Byjus The Sales Pitch
Hello everyone,
As many of us expected, things unfolded exactly as predicted.
The mainstream media, Bollywood celebrities, and government agencies turned a blind eye.
Before August 2020, when I first wrote about this company, there wasn’t a single article or video addressing its flaws.
How could they all miss the warning signs?
Or is our system so flawed that it lacks the necessary checks and
balances to stop such a company in its early stages?
They ignored the issue until it was too late.
There was a time when NITI Aayog and Startup India showcased Byju's at events and on panels.
Even after the case, the Ministry of Education, instead of enforcing strict regulations,
chose a soft approach.
They formed a so-called "self-regulatory body"—the India EdTech Consortium (IEC).
Ironically, the same companies responsible for creating the mess were entrusted
to regulate themselves.
Parents have been reaching out to this IEC for months, seeking refunds.
And what has IEC done? Nothing. Not a single response, let alone action.
This year, the Ministry of Education introduced Guidelines for Regulation of
Coaching Centers, which laid down sensible rules:
No coaching for students under 16 or below Class 10.
Refunds on a pro-rata basis within 10 days if students leave mid-course.
No coaching during school hours to put an end to the dummy school trend.
And yet, what happened? Nothing. No state has implemented these regulations.
I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again:
we need ONE SIMPLE RULE for Edtech companies—
FEES SHOULD BE ALLOWED ONLY ON A MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION BASIS.
This would:
1. End aggressive and unethical sales tactics.
2. Push Edtech companies to improve their education quality to retain students.
3. Give students greater flexibility in switching streams or
coaching institutes, reducing their mental burden.
In February 2022, when another Edtech company, Lido Learning, showed signs of
bankruptcy, I highlighted the struggles of parents and students.
These families had paid for multi-year courses.
Meanwhile, Lido’s CEO, Sahil Sheth, was off hosting parties in Mexico and Spain.
Families—some working as house helps or taxi drivers—
were left pleading for refunds. I tried to amplify their voices,but nothing changed.
Now, as Byju's faces bankruptcy proceedings, investors, creditors, the BCCI,
and tax authorities are all fighting legal cases to recover their money.
But what about the customers?
Over ₹5OO crores in refunds owed to more than 1 lakh families remain stuck.
Imagine the impact on these families. For many parents, education was their only
hope to uplift their lives. These edtech companies, dressed in suits,
walked into their homes and systematically shattered that only hope.
I want to thank Indu, Bhagvantu, and others for their help with investigative work and translations.
I’ll keep speaking up when there’s something no one else is willing to talk about.
Stay connected.
Pradeep Poonia
7:00 - First topic to confuse the kid: Fractions.
17:35 - Fractions
24:00 - Telling kid he needs to improve attention, even when his answers were good.
25:00 - Sachin Tendulkar & Rahul Dravid's son starts studying from Byjus.
26:00 - Rainbow.
29:00 - Why ONLY 7 colors in Rainbow?
30:00 - Explanation about competition
33:10 - What is Byjus and Application walkthrough
43:00 - Byjus example animated video explaining photosynthesis.
45:41 - Explaining how Byju's is beneficial for the kid
49:50 - Asking kid to say to his father that he is wants the tab.
51:00 - cross selling
57:48 - Cost structure.
1:07:45 - Father says fees is too much. He also has to pay for schools fees
1:09:10 - Father compares Byjus app to freely available ncert Dikha app
1:14:52 - Counselor starts shaming father and son for not buying the course
1:16:22 - Counselor mocks the father
1:17:00 - Pictures of families targeted by Byjus sales teams.