and dental private unaided colleges in Karnataka. Following NEET becoming mandatory for medical and dental admissions, KPCF's involvement in COMEDK's engineering entrance test operations reduced, with KUPECA's ~190 engineering colleges remaining the primary participants.
• Karnataka Unaided Private Engineering Colleges Association (KUPECA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKUPECA (Karnataka Unaided Private Engineering Colleges Association) is the primary institutional partner behind COMEDK, representing approximately 190 private unaided engineering colleges in Karnataka. COMEDK conducts the common entrance test and centralized counselling for KUPECA member institutions. Under an agreement between KUPECA and the Karnataka state government, COMEDK can proceed independently with its counselling process if KEA (Karnataka Examinations Authority) fails to complete its first round by specified dates.
• Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), BelagavicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVTU (Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi) is the affiliating university for most engineering colleges under COMEDK. VTU sets eligibility criteria for admissions and endorses COMEDK's ComedKares skill development initiative. OCI/PIO candidates must obtain eligibility certificates from VTU. VTU regulations govern the academic standards for member institutions.
• Era Foundation (ComedKares)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEra Foundation collaborates with COMEDK on the ComedKares innovation hub initiative, offering industry-aligned skill development courses to engineering, dental, and medical college students. The courses are designed with industry experts and endorsed by VTU, providing access to machines, tools, mentors, and 21st-century skills development.
• DigialmcoreTechnology or IntegrationDigialm provides the computer-based testing (CBT) platform for COMEDK's annual UGET entrance examinations. The platform handles online exam delivery across 400 centers, mock test hosting (11 variants), test admission ticket generation, and candidate session management. COMEDK's candidate login portal and counselling systems are also integrated with Digialm's infrastructure.
• All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)coreOthersAICTE sets the overarching regulatory framework for technical education and engineering admissions in India. COMEDK operates within AICTE regulations and eligibility criteria are subject to AICTE norms. AICTE has set an August 15 deadline for completing engineering admissions for the 2026-27 academic year, which COMEDK must adhere to.
• Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA)minorOthersKEA (Karnataka Examinations Authority) is the state government's examination body for professional courses. Under an agreement between the Karnataka government and KUPECA, COMEDK operates independently if KEA fails to complete its first counselling round by a specified date (July 10). COMEDK is likely to proceed with its own seat allotment process independently due to KEA's delayed commencement of counselling for engineering admissions in 2026.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Testing Agency (NTA): India's central government examination body conducting JEE Main, NEET, and other national-level entrance exams. Directly comparable as a large-scale entrance testing authority, though operating at the central-government level with much broader mandate and scale than COMEDK's state-level engineering scope.

Regional players

• Maharashtra State Board of Technical Education (MSBTE) / MHT-CET Cell: Conducts MHT-CET for engineering admissions in Maharashtra. Comparable as a state-level engineering entrance testing body with centralized counselling, but operates in a different geography than COMEDK's Karnataka footprint.
• Consortium of Self-Financing Professional Colleges (Tamil Nadu): Tamil Nadu Engineering Admissions (TNEA) is the analogous state-level engineering admissions consortium for private colleges. Comparable as a multi-college engineering admissions system, though it operates in Tamil Nadu rather than Karnataka.

Direct peers

• Uni-GAUGE E: National-level consortium entrance test combining with COMEDK UGET since 2019 on the same day. Closely comparable private engineering consortium exam model, sharing candidates and operational scheduling with COMEDK.
• Council of Architecture (NATA): National Aptitude Test in Architecture administered by the Council of Architecture. Directly comparable for COMEDK's architecture admissions track—COMEDK's B.Arch counselling relies on NATA/JEE scores for merit determination.
• Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA): State government body conducting KCET and managing engineering admissions in Karnataka. The most direct peer—operates in the same geography and same admissions market, with regulatory arrangements that allow COMEDK to proceed only if KEA delays its first counselling round.

Others

• Era Foundation (ComedKares partner): Skill development partner collaborating on COMEDK's ComedKares innovation hub initiative. Comparable as an adjacent educational services provider delivering industry-aligned courses, and a direct collaborator on COMEDK's product extension.
• Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU): Karnataka's affiliating university for engineering colleges that endorses COMEDK's processes and ComedKares courses. Comparable as an institutional stakeholder in the same admissions ecosystem, with overlapping regulatory authority on member colleges.

Emerging players

• Vellore Institute of Technology (VITEEE): Private university-level engineering entrance exam (VITEEE) for admissions to VIT group institutions. Comparable as a CBT-based engineering entrance mechanism but tied to a single private university rather than a multi-college consortium.
• Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITSAT): BITS Pilani's entrance test for engineering admissions. Comparable as a CBT-based private engineering entrance exam, though limited to a single institution's admissions rather than a consortium.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/COMEDK_official
• Facebookfacebook.com/comedkinformation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/comedk---india

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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