Understanding Marketing as a Value-delivering Task 7

BYJU'S- THE LEARNING APP, GIVING VALUE

AND CAPTURING VALUE

'Byju's- The Learning App' meant for schoolchildren is becoming an event in the school
education scene of our country. Launched in 2015, the K-12 self-learning mobile application
(app) focused largely on maths, science and English is being cited as a disruptor in the tech-
based education field in India. It has already been used by millions of schoolchildren across
the country. To quote the managing director of Sequoia Capital India, a major investor in
Byju's, 'Byju's will be one of India's Biggest Education Stories; this company will soon change
the way the world. will learn' .
Byju's is an ambitious business start-up. In two years, the start-up is valued at ~45 billion.
Some of the world's biggest investors, such as Zucker berg and Tencent, have put their money
into it.

Education Is Big Business in India

In India, education is big business. School education, in particular, is a fast-growing and
highly thriving business, owing to India's big population of school-going children. India,
today, has the largest K-12 education system in the world, with over 260 million enrol-
ments. The new technologies in learning have opened up the online education field in a
big way.
Byju Raveendran, the founder, puts it in a very interesting way: 'We want to Disney-fy
education; make learning a Disneyland of entertainment for children by taking out the
drudgery and fatigue associated with learning. The unique combination of media, technology
and content is helping us move towards this promise we made to children',
The business idea: With the use of technology, tryout an alternative to the age-old school
education/teaching system of the country. Any change in education patterns should start early
in the child's life, so concentrate on school-going students in classes 4-12.

Locating the Value Gaps/Drawbacks of the Ongoing System

The first question he raised was: What should the new offer do? And how would it do it? He
did not have to stretch too much for an answer. The lapses/problems with our education
system were too obvious and debated at various levels. The new offer had to address those'
drawbapks and rectify them.
• There is a huge mismatch in the way students learn concepts and how they should ideally
be doing it.
• Learning happens because of the fear of exams; it never evokes a love for the subject.
• In a conventional crowded classroom, access to personalised teaching is very meagre.
• High-quality teachers are costly and scarce. The very profession of teaching has become
somewhat unattractive to ambitious youngsters; it is all the more true of teaching in schools.
Byju's task was cut out for him: his new package had to fill up these gaps.

Creating the Product Offer; Building New BenefitsNalue into It

Aim: Give a teacher to every student; let him learn when he feels like doing it.
It is done: With the new app, the teacher is there on their mobile phones, tabs or computers
at just a click of a button .. He explains anything and everything that is given in their school-
books in the most innovative way and that too in real time, by creating effective tech-enabled
learning programmes.