Alakh Pandey: The Force Behind Physics Wallah, India’s Latest Unicorn in Ed-Tech

Alakh Pandey, the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Physics Wallah, is a household name among YouTube educators. He’s on a mission to make learning accessible and engaging for students preparing for engineering and medical entrance exams, particularly those studying science subjects in the 11th and 12th grades (JEE and NEET aspirants). Notably, Alakh Pandey was honoured by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at an awards ceremony held on April 9, 2022, in Delhi, hosted by ZEE Delhi NCR Haryana.

Physics Wallah: A Unicorn in the Making

The journey of Physics Wallah is an inspiring one. In June 2022, Physics Wallah officially became a unicorn, valued at a staggering $1.1 billion. This remarkable milestone was achieved with significant contributions from investors like West Bridge and GSV Ventures, who led the funding round. It marked a watershed moment in the realm of educational technology, making Physics Wallah the 101st unicorn globally.

The Background of Physics Wallah

Alakh Pandey hails from Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad), Uttar Pradesh, India. A notable aspect of his story is that he is not an IIT graduate. In fact, he dropped out of an engineering college in Kanpur to return to his hometown. It was in Prayagraj that he began his teaching journey. Students immediately resonated with his unique coaching style. In 2014, he started his own YouTube channel, single-handedly. However, it was in 2017 that he expanded his reach by focusing on Class 10 students from the ICSE board. At that time, this group was underserved, and Alakh Pandey saw an opportunity to make a difference. This pivot gained him 10,000 subscribers in just one year, with countless students supporting his initiative. Thus, Physics Wallah was officially established in 2016. It marked the moment when YouTube STEM teacher Alakh Pandey, joined by tech chief Prateek Maheshwari, began shaping the future of education. Physics Wallah offers a wide array of online and offline courses, study materials, and resources tailored for NEET, JEE, and other related exams. Their platform provides live classes, video lectures, test series, and interactive activities to support students in their exam preparation. The core belief of the brand is unequivocally student-centric: “By the student, for the student, and with the student,” as articulated by Alakh Pandey.

The Physics Wallah App: Free Education at Your Fingertips

The Physics Wallah Alakh Pandey App is a free educational Android app designed to cater to the needs of students preparing for the IIT and JEE examinations. Launched by Alakh Pandey, the app offers study materials for Class 10, Class 12, and IIT/JEE exams. The app can be conveniently downloaded from the Google Play Store and is accessible on mobile devices. It contains an array of classes to strengthen your understanding of physics. This app is particularly valuable because many students lack the financial resources to invest in costly coaching institutions. To bridge this gap, the Physics Wallah app provides free access to video lectures on a range of subjects, including physics and chemistry. Additionally, the app offers interactive games, quizzes, and animations to help visualize complex concepts and in-depth explanations through videos and articles.

The Future of Physics Wallah

Alakh Pandey envisions a revolution in education that reaches millions of students in a sustainable and affordable manner. He questions how Ed-tech startups with massive investments can sleep at night while there’s work to be done. As of the 2022-23 session, Physics Wallah operates over 20 offline centres in 18 cities, with more than 10,000 students enrolled. In the coming year, they plan to introduce courses in Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, Gujarati, Odia, Malayalam, and Punjabi to extend their reach across India. Their expansion plans also include offering Post-Graduate Test in Engineering (GATE) and National Exit Test (NEXT) preparation within the next three months. Furthermore, Physics Wallah is expanding its offline coaching branches, including PW Pathshala, and recently launched a new offline centre, PW Vidyapeeth, in Kota. Their future goals encompass catering to students in classes six to nine and introducing test prep/entrance education.

In conclusion, Alakh Pandey’s commitment to making quality education accessible to all has transformed a passion for teaching into a thriving business that’s making a substantial impact on India’s educational landscape. Physics Wallah is not just an ed-tech platform; it’s a testament to the power of dedication, innovation, and the belief that quality education should be within everyone’s reach.