An honest, deeply researched review of BYJU’S, covering its rise to a 22 billion dollar valuation, its dramatic collapse into insolvency, the sales and refund complaints, what parents should do, and the verdict for 2026
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Published by brands.run | The independent brand review hub
Reviewed Brand: BYJU’S (Think and Learn) | Sector: Education Technology | Base: India | Website: byjus.com
BYJU’S was once the biggest name in Indian education technology, a learning app that grew from a single teacher in a classroom into the country’s most valuable startup, worth around 22 billion dollars at its peak. Founded in 2011 by Byju Raveendran, a gifted teacher from Kerala, and his co-founder and wife Divya Gokulnath, it put engaging video lessons on millions of phones and tablets and quickly became a household name across India, backed by famous celebrity ambassadors and huge global investment. Then it collapsed. By 2026, BYJU’S is in insolvency proceedings, its founder’s once-vast fortune has evaporated entirely, and it faces lawsuits across several countries. This review is part of brands.run’s independent brand reviews, and it covers both what BYJU’S was and what it has become.
This is a difficult review to write fairly, because BYJU’S is two things at once. On one hand, it built real, well-made learning content, helped many students, and pioneered edtech in India, driven by a founder with real teaching talent. That side is real and deserves acknowledgment. On the other hand, BYJU’S became the subject of serious, well-documented problems: a financial collapse and governance failures, thousands of complaints about aggressive sales and refunds, reports of vulnerable families pushed into debt, investigations by authorities, and court rulings against its founder. An honest review has to hold both the genuine early value and the serious, documented downfall together, report the facts carefully, and above all help the parents and students who may still be affected.
This review is built in three parts. Part 1, The Expose, covers what BYJU’S is and the story of its rise and fall: its history, its product, how it grew to 22 billion dollars, and how it collapsed. Part 2, The Autopsy, weighs what BYJU’S got right against what went wrong: the genuine learning value, against the financial failure, the sales and refund complaints, and the legal troubles. Part 3, The Killcritic, is the verdict: whether anyone should engage with BYJU’S now, what to do if you are already a customer, how it compares to alternatives, and the honest final rating.
If you are wondering what happened to BYJU’S, whether it is a scam, whether it is still operating, whether you can get a refund, or whether it is safe to buy its courses in 2026, this is the honest version, written to give you the facts, treat the serious allegations carefully, and help you protect yourself and your family.
| Read This First If You Are a BYJU’S Customer If you currently pay BYJU’S, especially through a loan or EMI, or you are owed a refund, take these steps. Check whether you are on an EMI or loan plan and get written proof of any agreement, since some customers reported being signed up for loans through third-party lenders without clear consent. If you believe you were misled into a loan, write to the lender and the credit bureaus. Keep all records of payments, contracts, and communications. To seek a refund or raise a complaint, use India’s National Consumer Helpline at consumerhelpline.gov.in or call 1915, and consider the India Edtech Consortium grievance process. Because the company is in insolvency, recovering money can be slow, so act promptly, keep documentation, and be cautious about any new purchases. This review is informational and is not legal or financial advice; for a personal situation, consult a qualified advisor. |
Part 1: The Expose
The expose lays out what BYJU’S is and the arc of its story: where it came from, how its product worked, how it grew so large, and how it fell so far.
What BYJU’S Actually Is
BYJU’S is an Indian education technology company, run by a business called Think and Learn, that offers online learning through an app, video lessons, and, at its height, tablets and courses for school students and exam preparation. In plain terms, it set out to make learning subjects like maths and science more engaging than a textbook by using well-produced videos, real-world visual examples, animations, and an app that walked students through concepts step by step at their own pace, aimed mainly at school children and at students preparing for competitive entrance exams. It grew far beyond a single app through a series of acquisitions, adding coding classes for children, in-person and online test-preparation coaching, early-learning products, and other education businesses, to become a sprawling education group spanning school learning, competitive exams, and skilling. For several years it was the dominant name in Indian edtech, the sector’s biggest brand by far, and one of the most valuable startups anywhere in the world.
What made BYJU’S distinctive at its best was the combination of engaging teaching content and the star quality of its founder, a teacher who could make difficult ideas click for students, packaged into a slick, well-marketed app. It rode a wave of digital adoption, especially during the pandemic when schools closed and online learning demand surged, and it spent enormous sums on marketing, celebrity endorsements, and acquisitions to become ubiquitous, its name appearing on television, cricket jerseys, and billboards across the country. At the same time, BYJU’S is now defined as much by its collapse as by its rise, having become the subject of serious financial, governance, sales, and legal problems that turned it from a celebrated success into a cautionary tale. BYJU’S is, in short, both a company that built real, valuable learning content and helped many students and one whose business practices, finances, and downfall have caused real harm and serious concern, and this review has to weigh both honestly.
For a parent or student, the practical thing to understand is that BYJU’S is an edtech company that was once India’s biggest and is now in deep crisis, so any decision about it today has to account for its collapse, its documented sales and refund problems, and its uncertain future, not just its old reputation. When people talk about BYJU’S now, they often mean both the learning app many used and the dramatic corporate failure that followed. Understanding BYJU’S means appreciating both the genuine educational value it once delivered and the serious problems that overtook it, which is the balance this review tries to strike carefully and factually.
History and Founding
BYJU’S traces back to Byju Raveendran, born in 1980 in a small village in Kerala to two schoolteachers. A mechanical engineer by training who took a corporate job after college, he discovered a talent for teaching while helping friends prepare for the CAT exam, the entrance test for India’s top management schools, reportedly scoring a perfect percentile on the test more than once himself, which drew students to him and eventually led him to quit his job to teach full time. He began teaching students in large auditoriums, drawing big crowds with an engaging style, and in 2011 he and Divya Gokulnath, a former student who became his co-founder and wife, founded the company that became BYJU’S. In 2015 they launched the BYJU’S learning app, which brought his teaching approach to a much larger audience and set the company on its path to rapid growth.
