Byju- The Journey From Being Guru To Now Guru-Ghantal
Once a Guru, Now Guru-Ghantal: How Byju’s Became the Poster Boy of Fraud in Indian Startups!

You Don’t Need An Introduction About The Rise and Fall of India’s Edtech Giant…
Once hailed as India’s edtech messiah, Byju’s was the shining beacon of innovation, ambition, and success in the startup ecosystem. Investors poured in billions, parents flocked to its platform, and the Indian government paraded it as a symbol of Digital India’s entrepreneurial prowess. Today, however, the same startup that was once the face of disruptive learning has now become the poster boy of financial mismanagement, fraud, and regulatory apathy.
While the entire world watches this slow-motion disaster unfold, India’s authorities seem to be stuck in an endless cycle of ‘investigations’ that lead nowhere. Meanwhile, Raveendran, the man behind the mess, roams freely on Indian soil, and no one has a clue where the billions of dollars invested into the company have vanished.
How did we get here? How did a company that was once valued at $22 billion come crashing down like a poorly constructed Jenga tower? And why is the Indian government’s investigation as ineffective as a plastic fork cutting through steel? Let’s break it down.
Byju’s: From Unicorn to Unbelievable Fraud
- The Numbers That Don’t Add Up
Byju’s started as a revolutionary online education company, quickly scaling up with aggressive acquisitions, including Epic, Osmo, Aakash, and Great Learning. But behind the glitzy marketing and the motivational speeches, the numbers were pure financial alchemy.
- Revenue manipulation: Byju’s allegedly inflated its revenues while cleverly deferring costs to maintain the illusion of rapid growth.
- Audit mess: Its auditor, Deloitte, resigned due to lack of transparency in the company’s financials.
- Debt Black Hole: The company took huge loans without any clarity on repayment plans, leaving investors in sheer panic.
- The Acquisition Disaster
Byju’s went on an acquisition spree, swallowing companies faster than a teenager consuming fast food, but with zero strategic planning.
- Epic and Osmo, Byju’s foreign acquisitions, turned into costly disasters with unclear business models.
- Aakash, once a well-respected coaching institute, is now drowning under Byju’s mismanagement.
Where Did the Money Go? The Billion-Dollar Vanishing Act
The most crucial question no one seems to have an answer to—where did all the money go?
Byju’s raised billions in funding, yet today:
- Employees are unpaid for months.
- Investors are clueless about their returns.
- Its debt is mounting like a collapsing house of cards.
The US courts have already held Byju’s executives in contempt for failing to provide transparency. If this were a company in the US or Europe, authorities would have already frozen assets and issued arrests. Instead, in India, we are still ‘reviewing the case’ as if it were a bad Netflix drama.
Byju Raveendran: A Man Who Walks Free While Investors Burn
While Byju’s sinks, its founder and CEO, Byju Raveendran, walks around freely, making empty promises about restructuring and recovery. The man who once claimed to be the savior of education is now an escaped artist, evading accountability with a smirk.
Where are the authorities?
- The NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal) has ordered action, but it feels like a soft slap on the wrist.
- Despite financial crimes mounting, Byju Raveendran remains untouched.
- Investors and employees scream foul play, but the Indian government’s response is as slow as a dial-up internet connection in 2005.
At this point, even global financial experts are laughing at the Indian regulatory framework, questioning how a multi-billion-dollar financial crime is treated with such passivity.
How Byju’s Has Tarnished India’s Startup Reputation
Byju’s was once the pride of India, a startup that put Indian edtech on the global map. Now, it is a cautionary tale of reckless expansion, financial fraud, and regulatory incompetence.
The international investor community is watching India’s handling of this mess closely. And what do they see?
- A country that allows white-collar criminals to roam free.
- A broken investigation system that never leads to convictions.
- A startup ecosystem where hype matters more than honesty.
Byju’s has set back India’s startup credibility by years. Investors are now hesitant to trust Indian unicorns, fearing that they too might be overvalued fraud machines.
The Callous Investigation: Is the Indian Government Even Bothered?
One might think that a fraud of this magnitude would warrant immediate action. But instead, what we get is hollow press releases, vague inquiries, and empty promises of ‘restructuring’.
- The premier investigating agencies are moving at the speed of a lazy Sunday afternoon stroll.
- The SEBI is doing ‘assessments’, but is there any real action???
- The NCLT is issuing orders, but any visible impact, again???
In any other country, Byju Raveendran would have already faced serious consequences. But in India? He’s probably sipping chai, working on his next ‘strategy’ to escape accountability.
At The End: When Will India Wake Up?
Byju’s is no longer an edtech giant. It is a crime scene waiting for actual law enforcement.
The world is laughing at India’s handling of this fiasco, wondering how a multi-billion-dollar fraudster is still out in the open, smiling for the cameras.
- Where is the money, Byju?
- Why is India’s investigative system so toothless?
- Will we see justice, or will this be just another episode of ‘The Great Indian Startup Scam’?
Byju’s once promised to revolutionize education. Instead, it has revolutionized how to make billions disappear while regulators scratch their heads.
India, it’s time to wake up. Or else, the next Byju’s will be waiting around the corner, ready to run the same scam all over again.