Arjun Mohan, India CEO of edtech company Byju's, tells Vinita Bhatia how the edtech sector, one of the best performers during Covid-19 pandemic, fell out of favour with customers and investors and ended up in losses
Why did you choose to get into a mentorship role post upGrad? I got the opportunity to work with more prominent edtech start-ups, including Byju’s and Vedantu, which needed help as, currently, things are not great for the sector. It basically started as a project for profit and loss optimisation.
For instance, I worked with Byju’s on ways to make its many subsidiaries’ cash flow positive and independent. However, I got a lot more involved because there was a leadership gap in the company.
Since you were trying to keep the subsidiaries in the black, were you the one who gave the idea of putting Great Learning and Epic on the block?
I am obviously helping Byju Raveendran in many of these things, but the idea is finally his. I will not claim ownership of any of these, but it is a self-evident thing for him to do because Byju’s had lots of liabilities that could not be paid out with the cash flow it was generating.
In fact, many companies have now moved into the positive territory of cash flow, but paying so much money is not possible for these companies in a short period. So, it was a foregone conclusion that Raveendran would have to sell a few of these.
While Byju’s had accumulated much debt and financial liabilities, Vedantu had to balance its expansion plans to avoid getting into the same dilemma as Byju’s. How did you modulate your learnings and apply them to these edtech companies?
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 2023-Ausgabe von Outlook Business.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 2023-Ausgabe von Outlook Business.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
NATURE BECKONS
When not busy at work, Naivedya Agarwal, co-founder and CEO of manufacturing start-up Runaya, indulges in activities that keep him close to nature, like wildlife photography, safaris, flying and holidays at beaches and the hills
Combining Minimalism and Material Responsibility for Timeless Furniture Pieces
Leading Furniture Industry with Inspiring Innovation, Sustainability, Customization, and Collaboration. EK Designs creates designs with honesty and transparency upholding the strict quality norms.
Participation Over Dictation Leads to Excellence: Girish Avansta
Accellor's innovative Al-backed designs are a result of the whole-hearted participation of every employee
Leading the Charge in Digital Transformation by Pioneering the Future of Enterprise Automation
Areteans is Revolutionizing Business Automation and AI Integration
Recognizing MSME Excellence and Charting the Future: Insights from Outlook Business Spotlight Awards 2024
MSMEs are the \"unsung heroes who keep our industries humming and our dreams soaring.
"Sustainability is an Essential Component of Lubrizol's Corporate DNA"
Bhavana Bindra, Lubrizol's dynamic Managing Director, shares her views on sustainable growth and Lubrizol's impact in India.
Modernizing Mobility: India's Need For A Smarter And Sustainable Passenger Transportation Solution
India is at the forefront of a transformative wave of urbanisation. To combat climate change and urban pollution, upgrading infrastructure and embracing sustainable mobility, particularly in efficient mass transportation systems is an imperative.
Bank Imbalance
As investors turn to more lucrative options, banks in India are seeing sluggish growth in deposits. With a limited arsenal to compete with high returns available elsewhere, they are struggling to balance deposits with the amount of loans they are handing out
Restoring Degraded Lands: Natural Farming Shows The Way
As we approach World Environment Day, it is important to acknowledge that we are in a climate 'poly-crisis' a series of interconnected and compounding crises across sectors.
Powering A Sustainable Future
By establishing a dedicated network for renewable energy transmission, the Green Corridor Project not only addresses the challenges of integrating clean energy sources but also contributes to land revitalisation