PhysicsWallah Plans Rs 4,600 Crore IPO
PhysicsWallah is always trending on social media. Today, it is one of the biggest names in the education sector. Let me tell you, education has become one of the most profitable businesses nowadays. Many people may not be aware of this, but no worries—I’ll explain.
PhysicsWallah is an educational institute that prepares students for engineering and medical entrance exams. While the success rate of education itself is uncertain, this institute has a huge number of students, and its network is very vast.
PhysicsWallah provides both online and offline education and even has its own app. The company has grown so much that it is now planning to get listed on the stock market. This move will further increase its valuation and allow it to open even more branches.
Edtech company PhysicsWallah (PW) has submitted its Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) to SEBI for its upcoming Initial Public Offering (IPO). The company plans to raise Rs 4,600 crore through this IPO. The offering will include both fresh issue shares and an offer for sale (OFS) by existing investors.
PW’s Valuation and Previous Funding Rounds
According to Tracxn, PW’s current valuation is approximately Rs 32,000 crore. The company has previously raised Rs 2,700 crore in two funding rounds. In June 2022, PW secured Rs 882 crore in its first round. Later, in September 2024, it raised another Rs 1,817 crore, bringing its valuation to Rs 24,224 crore at that time.
PW’s Investors and Ownership Structure
PW has a total of eight institutional investors, including WestBridge Capital, Hornbill Capital, and Lightspeed Venture Partners. WestBridge Capital is the largest investor. Apart from these institutional investors, Rajat Pandey is the only angel investor in the company.
The founders of PhysicsWallah, Alakh Pandey and Pratik Maheshwari, hold a 77.40% stake in the company. Institutional investors own 20.47% of the shares.
Company Growth and Employee Strength
As of January 2025, PW employs 11,321 people. This is a 36.9% decline compared to January 2024. The company has also expanded its reach by acquiring six educational platforms, including Xylem Learning and Knowledge Planet, in 2023.
Why PW Filed DRHP Confidentially
SEBI introduced confidential IPO filings in November 2022. This allows companies to submit their IPO documents privately before making a public announcement. The confidential filing method helps protect sensitive business information from competitors until the company officially discloses its listing plans.
PW is the seventh company to choose this route, following Tata Play, OYO, Swiggy, Vishal Mega Mart, Credila Financial Services, and Indira IVF.
Journey of PhysicsWallah
PhysicsWallah started as a YouTube channel in 2016. Alakh Pandey, a resident of Prayagraj, began teaching physics through online videos. In its first year, the channel had only 4,000 subscribers. However, Alakh’s engaging and easy teaching style attracted more students. Today, his YouTube channel has nearly 7 million subscribers.
The PhysicsWallah YouTube channel provides coaching for JEE Mains, JEE Advanced, NEET, and other medical and engineering entrance exams.
PW’s Expansion Across India
PW has set up learning centers in about 100 cities across India. According to its official website, over 35 lakh students are currently enrolled in its courses.
PW’s Digital Transformation
With the rise of 4G in India, more people started shifting to online education. In 2018, PhysicsWallah moved completely online and began offering free content on YouTube. Alakh received his first YouTube payment of Rs 8,000 that year when his channel had 50,000 subscribers. By 2019, the channel had grown to 2 million subscribers.
Launch of PhysicsWallah App in 2020
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, students increasingly turned to online education. Alakh capitalized on this trend by offering a variety of courses on YouTube. Seeing the growing demand, he launched the PhysicsWallah app on May 18, 2020. The app provides solutions to complex physics and chemistry problems and has since gained immense popularity among students.
Conclusion
PhysicsWallah has grown rapidly from a small YouTube channel to one of India’s top edtech companies. With its upcoming IPO, the company aims to raise Rs 4,600 crore and expand even further. As PW continues to evolve, it remains a popular choice for students preparing for competitive exams in India.