Leslin K Seemon
| 162 views | 5 min read
We're beyond thrilled to announce a monumental partnership between Rang De and Physics Wallah. This collaboration is set to redefine the educational landscape in India, making quality education accessible to every deserving child, regardless of their economic background.
The Rang De x Physics Wallah fund will ensure that aspiring students who have gained admission to the institute get access to student-friendly and affordable higher education loans. Your investment will enable bright, meritorious students and give them a chance at a great career.
Excerpts from our conversation with Pratik Maheshwari (Co-founder of Physics Wallah), Imran Rashid (Co-founder of Physics Wallah), and Vishwa Mohan (CIO of Physics Wallah)
The Journey of Physics Wallah: From Humble Beginnings to a Unicorn
Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Noida, UP, Physics Wallah has been a trailblazer in edtech. With a reach that spans 98% of India's PIN codes, they've transformed education for over 32 million students via 72 YouTube channels in eight regional languages. What started as a YouTube channel in 2014 has now become a unicorn company in 2022, boasting more than 10 million paid students on their app.
Core Values: The Heart of Physics Wallah
When asked about their unique selling points, Pratik Maheshwari and Imran Rashid emphasised the company's commitment to affordable, quality education. The COVID-19 pandemic marked a turning point for them, leading to the launch of a ₹1000 course on YouTube that garnered 50,000 enrollments in just five days. This overwhelming response inspired them to disrupt traditional pricing models, thereby empowering thousands of students.
Bridging Gaps: The Physics Wallah Institute of Innovation
Vishwa Mohan, the CIO, introduced the Physics Wallah Institute of Innovation. This institute offers a four-year residential program in Computer Science and AI, aiming to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry expectations. To make this accessible to students from low-income backgrounds, the Rang De and Physics Wallah Fund has been established
The Genesis of the Partnership - Rang De X Physics Wallah
When asked about the inception of this groundbreaking partnership, Pratik Maheshwari, the co-founder of Physics Wallah, shared some candid insights.
"We designed this course with our student base in mind, most of whom come from low-income backgrounds. Despite our best efforts to make the course affordable, many students faced financing issues. That's when I stumbled upon Rang De's social lending concept, and it was a game-changer. It led to the genesis of this partnership."
Rang De's Epiphany
At Rang De, we've always been committed to empowering lives through social investments. Our journey began in 2008 with a focus on livelihood loans, but we soon realised that education is the real game-changer.
Our epiphany came during a visit to a slum in Nagpur, where we had funded a few women entrepreneurs some years ago. One woman pointed out that while we had solved her immediate financial needs, we couldn't help her daughter who aspires to become a dentist because we didn't offer education loans. That was our "aha" moment. We understood that education is the escape velocity that can propel families out of poverty.
Education loans are not just about access to credit; it's also about the quality of education. What are we preparing our children for? These questions led us to small experiments and pilots in the educational sector. But the problem was complex and multi-faceted.
Our partnership with Physics Wallah aims to address these challenges head-on. We’ve launched the Physics Wallah Fund to enable meritorious students from low-income backgrounds who are admitted to the Physics Wallah Institute of Innovation. Investments in this fund will go as affordable credit to these students and help them fund this course, setting them up for a great career ahead. This is just the beginning; we see this as a long-term collaboration that will level the playing field for talented students.
Real Stories, Real Impact: Changing Lives with Physics Wallah
The impact of this initiative is not just academic; it's transformative for entire families. For instance, one of our students comes from a family where the father is suffering from a chronic illness, and the mother is the sole breadwinner. Another student lost his father at a young age and has been raised by a single mother working in an Anganwadi. These students are academically brilliant but financially constrained. Our fund aims to change that.
The Road Ahead for Physics Wallah
Physics Wallah is committed to providing pre-placement and post-placement support to their students, ensuring that the course is a holistic value-add to their trajectory.
The Social Investing concept of Rang De resonates with Physics Wallah's ethos. By investing in these students, you're not just funding their education; you're setting them on a path for a successful career.
Your Role in This Journey: Be the Change
We invite you to invest in this transformative initiative. Your investment today can change lives tomorrow.
By Investing in this fund you are enabling students to access a 4-year fully residential program in computer science and AI that will combine the best of industry-focused curriculum. Students eligible for JEE Advanced and those who qualify through the PW test both qualify for admission.
Visit the Physics Wallah fund page on the Rang De platform and invest in the future. Your action today can create a ripple effect that changes lives tomorrow.
Make your Social Investment at - https://rangde.in/physics-wallah