From that start, BYJU’S grew explosively, especially as smartphone use spread and then as the pandemic pushed learning online. It raised billions of dollars from major global investors, spent heavily on marketing with celebrity ambassadors, including one of the world’s most famous cricketers turned film star and a global football icon, and sponsorships of major cricket and football events, and went on an acquisition spree between 2019 and 2022, buying companies including the test-preparation chain Aakash, the coding platform WhiteHat Jr, the learning app Toppr, and others, spending billions to build a broad education group. Its valuation climbed to around 22 billion dollars, making it India’s most valuable startup and one of the most valuable in the world, and its app was downloaded well over a hundred million times. For a period, BYJU’S looked like a global education champion in the making, expanding into overseas markets and being talked about as a possible candidate for a large public listing.
This history matters for two reasons. First, the founder’s real teaching talent and the early product’s real appeal explain why BYJU’S grew so fast and won so many users, which is a real part of the story. Second, the pattern of explosive, investment-fueled, acquisition-led growth explains the vulnerabilities the autopsy examines, since growing this fast through heavy spending and rapid acquisitions, without matching financial controls and governance, set up the collapse that followed. Both the genuine early success and the seeds of the downfall trace back to this history of a talented teacher building a hyper-growth company.
How the BYJU’S Product Worked
Understanding what BYJU’S actually offered helps separate the product from the corporate story.
At its core, the BYJU’S app provided video-based lessons for school subjects and exam preparation, using animations, visualizations, and a structured path through topics to make learning more engaging than a textbook. Students, mainly school children and exam aspirants, could watch lessons, take quizzes and tests, and follow a curriculum tied to their grade and school board, with the app adapting to some extent to their progress and offering practice and doubt-solving in its fuller versions. At its height, BYJU’S also sold tablets and SD cards preloaded with content and offered higher-priced tutoring and course packages, often bundled as multi-year programs, and through its acquisitions it added coding classes, in-person and online test-preparation coaching, and other formats. The learning content itself, especially for core school subjects like maths and science, was often well produced and truly helpful for students who engaged with it consistently.
For a student or parent, the product had real strengths and real limitations. On one hand, the engaging videos and structured lessons truly helped many students understand concepts they found hard, and the production quality and teaching approach were a real step up from dull materials, which is why so many families valued it. On the other hand, critics and some studies noted concerns about screen-based learning fatigue, with one study finding that a majority of students using tablets for education felt disconnected from their school learning, along with the loss of peer interaction and classroom dynamics, and students being sold expensive packages that they did not always complete, with learning outcomes varying widely. Some education experts argued the company lost sight of learning outcomes by pushing pricey packages onto students who then dropped out despite paying in full. The honest framing is that BYJU’S built engaging, often high-quality learning content that helped many students, while the heavy, high-priced, app-centric model did not suit everyone and did not always translate into strong outcomes, so the product’s value was real but uneven. Separating the genuine educational value from the sales and corporate problems is important, which the autopsy does.
Leadership
BYJU’S was led by its co-founder and chief executive Byju Raveendran, and understanding the leadership is central to its story.
Byju Raveendran, the teacher-founder, served as chief executive and was the public face and driving force of the company, celebrated during its rise as a symbol of Indian entrepreneurial success and a self-made billionaire who never attended the elite institutions many founders did. His co-founder and wife, Divya Gokulnath, was also central to building the company and remained a prominent figure. Under their leadership, BYJU’S pursued aggressive growth, heavy spending, and rapid acquisitions, which drove its rise but also, as events unfolded, contributed to its financial and governance problems. As the crisis deepened, questions about the company’s management, financial controls, and decisions came to dominate its story, and following insolvency proceedings the founder lost the immediate control he once had.
For an observer, the relevance is twofold. On one hand, Raveendran’s real teaching talent, vision, and drive built a company that reached extraordinary heights and delivered real value to many students, which is a real achievement. On the other hand, the same leadership presided over the aggressive growth, heavy borrowing, weak financial oversight, and disputed practices that led to a dramatic collapse, and the founder now faces serious legal findings, which he disputes and is appealing. The honest framing is that BYJU’S leadership built a remarkable company and also oversaw the decisions and failures that led to its downfall, so its legacy is truly mixed and now heavily shadowed by the collapse, which is a central part of any honest assessment. Both the achievement and the failure belong to this leadership story.
How BYJU’S Grew to 22 Billion Dollars
The scale BYJU’S reached at its peak explains both its fame and how far it had to fall, and the numbers tell the story.
At its height around 2022, BYJU’S was valued at approximately 22 billion dollars, making it India’s most valuable startup, and its founder’s personal fortune was estimated in the billions. The app had been downloaded well over a hundred million times, and the company claimed a very large user base. It had raised billions of dollars from a roster of prominent global investors, spent lavishly on marketing including hiring world-famous celebrities as ambassadors and sponsoring major cricket and football events including national team jerseys and international tournaments, and acquired numerous companies to build a broad education empire. This scale, reach, and star power made BYJU’S a symbol of India’s startup boom, splashed across cricket jerseys and prime-time advertising, and a company that seemed, for a time, unstoppable, held up as proof that an Indian edtech firm could become a global giant.
This peak scale signals just how large and celebrated BYJU’S became, which is real and part of why its story matters so much, since few startups anywhere reached such heights. It also frames the autopsy’s central point, because much of that valuation rested on rapid growth and optimism rather than on a proven, healthy, profitable business, and when the environment changed and the problems surfaced, the gap between the valuation and the underlying reality became brutally clear. For an observer, the practical point is that BYJU’S at its peak was truly one of the world’s most valuable startups, and also a company whose valuation far outran its financial health, which set up the dramatic collapse the rest of this review examines. The scale was real, and so was the fragility beneath it.
How BYJU’S Made Money
Understanding how BYJU’S made money, and where that model ran into trouble, helps explain the collapse.
