Online higher education, seems tempting but unreliable at the same time. But Learning Routes aims to change the way we think about it. From offering free counselling to admissions in top Indian universities and colleges by helping you identify your potential, they also offer scholarship programs to bridge the financial gaps. Why? Because they want to change the Indian Online Education Module and serving students is their prime priority instead of earning profits.
And if by satisfying their customers, they can come from Rs 1.5 crore revenue in 1st year to Rs 32 crore in the present financial year, why run behind profits?
| Startup Name
|
Learning Routes (LR) |
| Founders | Karan Semta, Suraj Mishra, Dheeraj Chhabra, and Varun Talwar |
| Industry | Education and Learning, E-Learning Providers, Colleges & Universities |
| Company Classification | Private, non-government company |
| Headquarters/based-in | Gurgaon, Haryana, India |
| Idea | To provide a comprehensive platform for college hunting, career counseling, and upskilling while prioritizing students’ satisfaction rather than sales and profit maximization. |
| Revenue | $14.5 million |
| Date of Commencement | 2016-2017 |
| Investments | ₹3 lakhs |
| Number of Customers | 10,000+ |
| Number of Employees | 300+ |
Competitors: Course Hero, Numerade, & Passei Direto, Adobe, Cornerstone (SumTotal), SAP, 360Learning, Absorb Software, Docebo, and Learning Pool
The Problem: Why Does This Matter?
Online education in India is still not much preferred by students due to the myth that the degree or certificates won’t be valid or hold any value. For those who think the opposite, are unable to find the right courses, platforms, or universities.
Other reasons for the problems with online education undergrowth in India are:
- People willing to have college experience by attending full-time courses.
- There are fewer job prospects for online degree pursuers.
- Some backward sections may not afford the cost of the internet or resources required to complete an online degree or take online classes.
- Lack of a conducive learning environment, like most kids face noisy backgrounds, lack of personal space at home, etc.
Because of these reasons, people are missing out on essential and life-changing opportunities to change their lives and improve their careers.
Little known fact: People pursuing online courses/programs recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) are eligible for government jobs in India.
The Solution: Learning Routes
The startup, Learning Routes offers working professionals with online technology and management courses from various institutions. Also, it offers career consultation to help people explore various options and identify their true potential in a field. Overall, the company aims to help people find the perfect college for them and navigate their career journey.
When 4 colleagues from a Mumbai-based Ed-tech firm found themselves in a high-pressure sales environment, they noticed the negative impact of such situations on employee satisfaction.
This inspired them to redefine Indian online higher education. In 2016, with just Rs 3 lakh, founders Karan, Suraj, Varun, and Dheeraj came together to start the venture in Gurugram, Haryana with a focus on prioritizing students’ best interests over sales targets.
Business Model: How Do They Make Money?
Learning Routes widened its service catalogue, offering:
- Admissions consulting services: Through admissions consulting around 80% of the revenue is generated, but the company doesn’t charge for guiding the students.
- Free courses, counselling, and psychometric tests to identify educational interests.
- Live webinars and expert panels
- AI-powered tool College Finder (their best approach)
- Offers scholarship programs: LR’s goal is to quality online higher education accessible to all by eliminating financial barriers.
Now, they have collaborations with 20 premier/top Indian universities & colleges and multiple programs like MBA, BBA, and more. With such services, they have students from different fields like recent school graduates as well as working professionals seeking upskilling or further education.
In its 1st year, LR earned Rs 1.5 crore of revenue.
In 2023, Learning Routes generated Rs 32 crore in revenue and served more than 10k students.
Presently (2024), LR has reached an astonishing figure of more than Rs 40 crore.
Moreover, till now they have assisted more than 70k students (from starting till date) while operating in 5 locations across India.
Challenges/Struggles: What Roadblocks Are They Facing?
- The most challenging was to pull off a startup with only Rs 3 lakhs.
- They were doing multiple tasks like counsellors, marketers, and tech developers.
- No website or tech support means they, themselves did student consultations.
- Also, reaching out to educational institutions for partnerships was done over the phone or in person.
Measures Taken:
- Bootstrapped and managed the finances wisely and avoided initial hiring.
- Recently, they opened strategic funding not just for finances but also to improve technical expertise.
- They are planning to use the funding to expand in more than 5 locations across India as well as abroad.
They dedicated their best and landed Narsee Monjee (NMIMS), their first big client. Such big partnerships laid the foundation for more collaborations.
Future Vision: What’s Next?
Their vision is to become India’s largest online marketplace for college admissions, search, and comparison.
Growth Plans: Share what the startup is aiming for next, such as new products, markets, or upcoming partnerships.
Key Takeaways: Why Should Users Care?
From the founders of LR, we can should learn to value the motive behind our services. Customer service and satisfaction should be prioritized before everything.
Slow and strategic growth is beneficial rather than gathering funds and hiring in the initial stages of a startup.
Moreover, they show us that it is possible to set up your empire with a little investment and lots of dedication. Also, we should not be afraid to approach big clients.
