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Exclusive: PhysicsWallah in talks to acquire Drishti IAS for Rs 2,500 Cr

EntrackrEntrackr · 3m ago
Exclusive: PhysicsWallah in talks to acquire Drishti IAS for Rs 2,500 Cr
Medial

Edtech unicorn PhysicsWallah is in the advanced stages of acquiring offline coaching firm Drishti IAS Institute, according to three sources familiar with the matter. If finalized, this will mark the largest acquisition in the edtech space in the past couple of years. “PhysicsWallah is spending around Rs 2,500–3,000 crore to acquire the UPSC and state commissions preparatory platform,” said one of the sources, requesting anonymity. “The two companies have been in talks since January this year, and the deal is likely to be finalized soon.” The development comes at a time when PhysicsWallah is preparing for its initial public offering (IPO). The Noida-based company recently appointed three independent directors and is aiming to raise $500 million at a $5 billion valuation through the public listing. According to sources, the payment for the deal will be made in tranches and will be tied to future performance milestones. “Although we have been meeting several people from different organisations (IPO Bankers, PEs & Edtech founders) for our future plans, nothing has been finalized so far. The information you are talking about is just a rumour which shouldn't be taken seriously at all,” said Vivek Tiwari, CEO, Drishti IAS. Queries sent to PhysicsWallah did not elicit an immediate response. Drishti IAS, a 26-year-old educational platform that mainly provides offline coaching to help students prepare for the Civil Services Examination (CSE), reported Rs 405 crore in revenue with Rs 90 crore profit after tax (PAT) in FY24. Founded by Vikas Divyakirti, the Mukherjee Nagar Institute is the largest revenue contributor for Drishti IAS, accounting for 58% of the total coaching income, followed by Prayagraj, Jaipur, and Karol Bagh. On the other hand, nine-year-old PhysicsWallah has expanded into a full-fledged edtech platform offering live and recorded lectures, test series, study materials, and offline hybrid centers. The firm has raised over $300 million to date and was valued at around $2.8 billion during a $210 million Series B round in September last year. PhysicsWallah’s revenue from operations surged to Rs 1,940.4 crore in FY24, compared to Rs 744.3 crore in FY23. However, following the rising expenditure, its losses deepened over 13X to Rs 1,131 crore in FY24 against Rs 84 crore reported in FY23. The potential deal aligns with PhysicsWallah’s focus on offline coaching. Last year, the Lightspeed and WestBridge-backed company stated that it aims to achieve over Rs 1,000 crore in offline revenue by the end of FY25.

Exclusive: PhysicsWallah–Drishti IAS acquisition deal called off

EntrackrEntrackr · 1m ago
Exclusive: PhysicsWallah–Drishti IAS acquisition deal called off
Medial

Exclusive: PhysicsWallah–Drishti IAS acquisition deal called off In April 2025, Entrackr exclusively reported that PhysicsWallah was evaluating acquisitions to strengthen its presence in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) test preparation segment. The highly anticipated acquisition of Drishti IAS by edtech unicorn PhysicsWallah has been called off, according to two sources. The deal was in advanced stages but did not materialize due to multiple reasons. The deal was estimated at Rs 2,500-Rs 3,000 crore. Drishti IAS, along with other institutes like Chaitanya Academy, Rau's IAS Study Circle, and Sarrthi IAS were among the assets being considered for potential acquisition. “Drishti IAS considered the proposal after being approached by PhysicsWallah, but given its strong revenue and profitability, the company has decided to continue operating independently and is not looking to raise external funding and acquisition," said one of the sources requesting anonymity. Drishti IAS, founded in 1999, has established itself as a leading player in civil services preparation, particularly for Hindi-medium students. The Delhi-based institute reported a revenue of Rs 405 crore and a profit after tax of Rs 90 crore in FY24. Sources added that Drishti is expected to close FY25 with a decent growth in revenue as well as profit. PhysicsWallah, known for its affordable online coaching, has been expanding its offerings beyond engineering and medical entrance exams into the competitive UPSC coaching space. The potential acquisition of Drishti IAS was seen as a strategic move to bolster its offline presence and diversify its portfolio ahead of its planned IPO. PhysicsWallah declined to comment on the story, while Drishti IAS did not respond to queries until the time of publication. Media reports suggest that PhysicsWallah filed draft papers via confidential route in March to raise Rs 4,600 crore through an initial public offering (IPO). If successful, it will become the first edtech unicorn to be listed on the stock exchange.

FirstCry parent’s revenue crosses Rs 1,900 Cr in Q4 FY25; losses surge 74%

EntrackrEntrackr · 1m ago
FirstCry parent’s revenue crosses Rs 1,900 Cr in Q4 FY25; losses surge 74%
Medial