BYJU’S made money primarily by selling learning products to students and parents: subscriptions to its app and content, preloaded tablets, and higher-priced tutoring and course packages, often sold through an aggressive direct sales force that visited homes and made repeated calls. Many of these packages were expensive, running into tens of thousands of rupees, and a significant part of the model relied on persuading families to buy premium, multi-year courses, sometimes financed through loans or installment plans arranged with third-party lenders. Through its acquisitions, it also earned from test-preparation coaching for exams like the engineering and medical entrance tests, coding classes, and other education services, each with its own pricing and sales approach. The heavy reliance on high-ticket sales and an aggressive sales approach, combined with enormous spending on marketing and acquisitions, meant the company was spending vast sums to grow revenue, which became unsustainable when the pandemic boom faded, growth slowed, and scrutiny of its practices and finances increased sharply.
For a parent or observer, this model explains much of what went wrong. The reliance on selling expensive packages, often through high-pressure sales and financing, is at the heart of the consumer complaints the autopsy examines, and the enormous spending to fuel growth is central to the financial collapse. The honest framing is that BYJU’S made money by selling premium learning packages through an aggressive sales model while spending heavily to grow, an approach that drove its rise but also produced both the consumer harm and the financial fragility that led to its downfall. Understanding that the business leaned on high-ticket sales and heavy spending helps explain both the complaints against it and the collapse that followed, which the next part examines in detail.
The Fall: What Happened to BYJU’S
The collapse of BYJU’S is the heart of its current story, and understanding the sequence helps make sense of where it stands now.
BYJU’S problems built up on several fronts at once. Its rapid, acquisition-led expansion strained the company, and several of its big acquisitions, including the coding business its founder later called a mistake, did not deliver the expected returns. It took on heavy debt, including a 1.2 billion dollar loan from United States lenders, which became a major source of dispute. Its financial reporting fell badly behind, and in a serious blow in June 2023, its auditor Deloitte resigned citing long delays in the company’s accounts for the prior financial year, and in the same week three board members linked to major investors stepped down, though the company disputed aspects of this at the time. The company had reportedly not filed audited accounts for years, a striking gap for a business of its size and profile. As losses and scrutiny mounted, investor confidence collapsed, and the company’s valuation was written down by investors from the 22 billion dollar peak toward a fraction of that, and eventually to near nothing.
From there, the situation spiraled into a full crisis. Disputes with lenders escalated into legal battles across countries, authorities in India investigated the company, and it faced insolvency proceedings after a dispute over unpaid dues, which by 2026 left it in a long insolvency resolution process with its founder having lost immediate control. Its most valuable remaining asset, the test-preparation chain Aakash, became the subject of its own ownership battle, with another large education group building a controlling stake through new shares and debt deals while lenders negotiated how to split ownership, and the founder’s personal fortune, once estimated at more than two billion dollars, was reported to have fallen to essentially zero, with his name dropped from billionaire rankings. What had been India’s most valuable startup became one of its most striking corporate collapses. The details of the specific problems, the sales complaints, the financial and governance failures, and the legal troubles, are examined in the autopsy that follows.
Part 2: The Autopsy
The autopsy weighs what BYJU’S got right against what went seriously wrong. It built genuine educational value, and it became the subject of documented financial, governance, sales, and legal failures that caused real harm. Both are part of the picture, and because the negatives are serious, they are reported carefully, with facts distinguished from allegations, the company’s denials noted, and the focus kept on what it means for families.
What BYJU’S Got Right
Even in a story dominated by collapse, it is important to acknowledge what BYJU’S truly did well, because it explains its rise and matters for fairness.
Truly Engaging Learning Content
At its best, BYJU’S produced well-made, engaging video lessons that helped many students understand difficult concepts, especially in core school subjects. This content quality was real and is why so many families valued the app during its rise.
A Talented Teacher at Its Core
The founder’s real teaching ability, making hard ideas click through clear, engaging explanation, was a genuine strength that shaped the product’s early appeal. That teaching talent was authentic and central to what made BYJU’S resonate so strongly with students in its early years.
Pioneering Indian Edtech
BYJU’S helped pioneer and popularize education technology in India, showing that engaging digital learning could reach millions of students across the country, and its success drew investment and attention that helped grow a whole sector of Indian edtech companies. This pioneering role was a real contribution, even as the company itself later faltered.
Making Learning Aspirational
BYJU’S made learning feel modern and aspirational for many families, bringing quality teaching content to students in smaller towns and homes who might not otherwise have had access to top-tier coaching or teachers. That broadened reach was a real positive during its better years, before the sales and financial problems came to define it.
These strengths were real, and they explain why BYJU’S grew so fast and why many students and parents truly valued it. Acknowledging them is important for a fair review. But as the following sections show, these genuine strengths were ultimately overwhelmed by serious financial, governance, sales, and legal failures that caused real harm, which is why the overall picture and the final verdict are heavily shadowed by the collapse despite the real early value.
The Financial Collapse and Governance Failure
The most fundamental problem with BYJU’S is that it collapsed financially amid serious governance failures, which is now a documented, central part of its story and deserves clear treatment.
BYJU’S grew through heavy spending and rapid, debt-funded acquisitions without building the financial controls and reporting to match, and this caught up with it. Its accounts fell badly behind, its audited financial statements were significantly delayed by more than a year, and in 2023 its auditor Deloitte resigned citing those delays, while three board members linked to major investors stepped down around the same time, signaling a serious loss of confidence, even as the company disputed aspects of this at the time. Its 1.2 billion dollar overseas loan, one of the largest such loans raised by an Indian startup, became a major dispute with lenders, investors wrote its valuation down in stages from the 22 billion dollar peak toward near zero, and it ultimately entered insolvency proceedings. These are not allegations but documented events, and together they represent one of the most significant corporate governance and financial failures in India’s startup history.
The honest framing is direct. This is a real, serious, and well-documented failure: BYJU’S grew faster than its financial systems and governance could support, its accounts and audits fell badly behind, its auditor and board members departed, its debts became unmanageable, and it collapsed from the most valuable startup in India into insolvency, which is a profound failure of financial management and oversight. There is little to balance here beyond noting that the founder disputes some characterizations and blames a combination of circumstances, aggressive lenders, and a changing market, and that the early business did have real value. The fair takeaway is that BYJU’S suffered a severe financial and governance collapse that is central to its story and to any assessment of it today, a failure that harmed investors, employees, and customers alike. For anyone considering BYJU’S now, the practical point is that this is a company in deep financial crisis and insolvency, which fundamentally affects its reliability, its future, and the wisdom of new purchases.
Aggressive and Predatory Sales Complaints
Among the most serious concerns about BYJU’S are extensive, documented complaints that its sales practices were aggressive and, in many reported cases, predatory toward vulnerable families, which requires careful, prominent treatment.
Over several years, reputable news investigations and consumer bodies documented a pattern of complaints about BYJU’S sales tactics. A detailed two-part investigation by the Thomson Reuters Foundation reported that customers, several from low-income homes, described being aggressively targeted, pressured, and in some cases coerced into buying expensive courses, with salespeople approaching families in public and at home, quizzing children for extended periods, telling parents their child was academically weak, and pushing costly packages, while workers interviewed described being pushed to profile and deceive clients to meet strict sales targets. India’s child rights body criticized the company for targeting first-generation learners and pressuring families, warning that the sales approach was burdening parents with debt and adding stress on young students, after which BYJU’S reportedly agreed not to focus its high-priced courses on families earning below a set monthly income and to amend its refund policy. Consumer complaint platforms logged far more grievances against BYJU’S than against comparable edtech firms. BYJU’S denied wrongdoing, saying its operations were centered on customer respect and the highest ethical standards. The volume and consistency of these documented complaints, from multiple credible sources, make this a serious concern, even as the company disputed the characterizations.
The honest framing treats this seriously while being fair about attribution. On one hand, this is a grave and well-documented concern: multiple reputable investigations and consumer bodies recorded a consistent pattern of aggressive sales targeting vulnerable families, pressure and alleged coercion, and far higher complaint volumes than peers, which points to real harm to real people, and a regulator’s intervention and the company’s agreed changes lend it weight. On the other hand, fairness requires noting that these are largely reported complaints and allegations rather than blanket proven findings in every case, that BYJU’S denied wrongdoing and agreed to some reforms, and that many customers had ordinary, unproblematic experiences, so the concern, while serious and credible, should be stated as a documented pattern of complaints rather than a universal fact. The fair takeaway is that BYJU’S faced serious, credible, and widely documented complaints of aggressive and predatory sales practices toward vulnerable families, which the company denied but partly addressed, making this a central and troubling part of its record. For a family, the practical point is to be extremely cautious about any high-pressure sales pitch, never to be rushed into a purchase or a loan, and to know the consumer-protection steps in this review.
Loans, EMIs, and Families Pushed Into Debt
Closely tied to the sales complaints, and especially serious, are reports that some families were pushed into loans and installment plans they did not fully understand, leaving them in debt, which deserves prominent, careful treatment.
A recurring and troubling theme in reporting and consumer complaints is that some parents, particularly from lower-income households and first-generation learners’ families, said they were signed up for loans or installment plans through third-party non-banking lenders without clearly understanding that they were taking on debt. India’s child rights commission raised concern that sales staff were pressuring such families by warning that a child’s future would be ruined without the courses, adding emotional pressure to the financial burden. Reports described paperwork that was rushed, sometimes in English that customers could not fully read, with no copies provided afterward, and customers later discovering that what they thought was a one-time or affordable payment was in fact an ongoing loan. In one widely reported account, a low-earning worker was signed up for a monthly installment for a course costing tens of thousands of rupees without it being explained as a loan, and was still paying it off while the tablet sat unused. Some described continuing to pay monthly installments for tablets and courses their children barely used, and struggling to get refunds or to exit the arrangements, with the debt continuing to be deducted from their accounts long after they had stopped using the product. India’s National Consumer Helpline reported hundreds of cases involving forced loans, unreturned cancellations, and mis-selling by the company’s agents over a two-year period. These reports, from credible outlets and consumer channels, describe real financial harm to vulnerable families, and while individual cases vary and the company denied wrongdoing, the pattern is serious and well documented.
The honest framing keeps this serious and fair. On one hand, this is a grave concern: multiple credible reports and consumer complaints describe vulnerable families being signed into loans they did not understand, left in debt for products they could not use, and struggling to get refunds, which is real and serious financial harm to people who could least afford it. On the other hand, fairness requires noting that these are reported cases and complaints rather than universally proven findings, that loan arrangements involved third-party lenders as well as BYJU’S, and that the company denied wrongdoing, so the issue should be framed as a serious, documented pattern of complaints rather than a blanket judgment on every transaction. The fair takeaway is that BYJU’S was the subject of serious, credible reports of families being pushed into poorly understood loans and left in debt, a deeply troubling part of its record that caused real harm, even as the company disputed it. For a family, the practical point is to never sign loan or EMI paperwork you do not fully understand, to get everything in writing, and to use the consumer-protection steps in this review if you were misled.
| Important: Be Extremely Careful With Courses, Loans, and Refunds BYJU’S faced extensive documented complaints about aggressive sales, families pushed into loans they did not understand, and refunds being denied or delayed, and it is now in insolvency, which makes new purchases and refund recovery especially risky. Protect yourself: never let anyone rush or pressure you into buying a course or signing paperwork, and never sign a loan or EMI agreement you do not fully understand or that is not clearly explained in a language you read. Always get written copies of any contract and payment plan. Be very cautious about buying BYJU’S products now given the company’s insolvency and uncertain future. If you are already a customer, keep all records, verify any loan directly with the lender, and if you were misled, complain to the lender, the credit bureaus, and India’s National Consumer Helpline (consumerhelpline.gov.in or 1915). This is informational only and not legal or financial advice; consult a qualified advisor for your situation. |
Refund and Cancellation Complaints
A specific and widely reported problem, flowing from the sales and loan issues, is difficulty getting refunds and canceling, which deserves clear treatment.
