Drishti IAS to continue independently 'for now', after considering Physics Wallah deal, funding via IPO
The institute said it will continue to run independently, as it has for several years.
New Delhi: A few months ago, reports suggested that unicorn Physics Wallah was in talks to acquire Drishti IAS, which is among the oldest coaching institutes for civil services preparations. While they were dismissed as mere speculations, the IAS coaching institute has now said it was indeed exploring funding options last year, including through Physics Wallah, but ultimately decided not to go ahead with it.
Four major coaching institutes—Drishti IAS, Chaitanya Academy, Rau's IAS Study Circle, and Sarathi IAS—were being considered for potential acquisition as part of a larger consolidation wave in the Indian EdTech and test prep market. With online-first players like Physics Wallah and Unacademy looking to strengthen their offline footprint and diversify into civil services coaching, talks with these legacy UPSC institutes had emerged as strategic opportunities to tap into a loyal student base, particularly in Hindi-medium and regional markets.
Drishti IAS was founded in 1999 by popular teacher Vikas Divyakirti in Mukherjee Nagar. It became one of the most well-known institutes for Hindi-medium UPSC aspirants. The Delhi-based institute reported a revenue of Rs 405 crore and a profit after tax of Rs 90 crore in FY24. Vikas Divyakirti's popularity is such that he even appeared in the movie 12th fail, Videos of his classes and lectures receive millions of views on social media.
The institute moved to Noida last year after infrastructure issues in Mukherjee Nagar were flagged, following the death of three UPSC aspirants in another institute in the Old Rajinder Nagar area, and fire incidents at other institutes in Mukherjee Nagar. Coaching institutes came under intense scrutiny by public and authorities for infrastructure lapses and licensing issues after these incidents.
Sources at Drishti IAS said the institute remains profitable.
Physics Wallah is known for offering affordable online coaching. It first gained popularity through YouTube and later launched online courses for JEE and NEET aspirants for admission in engineering and medical courses. But over the last few years, it has been expanding its offerings. It entered the UPSC coaching space after joining forces with OnlyIAS in 2022.
The potential acquisition of Drishti IAS was seen as a strategic move to bolster Physics Wallah's offline presence and diversify its portfolio ahead of its planned IPO.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
Also Read: Drishti IAS relocating to Noida, Mukherjee Nagar may see exit of other coaching centres too
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