'If a student can get a good teacher, quality content and mock tests at no cost, it becomes very hard for a mid-tier coaching centre to keep charging for the same lecture.'
The central government's proposed free coaching network could put pressure on India's private coaching market, particularly smaller and mid-tier providers, while established institutes may retain demand by offering personalised services, experts said.
The scale of the programme could also make online delivery necessary.
Free coaching could remove a major cost barrier to exam preparation, but equal access to courses would not necessarily translate into equal chances of success.
Differences in devices, connectivity, language proficiency, academic foundations and time available for preparation could affect how much students benefit, they said.
Key Points
- Free coaching may hit mid-tier coaching centres first.
- Premium institutes could survive through mentoring and personalisation.
- Experts say nationwide coaching will likely need an online model.
- Government job competition may intensify as more students prepare.
"Access and opportunity aren't the same thing," said Syed Sultan Ahmed, chairperson, Association of International Schools of India (TAISI).
Free coaching would need multilingual content, diagnostic assessments, mentoring, doubt resolution and offline access to reach students effectively, he underscored.
Shantanu Rooj, founder and chief executive officer, TeamLease EdTech, similarly said diagnostics, remedial support, regional-language delivery, mentoring and last-mile access would be needed to serve students with different levels of preparedness.
Pressure On Coaching Institutes
The impact on private coaching is unlikely to be uniform.
Ahmed said a government offering of good teachers, quality content and mock tests at no cost would make it difficult for mid-tier providers to charge for similar standardised offerings.
"If a student can get a good teacher, quality content and mock tests at no cost, it becomes very hard for a mid-tier coaching centre to keep charging for the same lecture, repackaged. That's where I expect enrolments to soften and pricing to come under real pressure first," he said.
Larger institutes could retain demand because students and parents also pay for structure, discipline, personalised attention, mentoring and doubt-solving, Ahmed noted.
The immediate impact is likely to be price pressure and greater differentiation rather than a displacement of private coaching, Rooj said, adding, "Smaller providers competing primarily on price and content may feel this first, while premium players will increasingly have to justify fees through mentoring, personalisation, peer environments and outcomes."
Vijay Vasanth, senior vice-president, sales, Gi Group Holding, also said budget and mid-tier providers were likely to face pressure, while premium players offering personalised mentorship and outcome-driven teaching could continue to attract students.
More Aspirants, Same Opportunities
The programme could also expand the pool of young people preparing for competitive examinations without increasing the number of opportunities available.
Easier access could encourage more young people, particularly from smaller towns, to attempt competitive exams multiple times, increasing competition for limited government jobs and potentially delaying workforce entry, Vasanth argued.
"Staffing and workforce partners will need to engage this pool earlier, through internships, skilling programmes and apprenticeships, so that exam preparation and employability development happen in parallel rather than one after the other, ensuring young talent doesn't lose touch with practical, job-ready skills while preparing," he suggested.
Vasanth cited the intensity of competition for government jobs.
The Staff Selection Commission's General Duty (SSC GD) 2026 examination received nearly 5 million applications for 25,487 posts, while the Union Public Service Commission's Civil Services examination regularly attracts 1.4 million to 1.5 million applicants for about 1,000 vacancies.
Online Delivery Challenge
The scale of the proposed programme could push the government toward an online model.
S S Mantha, former chairman, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), said a nationwide physical coaching network would be difficult given the number of examinations, subjects and student requirements involved.
"It will all have to be online, otherwise it would be a huge challenge," Mantha said.
He proposed a learning management system combining online classes, assessments, additional material and AI-enabled services.
"Students could select examinations and subjects on the platform, with professors and experts available to address specific questions," he said.
"But the effectiveness of such a platform should be measured by outcomes rather than scale," Rooj said.
"A credible alternative will therefore need consistent funding and quality, but equally important, transparent measurement of usage, completion, exam participation, qualification rates and outcomes across socioeconomic groups."
Arun Kumar, general secretary, All India Federation of University and College Teachers' Organisations, questioned whether an online model could overcome uneven digital access, particularly in remote areas.
"Tech cannot ensure a 100 per cent transformation when there are still remote areas where accessibility is an issue," he said.
Coaching Economics May Shift
If high-quality teaching, mock tests and preparation content become freely available at scale, the initiative could also change what students pay private providers for.
Rooj said coaching economics could shift from paying for access to content toward paying for personalisation, mentoring, accountability and outcomes.
Ahmed similarly expects providers to move toward smaller cohorts, specialised faculty, adaptive learning and demonstrable results.
Long-Term Impact On Education
The longer-term question is whether the initiative reduces dependence on coaching or simply makes it more widely available.
Ahmed said success should ultimately be measured by whether fewer students feel they need coaching, with schools providing stronger conceptual foundations and examinations testing understanding rather than requiring extensive preparation outside school.
Kumar similarly questioned the emphasis on expanding coaching, saying the government should address the conditions that make students dependent on coaching and the intense competition for limited opportunities.
"Students should not need coaching and there should not be such a desperate competition of aspirants," he added.
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff
