Gurukul

Gurukul from Avanti Fellows

Gurukul, developed by Avanti Fellows and powered by Capgemini, is India’s largest free online test preparation platform for students preparing for competitive exams such as the JEE and NEET. It is designed to address the inequalities in access to quality STEM colleges, particularly for students from government schools and low-income backgrounds, by providing high-quality test preparation at no cost. While STEM degrees significantly boost earning potential, students from underserved communities face systemic barriers, including high coaching fees, geographic inaccessibility, and limited access to individual devices, which prevent them from qualifying for top-tier colleges.

Launched in 2024, Gurukul is a mobile-first, open-source platform tailored for low-resource settings. It offers over 5,000 high-quality videos, recorded classes, mock and practice tests, and personalised test reports. More than 93,000 students are enrolled in the 2024–25 academic year, with 88,000 opting for the self-paced option. Around 10,000 students demonstrated deep engagement with the platform by consistently attending classes and completing assessments. Collectively, students spent over 950,000 hours learning and attempted over 380,000 tests.

Gurukul’s differentiators include its free access, mobile-first design, and open-source infrastructure, which enable government and non-profit partners to adapt it at scale. Teachers played a crucial role in designing and refining the platform, creating content, advising on pedagogy, and shaping features such as test reports based on their real-world classroom experience. Contributions from the open-source developer community further enhance Gurukul’s scalability and reduce ongoing tech costs.

The platform is rooted in decades of Avanti’s experience delivering test prep across India and is informed by its deep field learnings and research, including the role of STEM in economic mobility, A/B testing of user features, and ensuring direct feedback from students and educators.

Looking ahead, Gurukul aims to evolve into a comprehensive college preparation tool, featuring planned enhancements such as career guidance, entrance test calendars, and college exploration modules. It is already part of government partnerships in eight states, and the team anticipates reaching 100,000 yearly users by 2027–28.

Gurukul aims to become more comprehensive in its features, the support it extends to the students, and the impact and feedback it captures of the students’ learning experience.