A US bankruptcy court has reversed a $1 billion damages ruling against Byju Raveendran, according to a statement from the founders of Think and Learn Pvt Ltd - the parent firm of ed-tech platform Byju's.
The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea of Byju Raveendran, the promoter of Think and Learn Private Limited that operates ed-Tech firm Byju, challenging an NCLAT order which has mandated that the settlement of the BCCI's claim be placed before the Committee of Creditors.
Byju's founder Byju Raveendran is preparing to file a $2.5 billion damages claim, alongside new evidence in a US court that he says disproves GLAS Trust's allegations that $533 million in 'Alpha Funds' was diverted by the company's founders.
A US court's $1.07-billion default judgment against Byju Raveendran can't be enforced directly in India because the US isn't a "reciprocating territory." Creditors must file a new case in an Indian court.
Think & Learn, which owns edtech brand Byju's, on Monday moved the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal against the NCLT order, which last week declined its plea to restrain Aakash Educational Services from convening its EGM for the rights issue.
Debtor alleges evidence from OCI Ltd shows funds were "round-tripped" to Byju Raveendran despite his earlier sworn statements -- claims Byju's founders strongly reject.
'Byju's founders reserve all rights to bring actions against those parties that have caused damage to them personally and to their businesses.'
Qatar's sovereign wealth fund is suing Byju Raveendran in Indian courts to recover $235 million from the embattled educational technology (edtech) entrepreneur, escalating a global legal battle that has ensnared one of India's most high-profile startup founders.
Aakash Educational Services (AESL) has accused EY of conflict of interest and breach of professional conduct in its ongoing dispute involving Byju's. It has also asked EY to disclose all documents, information, or communication it was privy to, in relation to transactions involving AESL.
The dispute between Aakash Educational Services Ltd (AESL) and edtech firm Byju's has escalated, with Aakash filing a sharply worded petition before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in Bengaluru, alleging conflict of interest and professional misconduct by global consulting firm Ernst & Young (EY), according to court filings
Highlighting India as the company's most important growth market, Fabricio Bloisi, group chief executive officer (CEO) of the Dutch technology investor Prosus signaled a sharp acceleration in artificial-intelligence investments across its portfolio in the country.
Former Resolution Professional of insolvency-bound edtech firm Byju's has moved appellate tribunal NCLAT challenging disciplinary action recommended against him by the Bengaluru bench of NCLT.
Byju's audit firm BDO had suggested backdating of reports, which the company refused, and their resignation is more of optics, a top official of the edtech firm alleged on Saturday. Speaking on the resignation of BDO as its audit firm, Byju's CEO Byju Raveendran told PTI that the auditors are the first to know about insolvency proceedings but they did not inform about it to the court-appointed insolvency resolution professional (IRP). "They have asked us to do multiple backdating of reports.
In a major relief to Byju's, the NCLAT on Friday set aside insolvency proceedings against the troubled edtech major over a sponsorship deal and approved a Rs 158 crore settlement with the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), however, passed the order with a caveat that any failure to make payments on the specific dates mentioned in the undertaking would automatically lead to a revival of the insolvency proceedings against Byju's.
In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court on Wednesday set aside the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal's (NCLAT) verdict that had stopped insolvency proceedings against embattled ed-tech firm Byju's. A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra also reversed the order of the NCLAT approving Byju's Rs 158.9 crore dues settlement with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and directed the cricket board to deposit the settlement amount of Rs 158.9 crore with a committee of creditors.
Troubled edtech firm Byju's founder Byju Raveendran on Thursday said that he is willing to pay back the entire money to lenders if they are willing to work with him. During a two-and-a-half-hour call with the media, Raveendran said that lenders will not get any money if the process of insolvency against the company continues. "If they are willing to work with me, I am willing to give them money back before I take a single rupee out.
Edtech company Byju's parent Think & Learn will challenge the National Company Law Tribunal's (NCLT's) order on insolvency proceedings and may approach the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) in the next few days, a source claimed. With the NCLT appointing Pankaj Srivastava as the interim resolution professional (IRP), time is running out for Byju's as the committee of creditors (CoC) begins to be formed.
The edtech major promised a learning revolution, offering hope to millions of under-educated youth. Now, those dreams are shattered, observes Devangshu Datta.
Edtech firm Think and Learn Private Ltd, owner of Byju's, on Thursday said neither the company's founder and CEO Byju Raveendran nor any other board member will attend the extraordinary general meeting called by some select investors. Shareholders at Byju's are set to vote on Friday on a resolution brought by some investors to oust founder CEO Byju Raveendran and his family members over alleged "mismanagement and failures". Byju's has called the EGM "procedurally invalid" and contractually in contravention of the company's article of association and shareholder's agreement.
US lenders on Tuesday said that the Delaware Supreme Court ruling has affirmed that Byju's defaulted on Term Loan B while the edtech firm asserted that it has no impact on legal proceedings going on in India. Byju's US-based lenders on Tuesday said the Delaware Supreme Court (SC) in its September 23 order affirmed the previous ruling by the Delaware Court of Chancery and said an event of default had occurred under the credit agreement and entitled Byju's lenders and their administrative agent, GLAS Trust, for action against the company.
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to list for an early hearing the appeal of US-based creditor Glas Trust Company LLC against a judgment of the NCLAT, which had stayed insolvency proceedings against ed-tech firm Byju's and approving its Rs 158.9 crore dues settlement with the BCCI. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra was urged by senior advocate NK Kaul, appearing for the ed-tech major, that the case needed to be heard at the earliest.
