From small-town teacher to the face of one of India’s most influential edtech ventures, the rise of Byju Raveendran is the story of ambition, timing and shifting fortunes. His journey is a reflection of the scale of the digital learning boom of India and the stark challenges that followed.
Who is Byju Raveendran?
Byju Raveendran is an Indian entrepreneur and educator best known for creating Byju’s, once one of the world’s fastest-growing edtech companies. He built his brand around accessible learning, charismatic teaching and the promise of technology-driven education.
Byju Raveendran Age
Byju Raveendran is 46 years old as of 2025, having been born on 30 May 1978.
Byju Raveendran Education
Raveendran studied in a Malayalam-medium school where both his parents taught. Later, he completed his B.Tech in engineering from the Government College of Engineering, Kannur, following which he briefly worked in the shipping industry.
Byju Raveendran Father
His father, Raveendran taught physics at the same school he attended. He often attributes the molding of his interest in logic and problem-solving skills in early life to his father.
Byju Raveendran Mother
His mother, Shobhanavalli is a teacher of mathematics, played the central role in his academic foundation. She encouraged independent learning-a philosophy he would later apply in his teaching career.
Byju Raveendran Wife
He married Divya Gokulnath in 2009. She was once a student of his in an exam-preparation class and later became co-founder of Byju’s. He and his wife have two sons.
Raveendran Career
Raveendran started helping his friends prepare for competitive exams during a holiday break. After securing a percentile in the top category in CAT on multiple occasions, he turned teaching into a full-time career. Quickly, his classes expanded from small groups to stadium-size sessions conducted across India.
In 2011, he incorporated his venture with Think & Learn and created a technology-enabled learning model which attracted millions of users and global investors.
Raveendran & Byju’s Career
In 2015, Byju’s launched its flagship app, transforming content-based teaching into an interactive digital platform. It later expanded internationally and acquired some of the major education brands to become one of the most valued startups in India.
However, financial, operational, and regulatory challenges beset the firm starting in 2022. The troubles greatly reduced its valuation, with Raveendran publicly disclosing that by late 2024, the value of the firm had effectively fallen to zero.
Byju Raveendran Net Worth
The net worth of the entrepreneur, once estimated at billions because he held a stake in Byju’s, has declined significantly. The fall in the valuation of the company, coupled with lingering financial disputes and shareholder actions, means that his current net worth is zero, effectively speaking, if his public utterances of 2024 are anything to go by.
Before Byju’s financial collapse was roughly Rs. 17,000 crore, based on his peak valuation of about $2.1 billion in early 2024.
Byju Raveendran Controversies
- Shareholder disputes on governance and leadership
- Financial issues related to the decline in the company’s valuation
- Global regulatory scrutiny involving its U.S. financing arm
- Arbitration-related proceedings involving foreign investors
- Questions relating to fundraising, cash management and corporate structure
- Summoned by NCPCR
Byju Raveendran Awards
| Year | Award / Recognition |
|---|---|
| 2017 | The Indian Express IT Awards |
| 2019 | Manorama News Newsmaker Award |
| 2020 | EY Entrepreneur of the Year (Finalist) & Business Transformation Award |
| 2020 | Fortune Magazine “40 Under 40” |
| 2021 | Forbes India Leadership Award – Entrepreneur of the Year |
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Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information and is intended for general informational use, not as legal, financial or professional advice.