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Exclusive: PhysicsWallah acquires minority stake in Sarrthi IAS

EntrackrEntrackr · 4m ago
Exclusive: PhysicsWallah acquires minority stake in Sarrthi IAS
Medial

Exclusive: PhysicsWallah acquires minority stake in Sarrthi IAS Edtech Unicorn PhysicsWallah has acquired a minority stake in UPSC coaching institute Sarrthi IAS, according to three sources aware of the development. “PW has picked up 40% in the company at a valuation of about Rs 250 crore. Sarrthi will continue to operate independently while leveraging on PhysicsWallah’s tech infra,” said one of the sources, requesting anonymity. Founded by Varun Jain and Dr. Shivin Chaudhry, Sarrthi IAS provides mentorship-focused courses for UPSC preparation. The platform offers GS Foundation, Mains modules, Prelims revision, and interview guidance. The deal marks a consolidation move in the UPSC prep market, where PhysicsWallah has been scaling through its vertical PWOnlyIAS. “After this deal, the combined UPSC vertical including PWOnlyIAS and Sarrthi IAS is expected to cross Rs 350 crore in revenue in FY26,” according to the source quoted above. For PhysicsWallah, the investment strengthens its positioning in the civil services test-prep segment UPSC and all state public service commission exams, and adds heft to its offline presence. PW had earlier explored larger acquisitions, including Drishti IAS, but talks did not materialise. Entrackr has reached out to PhysicsWallah and Sarrthi IAS for comments on the story. We will update the story in case they respond. The stake purchase comes as PhysicsWallah gears up for its IPO. The company received SEBI’s nod to file its Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) and is planning to raise around Rs 4,500 crore through the IPO. On the revenue front, the Alakh Pandey-led firm reported a 55% year-on-year jump to around Rs 3,000 crore in FY25, while losses narrowed by nearly 80% during the same period. Entrackr had exclusively reported these numbers last month.

Exclusive: PhysicsWallah–Drishti IAS acquisition deal called off

EntrackrEntrackr · 7m 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.

PhysicsWallah in talks to acquire Sarrthi IAS

EntrackrEntrackr · 9m ago
PhysicsWallah in talks to acquire Sarrthi IAS
Medial

Edtech unicorn PhysicsWallah is in final-stage talks to acquire Sarrthi IAS, an online platform that provides mentorship-focused courses for UPSC preparation. Sources indicate that the deal is likely in the range of Rs 120–130 crore, with Sarrthi having closed FY25 with Rs 35 crore in revenue and around Rs 20 crore in profits. The discussions follow PhysicsWallah's negotiations to acquire Drishti IAS for Rs 2,500–3,000 crore and align with the company's strategy to expand in the UPSC preparatory space. Sarrthi has been exploring consolidation with a larger player and has engaged in talks with other edtech firms. While sources suggest advanced discussions, Sarrthi's founder, Varun Jain, denies the ongoing talks. PhysicsWallah is reportedly preparing for an IPO, aiming to raise $500 million at a $5 billion valuation, and has seen substantial growth, reporting Rs 1,940.4 crore revenue in FY24.

Unacademy to pivot from company operated centres to a franchise model

EntrackrEntrackr · 1d ago
Unacademy to pivot from company operated centres to a franchise model
Medial

Unacademy to pivot from company operated centres to a franchise model Unacademy's Gaurav Munjal added that several major exam preparation verticals such as UPSC, NEET PG and CAT have turned contribution margin positive. Edtech unicorn Unacademy is recalibrating its business with a sharper focus on profitable growth after a year of significant cost correction, according to an internal email sent by co-founder and CEO Gaurav Munjal to employees. In the communication, Munjal said that Unacademy reduced its test prep burn to around Rs 200 crore in calendar year 2024 from nearly Rs 450 crore earlier. The reduction followed a series of operational changes including shutting down underperforming initiatives and prioritising core businesses. He added that several major exam preparation verticals such as UPSC, NEET PG and CAT have turned contribution margin positive. Munjal further added that PrepLadder and Graphy were cash flow positive for the full year. Meanwhile, language learning platform Airlearn scaled its annual recurring revenue from about $200,000 at the start of 2025 to nearly $3 million by the end of the year. As part of its restructuring, Unacademy plans to exit its company operated offline centre business over the coming months by converting these centres into franchise partnerships. According to Munjal, the franchise model allows local operators to manage operations while Unacademy provides academics, technology and reach. He said the transition is expected to be completed by April, after which the company will have a significantly leaner cost structure. The internal email comes shortly after the acquisition talks between Unacademy and upGrad were called off due to valuation differences. The discussions had been underway for several months amid a broader slowdown in edtech deal activity and valuation resets across the startup ecosystem. upGrad co-founder Ronnie Screwvala later confirmed that the deal did not materialise. Munjal said the calendar year 2026 would be focused on growth rather than survival, with improving unit economics across online test prep and faster than expected growth in Airlearn. He added that Unacademy is now positioned to scale with greater financial discipline.

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