Many BYJU’S customers reported significant difficulty obtaining refunds or canceling subscriptions and courses. An independent consumer complaints website listed thousands of grievances against BYJU’S, reported at more than 3,700 with well over half unresolved, involving cancellation delays, refund problems, and aggressive marketing, far more than the fewer than 350 apiece logged against comparable edtech companies like Simplilearn, Vedantu, and Unacademy. Customers described requests for refunds being ignored or drawn out, being left paying for products they no longer wanted or their children did not use, and having little recourse, especially those without access to social media or complaint sites where public pressure sometimes prompted a response. In several accounts, customers said the company only responded and returned money after they complained publicly on social media, leaving those without such access with nowhere to turn. In several accounts, customers said the company only responded and returned money after they complained publicly on social media, leaving those without such access with nowhere to turn. The company said it aimed to operate responsibly and, under pressure from regulators, agreed to amend its refund policy, and the industry later formed a self-regulatory body with a code of conduct on refunds and financing, but the sheer volume of refund and cancellation complaints against BYJU’S marks this as a serious and consistent concern.
The honest framing weighs the evidence and fairness. On one hand, the concern is serious and well documented: the volume of refund and cancellation complaints against BYJU’S, far exceeding peers, and the consistent reports of ignored or delayed refunds point to a real, widespread problem that left many customers out of pocket and frustrated. On the other hand, fairness notes that many refund requests were eventually resolved, that some complaints reflect the difficulty of any large company handling disputes, and that the company agreed to policy changes, so it is a serious pattern rather than a universal outcome. The fair takeaway is that BYJU’S had a serious, widely documented problem with refunds and cancellations that left many customers struggling to get their money back, made worse now by the company’s insolvency, so refund recovery is truly difficult. For a customer owed a refund, the practical point is to document everything, use formal consumer-protection channels promptly, and be realistic that insolvency makes recovery slow and uncertain.
Legal Troubles and Investigations
BYJU’S and its founder face serious legal troubles and investigations across countries, which must be reported factually and carefully, separating established facts from allegations.
The legal situation is extensive. BYJU’S 1.2 billion dollar loan from United States lenders led to a bitter, multi-country legal battle, and lenders accused the company of improperly moving a large sum of money, reported at over five hundred million dollars, to a little-known hedge fund, a claim that became central to the dispute and which the company and founder contested. In the United States, a Delaware bankruptcy court issued a default judgment of more than a billion dollars against the founder in late 2025 after finding he had repeatedly failed to comply with orders to disclose information in a case brought by a lender-controlled entity, a ruling he has said he will appeal. In Singapore, the founder was sentenced in 2026 to a six-month jail term in a contempt case for failing to comply with asset-disclosure orders, in a matter linked to a subsidiary of a major sovereign wealth investor, with the court also ordering him to pay legal costs. In India, the Enforcement Directorate investigated the company under foreign exchange laws, searching premises in Bengaluru linked to the founder and seizing documents and digital data, examining its finances against bank records, and noting that the company had not prepared audited financial statements for a period. The company entered insolvency proceedings after a dispute over unpaid dues. Throughout, the founder has disputed wrongdoing, said he is being treated unfairly, and vowed to fight the cases and eventually revive the company.
The honest framing presents this factually and in proportion. On one hand, the legal troubles are real, serious, and largely a matter of record: court rulings, a jail sentence for non-compliance with disclosure orders, an insolvency process, and a regulatory investigation are documented facts, not mere allegations, and together they represent grave legal jeopardy for the company and its founder. On the other hand, fairness requires distinguishing established facts from contested allegations: some of the underlying accusations, such as the specific claims about moving funds, are allegations that the founder disputes and is contesting in court, the founder is appealing rulings and maintains he did no wrong, and legal processes are ongoing and could evolve, so not every accusation should be treated as proven. The fair takeaway is that BYJU’S and its founder face serious, largely documented legal troubles and investigations, including court judgments and a jail sentence for non-compliance, while some specific accusations remain contested and are being appealed, so this is grave and factual jeopardy with some parts still unresolved. For an observer, the practical point is that a company in this much legal and financial trouble carries profound uncertainty, which any decision about it must account for.
Layoffs and Workplace Concerns
BYJU’S also faced significant layoffs and reported workplace problems, which affected thousands of employees and deserves fair mention.
As its crisis deepened, BYJU’S carried out multiple rounds of layoffs affecting thousands of employees, from a workforce that had numbered in the tens of thousands, and it was criticized for the manner and timing of some cuts, including signing a global football icon as an ambassador around the same period that it was cutting thousands of jobs. Beyond the job cuts, some current and former employees, in reporting, described a high-pressure culture with aggressive sales targets, long hours, and, in some accounts, being encouraged to profile and pressure customers, including identifying which families could be pushed hardest, to meet those targets, along with difficult working conditions and, at times, mistreatment by managers. Reports also noted unpaid salaries and provident-fund dues for some staff as the company’s finances deteriorated. Unpaid dues and salary issues were also reported as the company’s finances deteriorated. These workplace concerns, affecting many employees, are part of the broader picture of a company under severe strain and with a sales-driven culture that connects to the consumer complaints elsewhere in this review.
The honest framing is measured. On one hand, the concerns are real: thousands of employees lost their jobs, the timing and manner of some cuts drew fair criticism, and reports of a high-pressure, sales-driven culture and of unpaid dues point to genuine workplace problems during the crisis. On the other hand, fairness notes that large layoffs are sadly common in failing companies, that workplace culture accounts vary by individual and role, and that the company faced extreme financial pressure, so these are serious concerns rather than unique villainy. The fair takeaway is that BYJU’S subjected many employees to layoffs and, by multiple accounts, a high-pressure culture connected to its aggressive sales, adding to the human cost of its collapse. For an observer, the practical point is that the workplace concerns reinforce the broader picture of a company whose growth-and-sales-at-all-costs approach caused harm to employees as well as customers.
What You Cannot Fully Verify
In the interest of honesty, here is what is hard to assess definitively about BYJU’S, especially given the fast-moving legal situation.
- The full truth of the specific fraud and fund-movement allegations, which are contested in court and which the founder disputes and is appealing.
- The company’s exact current operating status and whether particular products or services still function, which is uncertain during insolvency and changing.
- Whether and how customers owed refunds will actually recover money, which insolvency makes slow and uncertain.
- Whether any revival, such as the founder’s talked-about relaunch, will happen, which is speculative and doubted by many observers.
- The precise, current state of the legal cases, valuations, and asset battles, which are evolving and should be checked against the latest sources.
