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Recently, Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy stated that he does not believe in coaching classes. He argued that only students who fail to pay proper attention to their teachers in the classroom need coaching, and that coaching classes are not the right way to help students pass exams. However, coaching plays a significant role in the Indian education system. Almost every student, regardless of their age or stage in their education journey, opts for coaching or tuitions.This raises the question: what led to the boom of the coaching industry in India?
From individual house tuition to large coaching centers, additional help has become deeply integrated into the education system. Nearly all parents, irrespective of their child’s academic performance or age, send their children to coaching centers. This trend is not confined to metropolitan cities but extends to almost every town. India even boasts several major coaching hubs dedicated solely to these centers.
So why is this the case? Does it signal a deeper issue in India’s education system, or is it merely a societal trend driven by the desire to avoid criticism?
Coaching involves teaching individual students or small groups, often focusing on specific subjects or competitive exams. While schools provide general education across all subjects, coaching centers offer specialized instruction. Most coaching centers cater to three main segments: students preparing for engineering exams like IITs, those preparing for medical colleges, and those aiming for management institutes like IIMs. There are also coaching centers for students preparing for government job exams.
A common factor in all these segments is the education provided in schools. So, why do students need coaching? One reason is that coaching centers employ dedicated trainers who focus on helping students excel academically or clear entrance exams. This contrasts with schools, where teachers often handle large classes of 50 to 60 students and have limited time per subject. In coaching centers, students typically focus on a single subject for extended periods, providing specialized personal attention.
The growth of coaching centers can be attributed to several factors: the current memory-based education system, parental anxiety about future prospects, a highly competitive ecosystem, and a restrictive job market. These factors collectively contribute to the rising demand for coaching as an essential part of the education system.

Government guidelines for coaching institutes and parents’ perspective

In January this year, the Central Government issued a set of guidelines for coaching centers. According to the guidelines, coaching centers can only enroll students who are at least 16 years of age or have passed Class 10 board exams. The centers are also prohibited from making false claims about ranks or marks in competitive exams. The guidelines, issued by the Ministry of Education, also require coaching centers to register with the government. Existing centers must re-register within three months of the implementation of the guidelines.
While lack of time and unsatisfactory classroom education are cited by many parents as reasons for enrolling their children in coaching institutes, others want to groom their kids “early for the competitive world that lies ahead,” and coaching centers capitalize on this demand. “To get into IITs and NITs, students need technical and mathematical prowess. Not all parents can provide the required guidance at home. Moreover, the syllabus for classes XI and XII is vast. While preparing for the Board exams, which include projects and practical exams, it is difficult for most students to prepare for these competitive exams within two years. Foundation courses give them a strong base to start with and are important. Otherwise, students may have to drop a year for preparation,” said Vijay Laxmi, a parent of a Class V student. She mentioned that her daughter is currently taught by a private tutor and that she plans to enroll her in foundation courses next year, as reported by TOI.
Parents also claim that classroom teaching alone is insufficient for building a strong foundation. “Students need to master time management while writing these competitive exams. This requires a strong foundation, which is not possible without continuous practice. Most working parents don’t get enough time to guide their kids at home. I am concerned that the new guidelines may leave my child unprepared,” said Suparna Datta, a mother of a Class VII student and a corporate communication professional, as reported in the previous TOI article. Click here to read our report.

Here are five reasons for the boom of coaching centers in India: