New Delhi: In 2009, Delhi resident Neha Agrawal was on a predictable path—teaching mathematics at a school during the day and tutoring children in the evenings. It was a steady career, one that she assumed would shape her life, but life had other plans.
Fast forward to 2025 and her classroom is no longer confined to within four walls. Instead of a handful of students huddled around her desk, millions tune in to her lessons from across the country. Her YouTube channel, dedicated to simplifying complex mathematical concepts, has millions of subscribers—far beyond anything she ever imagined.
She was inspired by New York-based Indian professor Aswath Damodaran, who shares free classes and study materials on his YouTube channel.
“It stuck with me—why can’t we adopt this model in the Indian context? So, I started my channel in 2017,” she said to ThePrint.
“However, for the entire first year, I only gained about 1,000 subscribers. Each and every subscriber of mine is earned through hard work and the will to help students,” added Agrawal who has earned her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Mathematics, followed by a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) from Delhi University.
Her channel—‘Neha Agrawal Mathematically Inclined’—has since grown to 1.66 million subscribers known as ‘Neha Ma’am’s Army’, transforming her into a prominent educator in the online learning space.
Similarly, Rani Singh, 50, who once taught English from a small room in Delhi’s coaching hub, Mukherjee Nagar, to students preparing for competitive exams, expanded her reach by launching a YouTube channel in 2018. Her goal was to help students from underprivileged backgrounds who couldn’t afford paid classes.
Her channel—‘English With Rani Mam’—now boasts 2.68 million subscribers and offers classes for competitive exams, including the National Defence Academy (NDA), Staff Selection Commission (SSC), bank, Common Admission Test (CAT), and Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), among others. She has completed her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in English from Delhi University, along with a B.Ed.
“I received an overwhelmingly positive response from students for my free YouTube classes. That encouraged me to dedicate myself fully to this from 2019 onwards,” Singh said to ThePrint. “After the COVID-19 pandemic, I discontinued offline classes and shifted entirely online. I take both paid online classes and also share free content on YouTube.”
Like Agrawal and Singh, hundreds of educators have embraced YouTube as a teaching platform, transforming traditional learning methods. While some, like Agrawal, provide entirely free education, most strike a balance by offering paid or offline classes to sustain their efforts.
The rise of online coaching has revolutionised education, particularly for students preparing for competitive exams. What started as a niche offering quickly expanded, disrupting traditional offline institutes. Many of these institutions have either closed or scaled down operations in recent years, with the COVID-19 pandemic playing a pivotal role in accelerating this shift, making online learning essential.
In January this year, FIIT-JEE, a major player in the coaching industry, closed several of its branches in Delhi-NCR. Beyond financial difficulties, the institute struggled to keep pace with the swift shift toward online education.
Online coaching offers significant advantages, including flexibility, ability to learn at one’s own pace, and accessibility from anywhere, breaking geographical barriers. Recorded sessions, affordability, and interactive features also make online learning attractive.
Keshav Agarwal, president of the Coaching Federation of India, notes the significant impact on the offline coaching industry. “With free access to quality content and expert educators online, many students now prefer self-paced learning, leading to a decline in offline enrollments.”
“Traditional coaching centres have been forced to lower fees, upgrade teaching methods, and adopt digital strategies to stay competitive,” he said to ThePrint.
Educators also attribute availability of free online learning materials to a significant drop in student enrollment at India’s coaching hub, Kota, last year.
A faculty member at Allen Coaching in Kota, who wished to not be named, said: “One of the key reasons for the decline is that many students taking a gap year now prefer online learning over traditional coaching. After completing their class 11 and 12 syllabi, they find online resources more effective for revision and deepening their understanding. Today, quality online content is limitless.”
Also Read: Home to Kota education hub, Rajasthan looks to regulate coaching centres. What its new bill mandates
Core mission: Help every student
For many YouTube educators, the mission is clear—reach the last student.
While awaiting his dream job after completing his BTech, Tyagi took up part-time teaching at a Delhi coaching center, where he discovered his true passion for education.
In 2002, Tyagi moved to Kota, working at a traditional coaching institute until 2013. During this time, he offered extra classes to students from marginalised backgrounds.
