 "Prateek Maheshwari, Physics Wallah")
Edtech firm Physics Wallah is aiming to bolster its offline footprint by expanding to 100 centres from the current 64, according to a report by The Economic Times (ET). The firm has set up 50 offline centres in 2023.
Cofounder Prateek Maheshwari told ET that the firm provided services to 140,000 students in 2023, which will go up to 240,000 in the next year. Physics Wallah is looking at expanding to 100 centres in the next year.
While online learners form 95 per cent of its clientele, the firm's plan to open more offline centres seems to be based on tactical deliberations. In May, the firm opened 50 offline centres, which it branded as "Vidyapeeth Centers", with an investment of around Rs 82 crore in technologies.
Maheshwari stated that Physics Wallah is a tech-first, online-first company but is entering offline mode to cater to those aspirants who couldn't maintain consistency or self-discipline online.
Physics Wallah is working on Alakh AI, a generative artificial intelligence (AI) study guide which will be language-agnostic. The AI program will seek to provide both academic and non-academic support to students. It has been named after the company's other cofounder, Alakh Pandey. The firm will launch Alakh AI in February.
Maheshwari also stated that several students continue to connect from remote areas but don't have access to a reliable internet connection. The firm is designing classes which can be provided in ultra-low bandwidth to students from tier-5 cities of the country.
Physics Wallah has also announced plans to employ 1,100 people in six months, where 60 per cent will be teaching staff and the rest will comprise non-teaching staff. On December 18, the firm launched the "Mission JRF" (Junior Research fellowship) series for the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (UGC NET) June 2024 exam.
