Highlights:
- Ankur Warikoo first announced that he was shutting down his ₹100 crore courses business after growing it to 5 lakh students, ₹100 crore in sales, and ₹25 crore in profits.
- He later clarified that the business did not end completely. It has been converted into a subscription model under WebVeda.
- Warikoo said the decision came down to a simple choice: earning more from the old model or reaching more people with a different one.
- The new WebVeda membership costs ₹1,999 a year and includes current and future courses, a community, personalised jobs, and a refund policy.
- He also said the impact of AI on online learning has been “huge,” and that the larger education system needs to change.
Key Facts:
Fact | Detail |
Business start | The courses business began in 2020. |
Scale | It reached 5 lakh students. |
Revenue | The business crossed ₹100 crore in sales/revenue. |
Profit | Warikoo said it made ₹25 crore in profits. |
New pricing | WebVeda subscription price is ₹1,999 per year. |
Overview:
A profitable business usually grows louder with time. Ankur Warikoo took a different route. He said he was shutting down his ₹100 crore courses business after building it for five years, serving 5 lakh students, and generating ₹25 crore in profits. His post on X made the move sound final at first, which is why it drew so much attention so quickly.
The first version of the announcement created a clear question: why would someone close a business that already worked? Warikoo answered that soon after. He clarified that the business had not vanished. It had been reshaped into a subscription product under WebVeda. In other words, the structure changed, while the learning platform stayed alive.
Under the new model, learners get access to all current and future courses, a member community, personalised job support, and a refund policy. Warikoo said the annual subscription is ₹1,999, which works out to less than ₹5.5 a day. He also said every existing learner has already been shifted into membership for free.
The reason behind the shift seems tied to two things: reach and relevance. Warikoo said the choice was between making more money and helping more people, and he said the second path felt clearer to him. He also pointed to the growing influence of AI in learning, saying the impact has been huge. That point matters because online education is changing fast, and course creators are under pressure to rethink how they deliver value.
The bigger message is kinda simple. This is not merely a business update. It feels like, a real signal of how digital education is shifting in public view. Warikoo is taking the stance that a subscription arrangement can give steadier learning, wider access, and longer-term value that actually beats one-time course sales. Whether that gamble works will hinge on how learners react over time, not just at first.
FAQs
Did Ankur Warikoo really shut down his ₹100 crore courses business?
He first said yes, but then clarified that the business was converted into a subscription model under WebVeda.
What is WebVeda now?
WebVeda is the new subscription-based version of his courses platform. It includes access to courses, community features, personalised jobs, and a refund policy.
How much does the new subscription cost?
Warikoo said the annual price is ₹1,999.
How many students did the old business serve?
He said the business reached 5 lakh students.
Why did he change the model?
Warikoo said the old system no longer made sense to continue and that he wanted to reach more people through a different setup. He also linked the move to the changing role of AI in education.
Takeaways
Ankur Warikoo’s move is best understood as a reset, not a shutdown. He took a profitable course business and turned it into a subscription platform built for wider access. The old model brought strong numbers. The new one is built around scale, retention, and a different idea of value.