Edtech company Byju's, which was once India's most valuable start-up worth an estimated $22 billion, will face insolvency proceedings for failure to pay Rs 158.9 crore to cricket board BCCI. The Bengaluru bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Tuesday allowed bankruptcy proceedings against the firm and appointed an interim resolution professional, suspending the company's board of directors and freezing its assets.
With the Asia Cup starting September 9 in the UAE, the team could play without a sponsor logo after the government passed the Online Gaming Bill.
US lenders represented by Glas Trust have countered Byju's founder Byju Raveendran's claim on verified debt on the company being merely around Rs 20 crore, and have said that the beleaguered edtech firm will have to pay the entire $1.2 billion Term Loan B along with interest. The founder of Think and Learn (TLPL) and owner of Byju's brand, Byju Raveendran, had about a week ago said that verified debt on the company is only Rs 20 crore as per insolvency proceedings and he may not have to pay any money to the US lenders represented by Glas Trust.
In 2023, the BCCI announced a deal with Dream11 as the lead sponsor for Team India. Dream11 replaced Byju's, whose contract ended in March that year, and had signed the agreement with BCCI for a period of three years.
'When I called the HR department, they abused me.'
'Due to the fear caused by the Byju's crisis, several employees have chosen to take up entry-level jobs in firms other than edtech.'
This, Byju, was the time to apply the business lens, treat your company as a business, run your company as a business. Instead, you splurged, observes Suveen Sinha.
In 2023, the BCCI announced a deal with Dream11 as the lead sponsor for Team India. Dream11 replaced Byju's, whose contract ended in March that year, and had signed the agreement with BCCI for a period of three years.
Byju's Founder Byju Raveendran's plea against the Insolvency of Think & Learn before the NCLAT was adjourned on Monday as one of the members of the bench recused from the hearing. The matter will be placed before a bench headed by National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) Chairman Justice Ashok Bhushan, who will assign a different bench to hear the matter. Raveendran had filed a petition challenging the initiation of insolvency proceedings against Think & Learn, which runs edtech company Byju's.
Edtech firm Think and Learn, which owns Byju's brand, has closed 30 out of its 292 tuition centres, according to an official statement. Byju's has shut down the centres as part of cost optimisation measures and aims to turn most of the centres profitable in the third year of their operations, the edtech firm said. "Byju's is immensely proud of the dedication of its teachers and the performance of its students.
Byju's is set to go the way of Housing.com and Zilingo. It is only a matter of time. Indeed, the coup attempted by investors will ensure that, says Debashis Basu.
Edtech major Think and Learn, which operates under Byju's brand name, is learnt to have received a commitment of $300 million from investors for its ongoing rights issue which will close by the end of February, sources aware of the development said. Byju's floated a rights issue in January to raise $200 million at an enterprise valuation in the range of $220-250 million which is a 99 per cent reduction in its peak valuation of $22 billion. Sources also shared that Byju's has offered miffed investors to appoint two independent directors to enhance transparency but only after the rights issue and declaring its financial results for the 2023 fiscal.
The corporate affairs ministry has asked its field officers to expedite the inspection of the books of Byju's and submit the report, a senior official said on Monday as trouble continues to brew at the edtech firm. The ministry, which is implementing the companies law, will decide the further course of action after receiving the report from its regional office. In July 2023, the ministry had asked the office of the regional director in Hyderabad to conduct an inspection of the company Think & Learn Pvt Ltd, which is registered in Bengaluru.
Cash-strapped edtech firm Byju's is likely to pay its employees the April salaries this week, according to sources. The company is grappling with the issue of delays in paying salaries to employees. "There has been a delay in salary. It is expected to be now paid sometime this week," said a person.
'What has happened at Byju's is no surprise to anyone.'
Edtech major Byju's top official on Wednesday said the company's $200 million rights issue has been fully subscribed and asked all shareholders to participate in the "renewed mission". Think and Learn Private Limited, which operates under Byju's brand name, has floated $200 million rights issue at less than 99 per cent enterprise valuation compared to its peak valuation of $22 billion. "Our rights issue is fully subscribed and my gratitude to my shareholders remains strong.
Byju Raveendran, the founder of the beleaguered ed-tech firm Byju's, put himself on a pedestal and stopped listening to anyone, said Gaurav Munjal, the chief executive officer of edtech firm Unacademy. Munjal highlighted the importance of 'blunt feedback'. In a post on X, he alleged that Byju's founder stopped listening and failed to have people who could give him the right feedback.
Ahead of Friday's extraordinary general meeting (EGM), Byju Raveendran, chief executive officer (CEO) of Byju's, told shareholders that he is committed to restructuring the board of the embattled educational technology (edtech) firm. He also committed to appointing two non-executive directors to the board by the mutual consent of the founder and shareholders. The development comes at a time when a consortium of key shareholders, holding over 30 per cent stake in Byju's, issued a notice to the embattled edtech firm this month, calling for an EGM to address "persistent issues", including a proposed change of management at the firm.
Edtech firm Think and Learn, owner of Byju's brand, credited partial salaries of employees for the month of March, according to sources. Byju Raveendran, the Founder and CEO of Think and Learn, has raised debt in his personal capacity to pay the salaries of employees for March. Byju's salary expenses for partial payouts is estimated to be in the range of Rs 25-30 crore.