T
By Taimoor Hassan
he most valuable startup in India is an educational technology company. EdTech companies, as they are known in financial circles, have a grip on India. Byjus, which also has its brand logo on the Indian cricket team’s kit, has been valued at $18 billion and have been given a ballpark estimate of a valuation over $50 billion if they go public by next year. And they aren’t the only massive edtech out there either. While Pakistanis are at odds over the country’s first unicorn, India has four unicorns just in the EdTech sector - Unacademy, Vedantu, UpGrad and Eruditus - in addition to 3,500 other
22
startups. But then why isn’t the same happening in Pakistan? Why is our nascent but noisy startup scene mostly finding its money in grocery delivery and banking disruptions when education is right there and available? Think about it - education and health are the two things most important to any parent when they think about their child. And with the Covid-19 pandemic putting into perspective how learning can be done online and people becoming more comfortable with digital payments, why is EdTech not thriving in Pakistan like it is across the border? One reason could be the obvious one - education is structured very differently in Pakistan. These apps can tailor their tutoring to help students achieve excellence in the Indian school
