Winning Bizness Desk
Mumbai.The story of Alakh Pandey, popularly known as Physics Wallah, is one of grit, resilience, and a journey from poverty to becoming one of India’s most successful edupreneurs. The 34-year-old from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, who once struggled to afford basic needs, now runs a Rs 30,000 crore company and owns a personal fortune that has surpassed Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s net worth. As Physics Wallah’s IPO closes today, the story of Alakh Pandey stands as an extraordinary example of how determination and purpose can redefine success.
Born in hardship, raised with resilience
Born in 1991 in Prayagraj, Alakh Pandey’s early life was full of struggles. His father lost his job, forcing the family to sell their house and scooter. They moved into a small rented room, and his father began selling oil on a bicycle to make ends meet. Alakh was then in Class 8, an average student who feared mathematics but had a deep sense of responsibility. To support the family, he started giving tuitions to younger children. Those early years shaped his identity as a teacher who connected from the heart, a trait that would later become his biggest strength.
College dropout to full-time tutor
Alakh joined a college in Prayagraj but dropped out during his third year, saying he had lost interest in traditional education. Against his family’s wishes, he decided to become a full-time physics tutor. Financial struggles continued—he borrowed a friend’s bike to reach coaching centers, often worrying about running out of fuel. In 2015, he tried to promote his classes through Facebook, but the effort failed. Refusing to give up, he took a new path in 2016 that would change his life.
YouTube debut and the first earning
In 2016, Alakh launched his YouTube channel, naming it Physics Wallah. He recorded, edited, and uploaded his own videos, combining humor, emotion, and real-life examples to make complex topics easy. His style clicked with students across India. A year later, he earned his first Rs 8,000 from YouTube—his first milestone. Soon, he quit his teaching job to focus full-time on content creation. His growing popularity led him to launch the Physics Wallah app in 2020, attracting 35,000 users within days. Along the way, he partnered with Prateek Maheshwari, a management expert who handled business operations while Alakh focused on teaching.
Covid boom and nationwide expansion
The pandemic turned out to be a turning point. With schools and coaching centers shut, online learning saw an unprecedented boom. Physics Wallah’s user base soared to over 1 crore paid learners, while its 80 YouTube channels reached 3.6 crore students. In 2020, the company also opened its first offline center, PW Vidyapeeth, in Kota. Today, the brand has 120 centers across more than 100 cities, offering affordable courses for exams like IIT-JEE, NEET, GATE, NDA, UPSC, and school-level studies. Its pricing strategy—charging between Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000 per batch, compared to competitors charging up to Rs 80,000—helped it become a household name.
Company’s growth, valuation, and IPO details
Physics Wallah’s valuation now stands at around Rs 30,000 crore. However, its financials show both rapid growth and some losses. In FY25, the company earned Rs 2,886 crore in revenue with a net loss of Rs 243 crore. In FY24, revenue was Rs 1,940 crore with a loss of Rs 1,130 crore, while FY23 saw Rs 744 crore revenue and Rs 84 crore loss. Its IPO, which opened on November 11 and closes today, is valued between Rs 103 and Rs 109 per share. The issue includes a fresh equity worth Rs 3,100 crore and an offer-for-sale of Rs 380 crore, with both promoters—Alakh Pandey and Prateek Boob—selling shares worth Rs 190 crore each.
Mixed signals from analysts and future outlook
Investment analysts have given mixed responses. InCred has recommended subscribing, citing strong branding and revenue potential. SBI Securities has taken a cautious stance, calling the IPO fairly priced with pressure on profitability. Anand Rathi has advised buying, praising the hybrid model that blends online scalability with offline reach. Experts say that while the IPO is fully priced, long-term prospects remain strong due to the company’s expansion into multiple education segments and regional languages.
Summary pointers:
1. Alakh Pandey, born in 1991 in Prayagraj, faced severe financial hardships early in life.
2. Dropped out of college to become a full-time tutor despite family opposition.
3. Started YouTube channel ‘Physics Wallah’ in 2016, earning Rs 8,000 initially.
4. Gained massive popularity for his relatable teaching style and launched an app in 2020.
5. Expanded into offline education with 120 centers across 100 cities.
6. Company now valued at Rs 30,000 crore; IPO closes today with Rs 3,480 crore issue size.
7. Analysts see mixed signals but agree on strong brand and long-term growth potential.
