Aakash Institute’s relevancy in a digital age

How it deals with building this new tech empire — through talent, tech and content — will determine its legacy

Aakash Chaudhry is in a dilemma. His 30-year-old coaching institute needs a revamp. But there’s no roadmap for what he needs to do.

We’re sitting across a giant U-shaped table from Chaudhry, at the headquarters of Aakash Education Services Limited (AESL) in Delhi. As Chaudhry, the company’s chief executive officer, walks us through a presentation on the company’s growth plans, his stoic expression cracks as he says, “It’s such a complex time. I’m taking new decisions everyday without really knowing how they’ll pan out.”

It’s an odd predicament for AESL — one of India’s leading exam coaching chains. But as a digital wave sweeps through the coaching space, many legacy players have been caught unawares. Where decades-old chains like FIITJEE, Allen, and Aakash once stood topmost in the minds of the India’s students, younger, online-only players like Vedantu and Unacademy are now the talk of the town.

Unsurprisingly, one decision features prominently in Chaudhry’s presentation — the intention to take the brick-and-mortar business digital. It’s a bold move, especially when rival coaching firms — Allen, Resonance Eduventures and FIITJEE — are yet to establish a significant digital footprint, despite running “digital learning programmes” for the last few years.

Clearly, Aakash — the man and the institute — are in uncharted waters.

What lies in store for both of them in the future, is what today’s story is about. You can read it here: https://the-ken.com/story/aakashs-big-digital-bet/

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This excerpt is a part of a story published on The Ken on 25th September 2019, by Olina Banerji and Vandana.

The Ken is a subscription-based digital publication headquartered out of Bengaluru, India. It publishes one in-depth analytical story everyday about start-ups, technology, healthcare and science with an India-specific lens.

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