This is not a list designed to soften a truly serious situation so much as a reminder that some specifics are contested or in flux even as the overall picture, a collapsed company with documented consumer and financial problems, is clear. A review can tell you that BYJU’S built real educational value in its rise and then suffered a severe, well-documented collapse with serious sales, refund, financial, governance, and legal problems that harmed customers, employees, and investors. It cannot resolve every contested legal allegation or predict the outcome of the insolvency. The honest guidance is to treat BYJU’S today as a company in deep crisis, to be extremely cautious about any new purchase, to protect yourself firmly if you are already a customer, and to rely on the facts and consumer-protection steps in this review rather than on the company’s old reputation.
Part 3: The Killcritic
The killcritic is the verdict. Whether anyone should engage with BYJU’S now, what to do if you are already a customer, how it compares to alternatives, and the honest final rating.
Should Anyone Use BYJU’S Now?
Given everything above, the question of whether to engage with BYJU’S today has a cautious answer that depends on your situation.
For New Purchases: Be Very Cautious
For anyone considering buying BYJU’S courses, tablets, or subscriptions now, extreme caution is warranted. The company is in insolvency with an uncertain future, has a documented history of aggressive sales and refund problems, and cannot offer the reliability a family should expect, so most people are better served by more stable alternatives.
If You Value Specific Old Content
If, despite everything, you had a good experience with specific BYJU’S content and are considering continuing, do so only with great care, avoid high-pressure sales and any loans, buy only short, low-commitment options if at all, and keep records, recognizing the real risk that services or support may be disrupted during insolvency.
For Most Families: Look Elsewhere
For most families seeking reliable learning support now, the sensible choice is to look at more stable, reputable alternatives with clear pricing, good refund policies, and proven outcomes, rather than taking on the uncertainty and risk that come with a company in BYJU’S current situation.
What to Do If You Are Already a BYJU’S Customer
If you already pay BYJU’S or are owed money, these steps can help you protect yourself, drawn together from consumer guidance.
- Check for a loan or EMI: find out whether your payment is a loan or installment plan through a third-party lender, and get written proof of any agreement.
- Dispute if you were misled: if you were signed into a loan without clear consent or understanding, write to the lender and the credit bureaus stating this, and keep copies.
- Keep all records: save contracts, payment records, receipts, and all communications, since documentation is your strongest protection in any dispute or complaint.
- Use consumer-protection channels: file a complaint with India’s National Consumer Helpline at consumerhelpline.gov.in or 1915, and consider the India Edtech Consortium grievance process.
- Be realistic about insolvency: because the company is in insolvency, refunds and recovery can be slow and uncertain, so act promptly and do not count on a quick resolution.
- Avoid new commitments: do not take on new purchases or loans with the company while its future is uncertain, and be wary of any pressure to do so.
These steps cannot guarantee recovery, especially given the insolvency, but they give you the best chance of protecting yourself and resolving your situation, and they are the practical actions consumer advocates recommend.
BYJU’S vs the Alternatives
For families seeking learning support now, the practical question is what to use instead, and there are more stable, reputable options across different needs and budgets.
| Option | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free platforms | Low-cost quality learning | Free options like Khan Academy offer quality lessons |
| Affordable online edtech | Budget exam prep and classes | Lower-cost, outcome-focused providers now exist |
| Established coaching | Proven exam results | Long-standing coaching brands with strong, proven records |
| School plus tutoring | Balanced, personal support | Combines regular school with targeted, focused help |
| BYJU’S | Not recommended now | In insolvency now, with documented sales and refund issues |
For most families, the sensible path now is toward stable, reputable alternatives rather than BYJU’S. Free platforms offer truly good lessons at no cost for many subjects, covering school curricula and foundational concepts, with no sales pressure and no financial risk at all, which makes them a safe first stop for many families. A number of more affordable online education providers focus on outcomes and clear, upfront pricing without the high-pressure sales that marked BYJU’S at its worst, offering low-cost content and a simple, honest approach, and some have grown quickly in recent years precisely by being cheaper and more transparent than the older giants, while long-established coaching institutes have decades-long track records of real exam results built on teaching quality and word of mouth rather than heavy advertising. For many students, a combination of regular school and targeted tutoring for specific weak areas works better, and costs far less over time, than any single expensive app-based package sold as a multi-year commitment. The honest take is that, given BYJU’S insolvency and documented problems, families are better served by more stable, transparent, outcome-focused options, chosen carefully with attention to pricing, refund policies, and real results, rather than by a company in crisis. The key is to prioritize reliability, honest pricing, and proven learning outcomes over hype and heavy marketing.
Is BYJU’S a Scam or Just a Failed Company?
A question many people ask directly is whether BYJU’S is a scam, and the honest answer needs nuance.
Not Simply a Scam
BYJU’S is not accurately described as a simple scam. It was a real company that built truly valuable learning content, helped many students, and reached enormous scale, driven by a talented teacher, so calling it purely a scam misses the real product value and the real business it once was.
But With Serious, Documented Harm
At the same time, BYJU’S was the subject of serious, documented complaints of predatory sales, families pushed into debt, and refund denials, along with a financial and governance collapse and legal troubles, which caused genuine harm, so its record includes real and troubling misconduct allegations, some of which the company addressed and some of which are contested.
The Honest Characterization
The honest characterization is that BYJU’S was a genuine, once-valuable edtech company that collapsed amid serious financial, governance, sales, and legal failures, causing real harm to many customers, employees, and investors, rather than a company that was a scam from the start. That distinction matters for accuracy, but it does not lessen the seriousness of the documented problems or the caution warranted today. For a family, the practical point is that whether or not the label scam fits, the sensible response now is the same: be very cautious, protect yourself, and prefer stable alternatives.
