PhysicsWallah in Talks to Buy Drishti IAS – How Will This Impact UPSC Aspirants?

PhysicsWallah in Talks to Buy Drishti IAS

In a significant development in India’s education technology space, PhysicsWallah (PW) is said to be in talks to buy Drishti IAS, the renowned coaching center established by Vikas Divyakirti, for around ₹2,500 crore. The mooted acquisition points towards PW’s strategic direction to expand its foothold in the market for competitive exam preparation.

PhysicsWallah in Talks to Buy Drishti IAS – How Will This Impact UPSC Aspirants?

Drishti IAS has gained a reputation as a top-class institution for coaching Civil Services Examination (CSE). During the financial year ending March 2024, the institute generated revenues of ₹405 crore, a growth of 30.6% over the last year, with a profit after tax of ₹90 crore. Most of this revenue, about 94.8%, came from coaching services, while the rest came from selling study materials. Drishti IAS has seven centers in India, with its Mukherjee Nagar center in Delhi accounting for 58% of its coaching income.

Started in 2016 by Alakh Pandey and Prateek Maheshwari, PhysicsWallah has quickly become a major player in the edtech space. Having started with JEE and NEET exam preparation, PW has expanded into multiple categories such as government test preparation, K-12 education, postgraduate tests like GATE, and upskilling programs. The firm turned unicorn in June 2022 after raising funds worth $100 million from GSV Ventures and WestBridge Capital. Interestingly, PW had announced a net profit of ₹97.8 crore for FY22, a drastic jump from ₹6.93 crore in FY21, with revenues jumping close to tenfold to ₹232.5 crore over the same period.

PhysicsWallah in Talks to Buy Drishti IAS

The growth strategy for PW has reflected prominently through acquisition to increase offerings and strengthen its market presence. The company has previously acquired entities like PrepOnline, a digital NEET coaching company; Altis Vortex, a prep book publisher; FreeCo, an edtech company focused on doubt-solving; and iNeuron.ai, a upskilling startup. In March 2023, PW made its first overseas acquisition by acquiring UAE-based Knowledge Planet, with a view to expanding its reach in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The potential takeover of Drishti IAS is complementary to PW’s vision to make its presence strong in the segment of government exam preparation. Combining Drishti IAS’s experience of coaching Civil Services with its technological strength, PW plans to provide complete and affordable education solutions to a larger body of students.


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