Synopsis

While WestBridge-backed SpeakX and Lightspeed-backed Stimuler are among startups focused on English learning, larger test-preparation platforms such as Adda247 and Physics Wallah have expanded into this space. With generative AI addressing the technology layer, multiple apps are getting launched, industry executives said.

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Language learning, especially spoken English among students in smaller cities and towns, is emerging as a growth area for edtech players.

While WestBridge-backed SpeakX and Lightspeed-backed Stimuler are among startups focused on English learning, larger test-preparation platforms such as Adda247 and Physics Wallah have expanded into this space.

With generative AI addressing the technology layer, multiple apps are getting launched, industry executives said.

The move reflects growing demand from job seekers in tier-II, tier-III and tier-IV towns, where limited English proficiency often restricts access to entry-level roles in the formal economy.

In India, the language learning market is estimated at around $5 billion and is expected to grow at 20-30% annually over the next few years.

Globally, the market is currently valued at nearly $80 billion, according to executives.

Adda247 recently rolled out a standalone app to help users learn basic English for job interviews as it remains a major barrier for learners from tier-III and tier-IV towns.

“While many candidates are capable, they often struggle at the first stage due to poor communication skills,” Adda247 founder Anil Nagar said.

“As you move up the job ladder, the number of roles reduces. But at the entry level, there are many opportunities where the basic requirement is the ability to communicate well. On our platform, we are seeing strong traction even though we launched only a couple of weeks ago,” he added.

Adda247 assessed demand last year before developing the product and found language learning to be one of the most pressing needs among its users.

Listed test prep platform Physics Wallah also operates a dedicated English-speaking app, offering daily conversation practice, masterclasses, vocabulary lessons, and grammar modules. The app has over one million downloads.

Lightspeed-backed Stimuler, a voice first AI tutor, which raised $3.75 million in April last year, has been witnessing a steady climb in revenue.

According to its founder and CEO Akshay Akash, the company crossed Rs 3.5 crore in monthly revenue for January, up from Rs 2.1 crore in December. For context, in the entire calendar year 2024, it had clocked Rs 3.2 crore in revenue.

Consumer tech and entertainment platform Eloelo has also entered the space with its microlearning app Master.

Eloelo founder Saurabh Pandey said English has emerged as the second-largest category on the platform jobs and earning-related content.

“Earlier, learners had to enrol in full-fledged courses through offline academies that required substantial time commitment,” Pandey said. “What has changed is that people still want to learn English, but in short, bite-sized formats.”

Launched two months ago, Master has close to eight million active users with over 10 million downloads, as per information on Play Store.

AI drives down costs

English proficiency has long been linked to social mobility and professional credibility, particularly in metros, where it is increasingly seen as a non-negotiable workplace skill, industry executives said.

“People have picked up reading and writing skills, grammar, and vocabulary over time, but the communication aspect has largely remained unsolved,” said Arpit Mittal, founder and chief executive of SpeakX. “With generative AI, the technology has now addressed the conversational layer. As a result, a new market has opened up.”

Mittal said a human tutor typically costs around Rs 500 per hour, while AI-driven learning reduces that to about Rs 5-6 per hour.

The Gurgaon-based startup, which raised $16 million in a funding round led by WestBridge Capital last year, now has about 200,000 monthly paying subscribers and annual recurring revenue of roughly $7–8 million.

A crowded market

Executives expect the segment to attract more players in the near term, followed by consolidation.

“Building engagement through a pure product play is a tough challenge,” Mittal said. “It’s not about acquiring more customers, but about delivering value after acquisition. That’s where winners will emerge, and where consolidation will begin.”

Unacademy founder Gaurav Munjal, who had stepped back from day-to-day operations, is also focusing on language learning through its global app Airlearn.

Positioned as a competitor to Duolingo, Airlearn offers more than 12 languages, including English, Spanish, French, Korean, and German.

Munjal said the platform scaled from about $200,000 in annual recurring revenue at the start of 2025 to nearly $3 million by year-end. It has over one million downloads.

However, its future trajectory remains uncertain after Unacademy’s acquisition talks with upGrad fell through.

Airlearn was reportedly set to be spun off, but has since been reintegrated into the company’s core operations.

On January 8, ET had reported that Ronnie Screwvala’s higher-skilling company upGrad has withdrawn from talks to acquire Unacademy over differences in valuation expectations. Initially, the talks had happened for an all-stock transaction that valued Unacademy at around $300 million – an over 90% cut from its peak valuation of $3.4 billion.

In December 2024, ET had reported that Unacademy was in talks with Kota-based Allen Career Institute for a potential acquisition that valued the company at around $800 million. Those negotiations had also failed over differences in valuation.

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