The Final Verdict
| BYJU’S Final Rating: 2 / 5 Once India’s most valuable startup and a genuine edtech pioneer with real, engaging learning content and a talented teacher at its heart, BYJU’S has collapsed into one of the country’s most striking corporate failures, and that collapse dominates any honest assessment today. It is weighed down by severe, well-documented problems: a financial and governance breakdown that took it from a 22 billion dollar valuation into insolvency, extensive and credible complaints of aggressive and predatory sales targeting vulnerable families, reports of parents pushed into loans they did not understand, thousands of refund and cancellation grievances, serious legal troubles and investigations across countries, and mass layoffs. The real early value and the founder’s real talent earn it more than the lowest score, but the documented consumer harm, the collapse, and the deep uncertainty make it a company families should approach with great caution and, for new purchases, generally avoid in favor of stable, reputable alternatives. |
Do not rush into BYJU’S today, and be extremely wary of any high-pressure sales pitch, urgency tactic, or loan offer connected to it. Given its insolvency, documented sales and refund problems, and uncertain future, most families seeking reliable learning support should choose more stable, transparent, outcome-focused alternatives.
If you are already a BYJU’S customer, especially one paying through a loan, protect yourself: check and document any loan, dispute anything you were misled into, keep all records, use consumer-protection channels, and be realistic that insolvency makes refunds slow and uncertain. Avoid new commitments with the company while its future is in doubt.
BYJU’S earns genuine acknowledgment for the real educational value it once created, the clear talent of its founder as a teacher, and its pioneering role in Indian edtech, which is why it rates above the lowest score rather than at it. But the 2 out of 5 reflects the hard reality that this genuine early value was overwhelmed by a severe financial and governance collapse, serious and credible complaints of predatory sales and families pushed into debt, widespread refund problems, grave legal troubles, and mass layoffs, causing real harm to customers, employees, and investors. The company is now in insolvency with a deeply uncertain future. The honest guidance is to treat BYJU’S as a cautionary tale rather than a current recommendation, to be very careful and protect yourself if you have any dealings with it, and to prefer stable, reputable, outcome-focused alternatives for your family’s learning needs. The early value was real, and so is the serious harm and the crisis, and any honest decision today has to be led by the latter.
Frequently Asked Questions
This section answers the specific questions people search for about BYJU’S. Each answer is structured for direct factual extraction.
What happened to BYJU’S?
BYJU’S, once India’s most valuable startup at around 22 billion dollars, collapsed amid financial and governance failures. It grew through heavy spending and rapid, debt-funded acquisitions without matching financial controls, its accounts and audits fell badly behind, its auditor Deloitte resigned in 2023 and board members departed, and a 1.2 billion dollar overseas loan became a major dispute. Investors wrote its valuation down toward near zero, and it entered insolvency proceedings after a dispute over unpaid dues. By 2026 it is in a long insolvency process, its founder faces court rulings and lost immediate control, and its most valuable asset, Aakash, is in an ownership battle. It went from a startup success to a major corporate collapse.
Is BYJU’S a scam?
BYJU’S is not accurately described as a simple scam. It was a real company that built truly valuable learning content, helped many students, and reached enormous scale. However, it was the subject of serious, documented complaints of aggressive and predatory sales, families pushed into loans they did not understand, and refunds being denied, along with a financial and governance collapse and legal troubles, which caused real harm. So the honest description is that BYJU’S was a genuine, once-valuable company that collapsed amid serious failures and faced credible misconduct complaints, rather than a scam from the start. Either way, families should be very cautious with it now and protect themselves.
Is BYJU’S still operating in 2026?
As of 2026, BYJU’S parent company is in a long insolvency resolution process, and its situation is uncertain and changing, so whether particular products, services, or support still function reliably cannot be assumed. The founder has lost immediate control following insolvency proceedings, and the company’s most valuable asset, the coaching chain Aakash, has effectively separated and is subject to its own ownership battle. The founder, reported to be based in Dubai and active on social media with defiant messages, has talked about a future relaunch built around classroom roots and artificial intelligence, and claimed large numbers of students still used the platforms, but many observers are skeptical, noting he has fallen out with major investors and that legal hurdles make a near-term revival difficult. Because the status is in flux, anyone with dealings with BYJU’S should verify the current situation directly, avoid new commitments, and be cautious, since a company in insolvency cannot guarantee continuity.
Can I get a refund from BYJU’S?
Getting a refund from BYJU’S has been difficult for many customers, and the company’s insolvency makes it harder and slower now. Many customers reported ignored or delayed refunds even before the collapse, with thousands of grievances logged. If you are owed a refund, document everything, including contracts, payments, and communications, and file a complaint through India’s National Consumer Helpline at consumerhelpline.gov.in or 1915, and consider the India Edtech Consortium grievance process. If your payment is a loan through a third-party lender, address that with the lender and credit bureaus as well. Be realistic that, because the company is in insolvency, recovering money can be slow and uncertain, so act promptly and keep strong records.
Is it safe to buy BYJU’S courses now?
Buying BYJU’S courses now carries real risk and is generally not advisable for most families. The company is in insolvency with an uncertain future, so services, support, and continuity cannot be assured, and it has a documented history of aggressive sales and refund problems. If you are approached with a sales pitch, be very cautious, never let yourself be rushed or pressured, and never sign a loan or EMI you do not fully understand. Given the risks, most families seeking reliable learning support are better served by stable, reputable alternatives with clear pricing, good refund policies, and proven outcomes. If you engage with BYJU’S at all, do so only with great care and minimal commitment.
Who owns BYJU’S?
BYJU’S is run by a company called Think and Learn, founded by Byju Raveendran and his co-founder and wife Divya Gokulnath, and it raised money from many major global investors over the years. Following insolvency proceedings, the founder lost immediate control of the company, and its situation is now shaped by the insolvency resolution process, the committee of creditors, its lenders, and the courts, rather than by its original founders and investors. Its most valuable asset, the coaching chain Aakash, has effectively separated, with another education group building a controlling stake there. Ownership and control are so in flux as the insolvency and various legal battles play out, so the current position should be checked against the latest reporting, but the founders and investors who built it no longer control it as they once did.
Why did BYJU’S collapse?
BYJU’S collapsed because it grew too fast through heavy spending and rapid, debt-funded acquisitions without building the financial controls and governance to support that growth. When the pandemic-driven boom in online learning faded and scrutiny increased, the weaknesses surfaced: delayed accounts and audits, an auditor and board members resigning, an unmanageable overseas loan, and mounting losses. Disputes with lenders escalated into legal battles, authorities investigated, and the company entered insolvency after a dispute over unpaid dues. Aggressive sales practices and refund problems damaged its reputation further. The founder later acknowledged that some acquisitions, such as the coding business, were mistakes, while pursuing many strategies at once left the company no room for error. In short, a rising valuation masked a business that was not financially healthy, and when conditions changed, the company had no cushion and collapsed, a classic case of growth outrunning governance.
Is Byju Raveendran in jail?
Byju Raveendran, the founder, was sentenced to a jail term by a court in Singapore in a contempt case for failing to comply with orders to disclose his assets, in a matter linked to an investor. Separately, a court in the United States issued a large default judgment against him after finding he repeatedly failed to comply with orders to disclose information, a ruling he has said he will appeal. He has disputed wrongdoing, said he is being treated unfairly, and vowed to fight the cases. Because these legal matters are serious and evolving, and he is appealing, the current status should be checked against the latest reliable sources, but he faces significant legal jeopardy across multiple countries.
What happened to Aakash, WhiteHat Jr, and BYJU’S other acquisitions?
BYJU’S acquired many companies during its rise, including the coaching chain Aakash, the coding platform WhiteHat Jr, the learning app Toppr, and others, spending billions of dollars. Many of these acquisitions did not deliver the expected returns, and the founder later called the WhiteHat Jr deal a mistake while praising the Aakash acquisition. Aakash, considered the most valuable asset, has effectively separated from the BYJU’S brand and is subject to an ownership battle, with another education group building a controlling stake. Other acquired businesses were scaled back, restructured, or affected by the parent company’s crisis. The acquisition spree, funded heavily by debt, is widely seen as a major contributor to BYJU’S financial collapse.
What should I do if I have a BYJU’S loan?
If you have a BYJU’S loan or EMI, first confirm exactly what it is by getting written proof of the agreement and identifying the lender, since some customers reported being signed into loans through third-party lenders without clear consent. If you were misled or did not understand you were taking a loan, write to the lender and the credit bureaus stating this clearly and keep copies of everything. Continue to keep all records of payments and communications. File a complaint with India’s National Consumer Helpline at consumerhelpline.gov.in or 1915 if you were mis-sold. Consider seeking advice from a consumer-protection advisor. Act promptly, and be aware that resolving loan issues can take time, especially given the company’s insolvency.
Common Mistakes and Tips Around BYJU’S
This section captures the most common mistakes people make regarding BYJU’S and how to avoid each, focused on protecting yourself and your family.
Mistake: Being rushed or pressured into buying
Mitigation: Never let anyone pressure or rush you into buying a course, tablet, or subscription. High-pressure tactics were a central complaint against BYJU’S. Take your time, research alternatives, and walk away from any pitch that uses urgency or fear about your child’s future to push a sale.
Mistake: Signing a loan or EMI you do not understand
Mitigation: Never sign loan or installment paperwork you do not fully understand, and insist that any financing be clearly explained in a language you read, with written copies provided. Some families were pushed into debt without realizing it, so treat any financing offer with great caution and verify it independently.
Mistake: Not keeping records
Mitigation: Keep copies of every contract, payment, receipt, and communication. Documentation is your strongest protection if you need a refund or to dispute a loan or mis-selling, and its absence leaves you with little recourse, so record and save everything from the start.
Mistake: Assuming the old reputation still applies
Mitigation: Do not judge BYJU’S by its old fame. The company is now in insolvency with documented problems and an uncertain future, so base any decision on its current reality, not on the celebrity-backed brand it used to be, and prefer stable alternatives.
Mistake: Delaying a refund complaint
Mitigation: If you are owed a refund or were mis-sold, act promptly through formal consumer-protection channels rather than waiting. Given the insolvency, recovery is already slow and uncertain, so delay only reduces your chances, and prompt, documented complaints give you the best position.
Mistake: Overlooking better alternatives
Mitigation: Do not overlook the many stable, reputable, and often cheaper learning options available, from free platforms to affordable, outcome-focused online providers and established coaching institutes. For most families, these serve your child’s learning better and more safely than a company in BYJU’S current situation.
Final Notes on This Review
This review was built using a query fan-out approach designed to answer the questions people actually search for about BYJU’S, organized into topic clusters that map to how Google’s AI Overview surfaces answers. Every claim is grounded in a source: reputable news investigations, consumer-protection bodies and complaint data, court and regulatory records, and the company’s own statements, with facts distinguished from allegations, contested claims noted as disputed and under appeal, and the company’s denials included. The aim is to be accurate and fair to a serious situation, not sensational.
Details of BYJU’S collapse, legal cases, and current status reflect reporting available as of mid-2026 and are evolving fast, and some allegations remain contested and are being appealed, so verify the current situation against the latest reliable sources before relying on it. This review is informational and is not legal or financial advice; for your personal situation, consult a qualified advisor. Above all, if you are affected by BYJU’S, protect yourself: keep records, use consumer-protection channels, be very cautious about any new purchases and any loans, and prefer stable, reputable, transparent alternatives for your family’s learning, so you act on the facts and safeguard yourself rather than relying on the company’s former reputation.
More brand reviews on brands.run
brands.run publishes honest, independent reviews of brands across every category, from education and technology to finance, food, and more. Explore the latest reviews on the brands.run homepage.
Review of BYJU’S | Last updated: June 2026 | Reviewer: brands.run editorial team | Independent review. The situation is evolving fast and some allegations are contested and under appeal, so verify current details before relying on them. Not legal or financial advice.
BYJU’S is a trademark of Think and Learn Private Limited. Other names mentioned are trademarks of their respective owners. All product names, logos, and brands are the property of their respective owners. Use of these names here does not imply any affiliation or endorsement. This review is for general informational purposes only and reflects publicly available information, reputable reporting, consumer complaint data, and court and regulatory records as of mid-2026. It is not legal or financial advice. Serious allegations are reported as documented complaints or as contested claims that are disputed and under appeal, and the company’s denials are noted; facts are distinguished from allegations throughout.