Determined to widen his reach, Mohit officially launched his YouTube channel in 2014. “I shared all my knowledge on YouTube—no holds barred. People said, ‘Why would students pay for classes if you give everything online for free?’ But I wanted to help as many students as possible.”
Today, the YouTube channel under his name boasts over 2 million subscribers.
Following positive feedback and growing student numbers, in 2019, Mohit and fellow educators launched ‘Competishun’—an online platform that offers comprehensive IIT preparation materials, both free and paid.
“Paid courses focus on practice, doubt clearing, and revision. Content-wise, our paid and free materials are nearly identical,” said Tyagi, now based and working in Jaipur.
Meanwhile, Neha Agrawal had been dedicated to providing free education to marginalised communities since her days at Delhi University.
“I turned down numerous high-paying offers because my goal is to make quality education accessible to all. There’s a misconception that math isn’t for everyone, but I strive to make my YouTube sessions fun and interactive.”
“In the past 8-9 years, I haven’t accepted any sponsorships. I sustain my mission of providing free education by partnering with institutions to teach or by taking on projects to train educators,” Neha added.
Rani Singh, driven by the desire to expand her teaching reach, echoed this sentiment. “Early on, I realised I couldn’t reach the number of students I wanted by teaching from a small room. Now, students from the country’s most remote areas—and even neighbouring Pakistan—watch my videos free of charge,” she said.
How the pandemic boosted the trend
The story of Anurag Tyagi, a physics teacher from Ghaziabad, offers a glimpse into how the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped India’s coaching landscape.
Before the pandemic, Anurag Tyagi ran classes in Ghaziabad, but the pandemic-induced economic crisis hit him hard. “Students stopped coming, and I struggled to pay my staff. Many students requested free classes as their families lost income or, tragically, loved ones during the pandemic.”
In 2021, he turned to YouTube, launching his channel ‘Physics Headquarters’. Today, he teaches nearly 600,000 students for free and goes live three times a week, covering the entire JEE (Main) syllabus. He also offers paid online classes via Zoom.
“The struggles of students made me realise the need for guidance is constant. I decided to continue sharing free content, even after the pandemic,” Anurag Tyagi explained.
His channel now boasts 3.4 lakh subscribers.
Neha Agrawal noted the surge of educators on YouTube post-pandemic. She attributed this shift to necessity and opportunity: “Everything moved online, and people realised they could save money and expand their reach. You don’t need infrastructure for online classes—just a camera and a device.”
Similarly, Mohit Tyagi saw a massive subscriber boost after the pandemic but remained committed to quality.
“We didn’t dilute our content to gain subscribers. We want serious students. We’re not chasing likes or subscriptions by boosting engagement,” he emphasised.
These teachers use various strategies to supplement their income from YouTube views and subscriptions. For instance, Singh, Mohit Tyagi, and Anurag Tyagi offer paid online classes, charging, they say, far less than traditional coaching fees.
Meanwhile, Agrawal ties up with institutes to deliver guest lectures and also takes on projects for faculty training.
Keshav Agarwal of the Coaching Federation of India highlighted the broader impact of this shift. “YouTube’s rise as an online teaching platform has transformed the coaching industry by breaking geographical barriers. Quality education has become accessible and affordable to millions. Traditional coaching centres are now innovating, embracing digital methods, and focusing on value-driven content rather than just physical infrastructure,” he said.
Self-paced, interactive and accessible
YouTube educators have transformed the learning landscape by offering detailed live sessions and real-time interaction, setting themselves apart from traditional teaching methods.
For instance, Rani Singh dedicates one and a half hours daily, from 11.30 am to 1 pm, to live YouTube classes, covering grammar and vocabulary topics with open access for all.
Singh emphasises the importance of interaction in her sessions, saying, “I read students’ comments and respond because I don’t want them to feel bored. When students tell me, ‘Ma’am, it feels like you’re teaching right in front of us’, I know I’ve done my job.”
On Mohit Tyagi’s YouTube channel, students can access the complete ‘A to Z’ IIT preparation syllabus anytime, free of charge. Similarly, Anurag Tyagi’s channel offers an extensive physics curriculum with a total of 12 hours of lessons, all available to students at no cost.
“Earlier, students in rural areas had no benchmark and relied solely on the local teachers’ methods. Now, the landscape has changed. They have access to numerous YouTube channels, allowing them to compare content and teaching styles,” said Mohit.
