Byju’s has “strongly denied the allegation” that the India-based edtech decacorn had purchased databases filled with parents’ and children’s information and forcefully sold its courses.
Byju Raveendran/ Photo credit: Byju’s
“We do not need to and we never make cold calls or unscheduled walk-in visits. We strongly refute any allegation that indicates otherwise,” a Byju’s spokesperson told Tech in Asia in a statement. “We emphasize that our lead pipeline comprises exclusively of our app users, walk-ins, and incoming requests for consultation,” the statement added.
India’s National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) filed a report and is writing to the government following media coverage that Byju’s allegedly told children that “their future will be ruined if they don’t buy their courses,” Mint reported.
NCPCR stated that it had reviewed a news report on Byju’s indulging in malpractice to lure parents into buying courses. Byju Raveendran, the firm’s CEO and co-founder, has been summoned before the commission for a hearing on December 23.
In October, the SoftBank-backed firm announced that it would lay off 2,500 employees to stay on course with its profitability targets.
See also: The $22b question on Byju’s valuation
Editing by Samreen Ahmad and Arpit Nayak
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