Aakash Educational Services has launched a nationwide marketing blitz, with a clear focus on tier 2 markets to drive student enrolments. The campaign spans multiple channels, including television, digital, and on-ground activations, signalling a shift from metro-heavy acquisition to a broader, more distributed growth strategy.
This move comes as competition intensifies in the test prep category, especially with hybrid and offline players recalibrating post-pandemic. For Aakash, the push is less about visibility and more about capturing demand in markets where coaching penetration is rising but remains under-indexed.
Tier 2 as the next growth engine
The campaign underscores a structural shift: tier 2 and tier 3 cities are now central to scale in India’s education services market. With increasing digital access, rising disposable incomes, and higher exam aspirations, these regions are delivering stronger enrolment growth compared to metros. Aakash’s integrated media approach—combining mass reach with localised messaging—suggests a calibrated strategy to balance brand authority with regional relevance. Media mix signals intent
The use of television ensures reach and credibility among parents, while digital channels enable targeted acquisition and performance tracking. On-ground activations further localise the brand, addressing trust gaps that often exist in smaller markets.
This full-funnel approach indicates a higher willingness to invest in sustained brand-building, rather than short-term lead generation.
What this means for the industry
Test prep brands are moving beyond metro saturation, with tier 2 expansion becoming a competitive necessity. Expect higher media spends, deeper localisation, and increased offline presence as brands chase the same cohort of aspirational students.
Our insight
In India’s test prep market, growth is no longer about who dominates metros—but who scales fastest across the next 100 cities.