‘Broke, not broken’: Byju Raveendran vows to rebuild his edtech empire, netizens say, ‘please brother, spare us’

Byju Raveendran, the founder of troubled edtech giant BYJU’S, has made a bold promise to revive his company despite its dramatic downfall. In a defiant message posted on X, Raveendran declared, “Broke, not broken. We will rise again,” alongside an old photograph of himself.

BYJU’S, which was once valued at 22 billion dollars in 2022, has since plunged into financial turmoil, grappling with rising debts, regulatory obstacles, and legal battles with investors. Raveendran, who has remained away from the spotlight and has been absent from India since late 2023, has now re-emerged, vowing to revive his company.

‘We will rehire our own people’

In his social media post, Raveendran expressed his optimism about BYJU’S comeback and assured that when the company relaunches, former employees will be prioritised.

“Once we relaunch our company – which I believe will happen sooner than expected – we will rehire exclusively from our incredible pool of former BYJUites. My hyper-optimism may seem crazy to some. But let’s not forget that you have to be odd to be number one,” he wrote.

Raveendran, who only joined X on Friday, said he intends to reveal the “truth” about the company’s last two years. “Nothing is ever as good as it seems, nor as bad as they make you believe. The truth usually lies somewhere in between. So I’m here to talk about the last 20 years: the good 17, the bad 2 & the ugly 1. No filters. Only facts,” he stated.

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Hiring fresh talent, creating opportunities

Reflecting on BYJU’S early days, Raveendran claimed the company had provided first-time job opportunities to 215,000 fresh graduates over nine years.

“BYJU’S was built by these 2 lakh freshers with zero experience, exceptional talent & infinite energy. They went on to become productive members of our great economy. Some became entrepreneurs & created jobs. All they needed was that first elusive opportunity,” he said.

‘The builder is now talking’

BYJU’S co-founder Divya Gokulnath also announced Raveendran’s entry into the social media space, highlighting how he had always preferred letting his work speak for itself.

“For years, I tried convincing BYJU RAVEENDRAN to dip his toes into the sometimes pretty, sometimes crazy world of social media. His response? A steadfast ‘I’d rather build and let my work do the talking.’ But guess what? The builder is now talking,” she wrote on LinkedIn.

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Mixed reactions from netizens

Raveendran’s comeback post has sparked strong reactions online, with some criticising his past decisions and others reflecting on what could have been.

"Honestly, nobody needs you! Please stay away from Indian edtech, which is doing very well without you!" wrote one user.

Another commented, “Arrogance and greed can only take you far enough for you to fall. Hope you have learned your lessons.”

However, some took a more nuanced view, with one user remarking, “If BYJU’S hadn't tried to scale at breakneck speed and destroy itself, they would have had the customer base and content to build and perfect India's best AI tutor.”

Others were more blunt in their requests for him to stay away. “Please, bhai. Baksh de bhai. Dil se bol raha hoon, please mat kar bhai” (Please, brother. Spare us, brother. I’m saying this from the heart, please don’t do this, brother), one comment read.

Another pointed out the financial burden BYJU’S had placed on lower-income families, stating, “Ok before you think of your next business, please consider this: how many lower-class families have gone into debt because of the work you did over the last decade? Maybe it's a good idea to enjoy the wealth you've earned & not make it worse by your future actions.”