CollegeDekho snaps up Future-Skills company ImaginXP - its third acquisition in the Future-Skills & Career Services space

• Strengthens CollegeDekho’s position as India’s largest College Enrolment & Learning Marketplace with over 22.5 Crore sessions and nearly 50 Lakh Students seeking guidance annually

• Will augment the offerings under “CollegeDekho Assured” that provides enrolment, learning and career services to students and colleges across India

• Will enable CollegeDekho to offer Industry-oriented learning across Degrees in Technology, Management and Design

• “CollegeDekho Assured” aims at bridging the gap in employability skills of Indian college students and to provide future-skills that make them job-ready.

CollegeDekho, India's largest college enrolment and learning marketplace, has announced the acquisition of ImaginXP, a Jaipur based startup founded in 2018 providing content and curriculum delivery services in in the area of Design education to universities and colleges. This acquisition, coming close on the heels of two other acquisitions made by CollegeDekho to bolster its “CollegeDekho Assured” services via curriculum and content delivery to colleges. These acquisitions had enabled CollegeDekho to introduce skill-based, job-oriented learning modules under its “CollegeDekho Assured” business as a part of Engineering and Management Degrees offered by universities. The acquisition of ImaginXP will enable CollegeDekho to offer the entire spectrum of enrolment, curriculum, content delivery and career services to universities as well as students as a part of their degree programs in Technology, Design and Management.

The acquisition enables CollegeDekho to expand its range of services across the Higher Education continuum to universities and colleges across India and underpins its commitment to colleges & students alike to provide the widest range of offerings to help them succeed. This acquisition also strengthens CollegeDekho's commitment towards democratization of high-quality education for India’s students by providing content, high-quality teaching and career building services on top of free career counselling and college enrolment services that it has been offering since 2017.

With over 54,000 universities and colleges in India, it shall also help Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) bridge the gap between academia and industry and to offer Degrees with future-skills. This shall help HEIs to differentiate as they provide better skills and employability to students and meet the vision of the National Education Policy 2020.

With a current Revenue-Run-Rate of Rs. 300 Crore for FY 2023 and growing 4X over a 3-year period, CollegeDekho has continuously demonstrated its leadership in the higher education landscape of India. With a low Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of just 27.3% in Higher Education in India, CollegeDekho has played a significant role in providing guidance and counselling to over 250,000 students and helping nearly 80,000 students reach college in 2023. This acquisition furthers CollegeDekho’s roadmap for expansion of its services to colleges and students on top of the massive distribution and reach that it has built across India With over 225 Million sessions on its platforms, and nearly 50% of India’s college aspirants looking to apply to colleges through it, CollegeDekho has built an enviable base of students across every single state of India while helping over 200K students from the remotest parts of the country to access free higher education counselling and enrolment in colleges.

Speaking about the acquisition, Ruchir Arora, CEO & Co-Founder of CollegeDekho said, "We’re extremely passionate about democratizing access to higher education that changes lives. We generate over 225 million sessions annually across our platforms, while over 4.8 million students reach out for counselling & guidance. We welcome ImaginXP to the CollegeDekho family to help us strengthen our offerings to our students. This is our third acquisition in the area of Future-Skills development for students and will help us expand our range of services to India’s student community & HEIs. By incorporating ImaginXP's industry-oriented curriculum, corporate mentors and a passionate team, we are confident of enabling India’s vast majority of students to thrive in today's competitive job market."

With nearly 45% of India’s graduates cited as being unemployable, the future-skills imparted under the “CollegeDekho Assured” initiative shall help bridge the employability gap for India’s graduates while equipping them with the skills they need through an industry-academia partnership.

CollegeDekho's platform offers comprehensive information on over 35,000 colleges, facilitated by highly trained professional counselors. Over the years, the platform has successfully guided and facilitated admissions for a substantial number of students, solidifying its position as India's largest Common Application Form (CAF) platform.

"We are driven by a resolute vision to revolutionize the future of education. Partnering with CollegeDekho enables us to amplify our impact, reaching a broader audience and empowering countless students with industry-relevant skills and job-oriented higher education," stated Shashank Shwet, Founder & CEO of ImaginXP.

ImaginXP's portfolio includes partnerships with over 30 prestigious universities and institutes. Their industry-led curriculum, seamlessly integrated into Degree programs, imparts practical learning that equips students to be job-ready. ImaginXP's team will now merge with CollegeDekho to drive the growth of the “CollegeDekho Assured” vertical.

Periodic Labour Force Survey conducted by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) indicated a concerning unemployment rate among graduates. The“CollegeDekho Assured” program enables universities and colleges to bridge the gap between academia and industry, ensuring students receive industry-aligned pedagogy, mentorship from expert industry coaches, and access to live industry projects. This shall help them differentiate and also help them get more students interested in enrolling for various programs offered by the HEIs.

This acquisition signifies CollegeDekho's unwavering commitment to its mission of democratizing higher education in India while equipping students with the necessary skills to excel in their careers. The amalgamation of strengths marks a remarkable milestone in CollegeDekho's journey towards providing a truly impactful educational ecosystem that drives democratization of Higher Education that transforms lives and communities across India while helping Indian Government’s vision of reaching 50% GER in Higher Education by 2035.

About CollegeDekho

Launched in 2017 by Ruchir Arora, Saurabh Jain, and Rohit Saha, CollegeDekho is India’s largest College Guidance, Enrolment and learning marketplace with over 225 Million Sessions on its platforms. The platform leverages proprietary technology and AI-based chatbots to connect over millions of prospective students with colleges. Its pioneering Common Application Form (CAF) platform facilitates streamlined applications to multiple colleges with just one click, making it the largest of its kind in India. With an impressive track record of counseling more than 85 lakh students and assisting over 1500 colleges with student recruitment, CollegeDekho continues to make a lasting impact in the field of higher education. Supported by esteemed investors like Winter Capital, ETS Strategic Capital, Calega, Man Capital, Disrupt ADQ, and QIC, the company maintains a strong commitment to excellence.

About ImaginXP

ImaginXP is a distinguished Higher-Ed organisation in India, known for its range of future-skills Degree, Certification, and Executive courses. The organization's commitment to academic excellence is evident through its valued partnerships with more than 30 universities and reputed Institutes. Founded in 2013 by visionary leaders, including Shashank Shwet (Founder & CEO), Shishir Kumar (Director-General), Chinmoy Rajwanshi (Co-Founder), and Abhayjeet Singh (Co-Founder & CAO), the institution is driven by an industry-led curriculum that prioritizes hands-on learning experiences. At the core of ImaginXP's mission lies a profound vision: to lead India's development through the transformative force of Future-Skills education. With unwavering dedication, the institution strives to nurture talent and empower students with the necessary expertise, aiming to pave the way for a prosperous and progressive nation.