In 2012, Gomathi S and Dr. Balaji Sampath sat down and wondered if they could do something to make math and science tolerable for young school children.

“Since a lot of schools have underperforming teachers, most students end up going for coaching. But most institutions make students memorize formulas and question patterns instead of focusing on concepts and reasoning,” says Gomathi of why she and Dr. Balaji started Chennai-based AhaGuru Education Technology Private Limited. “Most coaching classes thrive on making students feel like losers. Even good students lose confidence when they get into Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) or National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) coaching classes. AhaGuru ensures that every student feels like a winner,” she says.

AhaGuru has two products – a mentored learning program and ‘live virtual’ online classes. The former provides students with a personal mentor to track their progress and answer their doubts. The latter is a two-year program that helps students directly learn from expert teachers.

AhaGuru uses the WhatsApp Business App to update parents about new products and the progress of their wards. By using groups, communicating with students, tracking their progress, and instantly clearing doubts is much easier.

Since using the app, their business has doubled each year

Within three years, their revenue grew from Rs 70 lakh (approximately USD 102,000) to Rs 6 crore (approximately USD 875,000). Since using the app, their business has doubled each year and they have received positive reviews.

No simple task when teaching math and science. But with AhaGuru’s courses and a little help from WhatsApp, students are finding these subjects just a bit easier to tolerate.