Byju’s, an online educational platform, acquired Aakash Educational Services, an operator of physical coaching centers. According to reports, the company paid nearly USD 1 billion, comprising USD 600 million in cash and the rest in equity.

Through the acquisition, Byju’s plans to offer students a blended learning experience combining online and offline learning, expand the combined entities’ reach to smaller towns and cities, and build India’s largest omnichannel test preparation and tutoring service.

Founded in 1988 by J. C. Chaudhry, Aakash Educational Services owns and operates more than 200 physical tutoring centers across India, helping students qualify for engineering and medical colleges. The company operates three brands, Aakash Institute, Aakash IIT-JEE, and Aakash Foundations, and serves more than 250,000 high school students.

Founded in 2011 by Byju Raveendran and Divya Gokulnath, Bangalore-based Think and Learn is an EdTech and online tutoring firm doing business as Byju’s and is India’s second-most-valuable startup. Byju’s offers online video-based learning programs for K-12, domestic and overseas exams, and launched “Byju's: The Learning App” in 2015, offering learning programs for students in grades 6-12. In 2017, the company launched the K5 app for grades 4-5, and in 2019, it launched its early learning program for grades 1-3. As of March 2021, Byju’s served more than 80 million users.