Students praise YouTube classes for their accessible, customisable, and pressure-free learning environment.
Suyansh Kumar, a 16-year-old JEE (Main) aspirant, said, “In offline classes, you can’t pause when stuck, but online tutorials allow me to learn at my own pace. I can stop, rewind, or fast forward. It’s so customised.”
For students taking a gap year to focus on exam preparation, YouTube offers a valuable supplement. Ayushi Sharma, 17, from Meerut, told ThePrint about her experience: “After a year of regular coaching and an unsatisfactory JEE rank last year, I opted for self-study during my gap year. I started following free online channels like ‘Physicswallah’ and feel confident about cracking the exam this year.”
The medium also gives freedom to learn from the best teachers across different channels. “I don’t have to stick to just one source—I can pick and choose the lessons that suit me best, revisit difficult topics, and learn at my own pace. It’s the most flexible and effective way to study,” Ashish Verma, a UPSC aspirant from Lucknow, told ThePrint.
Not all YouTube educators conduct traditional classes, some focus on guiding students and helping them strategise their preparation.
Shivin Chaudhary, a former IRS officer and MBBS graduate from Maulana Azad Medical College, runs the YouTube channel ‘Clarity for UPSC by Dr. Shivin’, with 3.9 lakh subscribers. He cleared UPSC in his second attempt in 2022.
He co-founded ‘Sarrthi IAS’, an online mentorship platform for UPSC aspirants, where he also offers paid classes and content.
“Guidance should always be free. If someone chooses to study independently, they must have access to support. I didn’t have that when I prepared, which cost me during my first attempt. I want to provide that support to others,” he told ThePrint.
‘Educators, not influencers’
However, educators at traditional coaching centres have raised concerns about the credibility of online “influencer-teachers”.
“There are countless YouTube channels where self-proclaimed educators make misleading promises, such as leaking question papers or claiming to release questions that will appear in exams. These so-called educators can be extremely harmful to students, as they spread false information and jeopardise students’ academic integrity,” said a senior faculty member from Allen’s Centre in Kota, who wished to not be named.
Offline coaching centres argue that online education often feels like a “one-way dialogue”, failing to foster a sense of real competition among students.
“In an online setting, teachers can’t monitor students’ progress the way they can in physical classrooms. As a result, online platforms have struggled to engage average and below-average students, who still consider offline coaching their first choice, with YouTube primarily serving as a supplementary resource,” a senior faculty at a centre of Aakash Institute in Delhi told ThePrint, requesting anonymity.
But these YouTube educators are eager to distinguish themselves from influencers, underscoring their commitment to teaching over entertainment or personal branding.
Neha Agrawal is firm on this distinction. “I don’t want to be called an influencer. I am a teacher, and that’s it. My mission is to make quality education accessible to all, not to chase likes or followers,” she said.
Rani Singh shares a similar resolve, emphasising the integrity of her work: “I am not a YouTuber; I am a teacher using YouTube as a platform. All my subscribers are organic. If I wanted more subscribers, I could publish sensational content or simplify the material, but that’s not my approach. My priority is quality education, not numbers.”
Mohit Tyagi voices serious concerns about the direction in which online education is heading. “The rise of unqualified teachers and influencers has been alarming. Many claim to deliver top-notch education while having no teaching experience or credentials. This unchecked environment misleads students and undermines genuine educators. That’s where educators need to draw a line,” Mohit warned.
Online educators also highlighted the financial disparities compared to entertainment influencers. “Unlike entertainment influencers, we don’t rake in as many subscriptions, nor are we paid as much,” said Anurag Tyagi. “It’s the passion for teaching that keeps us going, not the financial rewards”.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
I can only say this as someone who tried both online and offline coaching. We students can test our progress ourselves, it isn’t so difficult. What we need is a little bit of self learning time and flexible pace to make ourselves understand the concepts better and do mock tests accordingly. Online learning paves the waybfor this requirement. To me, traditional coaching centres are just like any schools out there, even the experience of teaching and learning between teachers and students. The teachers I know on YouTube aren’t influencers, but the they’re the ones I wish I had during my offline teaching days. Except students, I don’t think no one has the right to judge them so easily.