We are now an independent company, says Aakash CEO

With Byju's facing insolvency, AESL chalks out '2.0' strategy

- PEERZADA ABRAR

Deepak Mehrotra, managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Aakash Educational Services (AESL), is on a mission to revamp operations at the firm amid a crisis in the edtech industry and Aakash investor Byju's going through an insolvency process.

Mehrotra, who is a travel enthusiast, has put a trip to Antarctica on hold because he wants to focus all his energy on the organisation. He has come up with a strategy 'Aakash 2.0' which includes scaling up company operations, bringing efficiency and setting up hybrid learning centres.

"When I joined (Aakash), my biggest role was to be a stabilising influence, calming everyone's nerves. And, to make it clear that we were not going to settle. From there, the energy in the organisation has soared. Today, it's buzzing with excitement - opening over 150 centres in a year, something we've never done before. That's what we're aiming for."