MAM
Why Indian ed-tech companies are going global
MUMBAI: The advancement in technology has brought about various revolutionary changes in the educational sector in recent years. Post the rise of ed-tech start-ups, students in India are enjoying personalised learning experiences, and as a result, the popularity of these companies among kids and grown-ups alike has risen dramatically.
From appointing film superstars as their brand ambassadors to offering virtual learning experiences to users, ed-tech brands in India are pulling out the stops to become the top name in the education industry. Several ed-tech companies in India have already emerged as big names, and they are now gradually extending their reach to foreign countries as well.
The rise and rise of Byju's
With a user base of over 65 million and a bunch of A-listers promoting it, Byju's is undoubtedly the most popular ed-tech platform in the country. Launched in 2011 by Byju Raveendran, Byju's, in the course of years has emerged as the most trustworthy ed-tech platform for students in India.
Over the years, Byju's has acquired several other players in the ed-tech space, like coding platform WhiteHat Jr, TutorVista, offline test prep Aakash Educational Services, Osmo, etc. Valued at $11 billion, the Byju Raveendran-led start-up is now eager to make its presence felt in the international market.
Byju's is already a known name in the US ever since its acquisition of Osmo, an American learning start-up that is popular among kids aged between five and 12. During the Disrupt 2020 conference, co-founder & CEO Byju Raveendran had claimed that the company has plans to launch a digital learning app aimed at kids in several English-speaking markets. He also added that WhiteHat Jr will introduce math subjects to students in Australia and New Zealand. The company is also angling to expand its operations to countries like Singapore and Germany.
On the marketing side, Byju's is a brand known for its close association with the Indian Premier League (IPL). Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the IPL, has roped in 18 sponsors for this year's tournament, and Byju's has once again made the cut. As the reach of IPL is unparalleled in India, the ed-tech giant will likely continue its association with cricket in the coming years too. Moreover, the popularity of IPL is not just confined to India, and it will help Byju's to familiarise its brand among foreign viewers too.
upGrad: Offering courses to Indian learners from foreign universities
Headquartered in Mumbai, upGrad is one of the largest homegrown online learning companies. It was recently reported that the start-up is planning to increase its line-up of global universities threefold in 2021.
Touted to be India's largest higher education firm, upGrad has already expanded its worldwide network of top universities by partnering with the University of Essex (Online), Duke Corporate Education, and Michigan State University. This move will help Indian students to pursue higher education from top-rated foreign universities, the company had said.
"2020 has been the year when we grew over 100 per cent in terms of both, national and international university partnerships. We introduced global MBAs and made them one of the highest revenue-making verticals. Now with the recent tie-ups, we have grown three times our program portfolio to cross 100+ programs. The figures are set to double in 2021," said upGrad co-founder Phalgun Kompalli told Bloomberg Quint.
Last year, upGrad inked a deal with Star India to run its latest ad campaign during IPL matches. On the back of its association with the league, the e-learning platform aims to expand its global reach with an advertising blitz this year as well.
Mindler aiming sky high
Mindler cannot be considered purely as an online teaching company; rather, it’s a career counselling firm that provides career development guidance services for students. Three years into the business, Mindler has succeeded in establishing operations in five foreign countries.
"It’s no more about saturating in India before going global…if your product is good then why not," said Minder founder Prateek Bhargava, as quoted by Mint.
Aspiring Minds' successful overseas run
Another ed-tech company that has planted its flag in the overseas market is Aspiring Minds, headquartered in Bengaluru. The start-up has already ventured into countries like the United States and China.
Aspiring Minds co-founder Varun Aggarwal shared that they are planning to foray into other countries because they have a quality product that can be showcased globally.
"If you have a globally competitive product and a company with ambition, then it is wiser to go overseas. We believe what we were doing in India can be replicated anywhere in the world. We are now in China, the US, The Philippines and parts of Africa. When you talk about global – for an Indian company like us it means two key markets, China and the US. Other markets are small in comparison," he added.
Interestingly, Aspiring Minds' international operations account for 25-30 per cent of its overall revenue.
Digital
Galleri5 launches India’s first AI cinema OS at India AI Summit
Collective Artists Network unveils end-to-end production platform powering Mahabharat series and Hanuman teaser.
MUMBAI: India’s cinema just got an AI operating system upgrade because why settle for tools when you can have a full production command centre? Collective Artists Network and Galleri5 today unveiled Galleri5 AI Studio at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, billing it as the country’s first cinema-native production technology platform. Launched on 20 February 2026, the system acts as an end-to-end orchestration layer for film and television, integrating generative AI, LoRA-driven character architecture, controlled shot pipelines, 3D/VFX tools, lip-sync, upscaling, quality control, and delivery, all tuned for theatrical and broadcast standards.
Unlike piecemeal AI tools, Galleri5 controls the entire stack from script and world-building to final master output. Filmmakers retain creative authorship, continuity, and IP security while slashing timelines from years to months.
The platform is already in live use at scale. Mahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh, an AI-powered series produced under Collective’s Historyverse banner, is airing on Star Plus and streaming on JioHotstar, ranking among the top-watched shows in its slot. Meanwhile, Chiranjeevi Hanuman – The Eternal (produced by Star Studios 18) dropped its teaser on IMAX screens, leveraging Galleri5’s infrastructure for the visuals.
Collective Artists Network founder and group CEO Vijay Subramaniam said, “For India to lead in the next era of storytelling, we have to think beyond tools and start building systems. This is about putting durable production infrastructure in place so creators can dream bigger, producers can execute faster, and our stories can travel further.”
Galleri5 partner at Collective and CEO Rahul Regulapati added, “Cinema requires precision, repeatability, and control. Off-the-shelf AI doesn’t solve that. Orchestration does. We built an operating system where technology bends to filmmaking, not the other way around.”
Under Historyverse, Collective Studios is developing a slate including Hanuman, Krishna, Shiva, and Shivaji blending advanced AI systems with traditional craft. The summit session featured directors from Hanuman, Krishna, and Shiva alongside Collective leaders, diving into real-world case studies: what delivers on screen, what glitches, and how production economics are shifting.
At a summit packed with global tech brass and policymakers, Galleri5 stakes a bold claim, cinema’s future belongs to integrated systems, not isolated gadgets and India is building one right now. Whether you’re a filmmaker eyeing faster workflows or just curious about AI remaking epics, this OS could be the script-flip the industry didn’t see coming.
