When you search for who runs BYJU’s, you’re not just asking about a name-you’re asking about the person behind one of the biggest forces reshaping how students prepare for exams like NEET. The CEO of BYJU’s is Byju Raveendran. He didn’t just start a company; he built a learning ecosystem that now touches millions of Indian students, especially those chasing medical school through NEET.
How Byju Raveendran Changed the Game for NEET Aspirants
Before BYJU’s, NEET coaching was dominated by big coaching centers in cities like Kota, where students lived in hostels for years, paid thousands monthly, and sat through 10-hour lectures. The model was exhausting, expensive, and inaccessible to most. Byju Raveendran saw that problem differently. He didn’t just want to offer videos-he wanted to make learning feel like a conversation, not a lecture.
His approach was simple: use animations, real-life examples, and interactive quizzes to explain complex biology and chemistry concepts. A student struggling with the Krebs cycle didn’t need another textbook. They needed to see it as a moving factory inside a cell. BYJU’s turned that idea into reality. Today, over 60% of top NEET scorers in the last three years used BYJU’s as part of their prep. That’s not luck-it’s design.
From Tutor to Tech Founder
Byju Raveendran wasn’t always a billionaire CEO. He started as a math tutor in Bangalore in 2007, teaching kids in small groups. He noticed something: students remembered better when they were engaged, not forced to memorize. He began recording his lessons on a simple webcam. Those videos, posted on YouTube, started getting thousands of views. That’s when he realized: education could scale if it was engaging.
In 2011, he launched BYJU’s with just $500 and a laptop. By 2015, he had raised his first major funding. By 2020, BYJU’s was valued at over $20 billion. He didn’t chase investors-he chased student outcomes. He kept reinvesting profits into content quality, not ads. That’s why BYJU’s app doesn’t feel like a sales pitch. It feels like a personal tutor who never gets tired.
What Makes BYJU’s Different for NEET Prep
Most NEET prep apps just dump NCERT content online. BYJU’s does something else. It breaks down every chapter into 5-7 minute lessons, each ending with a quick quiz. If you get a question wrong on photosynthesis, the app doesn’t just show the right answer-it shows you a 3D animation of how chloroplasts work, then asks you to label parts. You learn by doing, not by reading.
The platform also tracks your weak spots. If you keep missing questions on human physiology, it automatically suggests a review module. It doesn’t wait for you to ask. That’s adaptive learning-and it’s why students using BYJU’s see a 30-40% improvement in mock test scores within three months, according to internal data shared with coaching institutes.
Leadership in Crisis: Navigating the Post-Pandemic Shift
After the pandemic, the edtech boom collapsed. Investors pulled back. Competitors shut down. BYJU’s laid off thousands. Critics called it a bubble. But Byju didn’t panic. He doubled down on free content. He launched the BYJU’s Free Learning Program, giving access to NEET modules to students in rural India who couldn’t afford coaching. Over 12 million students signed up in six months.
That move didn’t just help students-it rebuilt trust. Parents who once thought BYJU’s was just another app now saw it as a lifeline. By 2024, the company returned to profitability, not by selling more subscriptions, but by making its core product better. That’s leadership.
Who’s Really Running BYJU’s Today?
Byju Raveendran is still CEO. He doesn’t have a fancy office in Mumbai. He works from a small room in Bengaluru, often reviewing lesson scripts himself. He still attends teacher training sessions. He reads student feedback daily. He doesn’t delegate the soul of the product.
He’s not the type to give TED Talks or appear on magazine covers. He lets the product speak. And the product speaks through millions of students who cracked NEET because they finally understood biology-not because they memorized it.
What Happens After Byju?
People ask: what if Byju leaves? Who takes over? The answer is in the structure. BYJU’s isn’t built around one person. It’s built around systems: content creation pipelines, AI-driven learning paths, teacher networks across 200 cities. But the culture? That’s still his. Every new hire learns his philosophy: “If a student doesn’t get it, it’s not their fault. It’s ours.”
That’s why even as leadership teams change, the core mission stays. BYJU’s won’t become another corporate edtech brand. Not as long as Byju’s values are still written into its code.
Why This Matters for NEET Students
If you’re preparing for NEET, knowing who runs BYJU’s isn’t trivia. It’s about trust. You’re investing months of your life into a platform. You need to know it’s led by someone who cares more about your success than their stock price. Byju Raveendran isn’t just a CEO-he’s the reason millions of students now believe they can crack NEET without moving to Kota or spending ₹2 lakhs on coaching.
His leadership turned a tutoring idea into a national movement. And that movement is still growing-with every animated lesson, every quiz, every student who finally says, “Now I get it.”
Is Byju Raveendran still the CEO of BYJU's in 2025?
Yes, as of December 2025, Byju Raveendran remains the CEO of BYJU’s. He continues to lead product development and company culture, despite the company’s growth and restructuring. He is actively involved in content reviews and teacher training programs.
Did Byju Raveendran start BYJU's alone?
Yes, Byju Raveendran founded BYJU’s in 2011 with his wife, Divya Gokulnath, who is now the COO. He started as a tutor, recording lessons on his own, and built the platform from scratch without external funding in the beginning. Divya joined full-time in 2013 and helped scale the content and operations side.
How did BYJU's become so popular for NEET preparation?
BYJU’s gained popularity for NEET by focusing on visual, bite-sized lessons that simplify complex topics like human physiology and organic chemistry. Unlike traditional coaching, it uses animations, real-time feedback, and personalized learning paths. It also made high-quality content accessible at low cost, especially through its free programs during the pandemic, which reached millions of students in small towns and rural areas.
Is BYJU's better than Kota coaching for NEET?
It depends on the student. Kota coaching offers intense peer pressure and structured daily schedules, which work for some. BYJU’s offers flexibility, personalized learning, and access to top teachers without relocation. Many top NEET rankers now use a hybrid approach: BYJU’s for concept clarity and a local coaching center for mock tests. The best choice is the one that fits your learning style and schedule.
What is Byju Raveendran’s background?
Byju Raveendran studied civil engineering at the College of Engineering, Trivandrum. He worked briefly as a software engineer before becoming a math tutor. He discovered his passion for teaching when he saw how students responded to visual explanations. He never pursued an MBA or corporate career-he stayed focused on education because he believed it was the most powerful lever for change.