Edtechs see rebound in enrolments in school season

Edtechs are witnessing a healthy rebound in student enrolments marking a recovery from pandemic-induced disruptions. Edtechs are reporting double-digit growth figures, bolstered by strong interest in test prep and increased presence in tier 2 and tier 3 towns.

“We are seeing like a 20 per cent growth in enrollments in the schools that we run ourselves, and a 10 to 12 per cent growth in partner schools,” said Sumeet Mehta, co-founder of LEAD Group. This marks a return to pre-COVID trends where annual growth in private school enrolments hovered around 10–12 per cent .

Infinity Learn, an edtech player with a focus on math and science for classes 8–12, echoed similar optimism. “If I compare this vis-à-vis last year, we 70–72 per cent major uptake in grade eight, nine, ten,” said Ujjwal Singh, founding CEO, Infinity Learn by Sri Chaitanya.

One of the driving forces behind this growth is the increasing demand for competitive exam preparation—particularly for IIT-JEE and NEET—at earlier grade levels. “Our foundation program has grown from 3,000 students to 18,000 students in just one year,” Mehta noted, adding that the company expects this number to hit 50,000 by next year.

Infinity Learn has also observed a shift in perception. “We’re doing almost 65–70 per cent of our business in JEE,” Singh noted, highlighting an unexpected tilt toward engineering entrance prep despite a strong NEET legacy.

Both companies attribute part of their growth to deepening presence beyond metro areas. Infinity Learn has expanded from 3 to 50 physical centers within a year, reaching towns like Nanded, Varanasi, and Nagpur.

Key support role

On the tech front, AI is playing a key support role in personalised learning, particularly in doubt resolution. “95 per cent doubt solving is done through AI,” the Infinity Learn team said. However, Mehta stressed the limitations of AI as a primary teacher: “AI can be a secondary solution. It cannot be the primary solution.”

Affordability remains a concern, especially in smaller towns, but both players are adapting. LEAD Group offers foundation programs for an additional ₹5,000 on top of regular school fees. Infinity Learn, while positioned as a premium player with fees around ₹40,000–₹45,000, also sells test series starting at ₹500.

As students and parents recalibrate post-pandemic expectations, one thing is clear: the back-to-school season this year is not just about recovery—it’s about reinvention.

Published on April 16, 2025