The parent company of FirstCry has released its quarterly report for the last financial year ending March 2025. The report highlights moderate growth, with a 16% year-on-year growth in scale while losses surged 74%. FirstCry's revenue from operations grew to Rs 1,930 crore in Q4 FY25 from Rs 1,667 crore in Q4 FY24, its financial statements sourced from the National Stock Exchange show. For the full fiscal year (FY25), BrainBees’s operating revenue increased 18% to Rs 7,660 crore in FY25 from Rs 6,481 crore in FY24. The sale of its products through offline stores and websites in India and the international market was the primary source of revenue, accounting for 69% of total operating revenue, while its subsidiary, GlobalBees, contributed Rs 398 crore income for Q4 FY25. The company also made Rs 48 crore from interest income which took its overall revenue to Rs 1,979 crore in Q4 FY25, compared to Rs 1,685 crore in Q4 FY24. For the omnichannel retailer, the cost of procurement of materials accounted for 58% of the overall expenditure which increased 14% quarter-on-quarter to Rs 1,206 crore in Q4 FY25 from Rs 1055 crore in Q4 FY24. FirstCry employee benefits stood at Rs 229 crore in Q4 FY25 which includes Rs 82 crore as ESOP cost. Marketing, legal, rent, and technology expenses were key overheads that drove total expenditure up to Rs 2,060 crore in Q4 FY25, compared to Rs 1,737 crore in the same quarter last year. For the fiscal year ending March 2025, the company’s total expenses rose to Rs 7,992 crore. BrainBees’ loss surged by 74% to Rs 75 crore in Q4 FY25. For FY25, the firm losses stood at 215 crore in FY25, down from Rs 321 crore in FY24. (We have excluded exceptional items amounting to Rs 37 crore from the loss calculation.) BrainBees debuted on the stock exchange at Rs 446 and is now trading at 376.5 on May 26, bringing its total market capitalization to Rs 19,631 crore.

FirstCry-parent posts Rs 2,172 Cr revenue in Q3 FY25, cuts losses by 70%

EntrackrEntrackr · 5m ago
FirstCry-parent posts Rs 2,172 Cr revenue in Q3 FY25, cuts losses by 70%
Medial

FirstCry-parent posts Rs 2,172 Cr revenue in Q3 FY25, cuts losses by 70% Brainbees Solutions, the parent company of kids-focused omnichannel retailer FirstCry, has released its Q3 FY25 today. The report highlights sound financial growth, with a 14.3% year-on-year growth in scale and controlled losses by 70%. FirstCry's revenue from operations grew to Rs 2,172 crore in Q3 FY25 from Rs 1,900 crore in Q3 FY24, its unaudited financial statements sourced from the National Stock Exchange (NSE) show. The sale of its products through offline stores and websites in India and the international market was the primary source of revenue, accounting for nearly 82% of total operating revenue, while its subsidiary, GlobalBees, contributed Rs 422 crore. The company also made Rs 44 crore from interest income which took its overall revenue to Rs 2,217 crore in Q3 FY25, compared to Rs 1,936 crore in Q3 FY24. For the omnichannel retailer, the cost of procurement of materials accounted for 66% of the overall expenditure which increased 17% year-on-year to Rs 1,451 crore in Q3 FY25 from Rs 1,239 crore in Q3 FY24. FirstCry’s employee benefits stood at Rs 177 crore in Q3 FY25 which includes Rs 28 crore as ESOP cost. The marketing, legal, rent, and technology were other overheads that pushed the overall expenditure to Rs 2,210 crore in Q3 FY25 from Rs 1,978 crore in Q3 FY24. The decent scale and controlled expenditure helped FirstCry to reduce its losses by 70% to Rs 15 crore in the last quarter. Notably, the company reported a positive EBITDA of Rs 152 crore. As of the last trading session, FirstCry’s share price stood at Rs 419 per share, with a total market capitalization of Rs 21,753.8 crore (approximately $2.5 billion).

Eruditus clocks Rs 3,733 Cr revenue in FY24, narrows losses by 83%

EntrackrEntrackr · 3m ago
Eruditus clocks Rs 3,733 Cr revenue in FY24, narrows losses by 83%
Medial

Eruditus clocks Rs 3,733 Cr revenue in FY24, narrows losses by 83% Global edtech company Eruditus recorded modest year-on-year growth in its operating revenue, crossing the Rs 3,700 crore ($448 million) mark in the fiscal year ending June 2024. The Mumbai-based firm narrowed its losses by over 83% during the same period. Compared to FY23, the firm’s operating scale grew by 12% to Rs 3,733 crore, according to its annual financial statement sourced from Singapore. Eruditus follows a financial year that runs from July to June. The firm appears to be ahead of the leading edtechs, with revenue nearly 1.8 times that of PhysicsWallah and more than double that of upGrad. PhysicsWallah reported Rs 2,015 crore revenue in FY24 whereas upGrad registered Rs 1,487 crore revenue in the same period. Eruditus offers education across more than 80 countries to over a million learners. It partners with over 80 universities across the United States, Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia, India, and China. The firm didn’t offer revenue break-up across geographies. The company deferred recognition of Rs 800 crore ($96 million) in collected revenue to the last fiscal year (FY25). Eruditus made progress in controlling its expenses as its marketing expenses dipped 18.85% year-on-year to Rs 1,007 crore in FY24 from Rs 1,241 crore in FY23. Other operating expenses were down by 32.16% year-on-year to Rs 1,045 crore in FY24 from Rs 1,541 crore in FY23. The cost optimizations led to a sharp improvement in the company’s bottom line. Eruditus narrowed its adjusted EBITDA losses by 83.45% to Rs 69 crore ($8.3 million) in FY24 from Rs 417 crore ($50 million) in FY23. With backing from investors such as TPG, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Prosus Ventures, Accel, and Peak XV, Eruditus has the capital reserve to expand its presence and offerings across markets. In October 2024, it raised $150 million in the second-largest edtech deal of the year, after PhysicsWallah’s $210 million funding. With revenue approaching $500 million and an 83% reduction in losses, the company shows a path toward sustainable growth in the edtech industry. Heading into FY25 with deferred revenue, Eruditus is on track to achieve profitability while building on its revenue base.

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