According to media reports, Sumit Jain’s exit marks a significant moment in Unacademy’s evolution from hypergrowth startup to a more focused education business.
Unacademy Co-Founder and CEO of its test preparation business, Sumit Jain, has stepped down from his role, marking another significant leadership change at the edtech company amid ongoing restructuring and reported merger discussions with upGrad.
Jain, who co-founded Unacademy in 2015 alongside Gaurav Munjal, Roman Saini and Hemesh Singh, confirmed his departure in an internal communication, according to multiple reports. His exit comes at a crucial time for the Bengaluru-based edtech company as it continues streamlining operations and exploring strategic consolidation opportunities in India’s rapidly evolving online education sector.
While Unacademy has not officially commented on succession details, reports indicate that the company’s core leadership team will continue overseeing the test preparation business, which remains one of Unacademy’s largest operational verticals.
The timing of Jain’s exit has drawn particular attention because it coincides with ongoing discussions around a potential merger between Unacademy and upGrad. Although neither company has officially confirmed a transaction, reports over the past few months have suggested that consolidation talks have intensified as India’s edtech sector faces increasing pressure to achieve profitability and operational sustainability.
For Unacademy, the last two years have involved multiple rounds of restructuring, layoffs and business realignment. The company has increasingly sharpened its focus on core test preparation categories while reducing emphasis on non-core verticals and experimental initiatives.
At the same time, upGrad has also been actively pursuing inorganic growth opportunities and strategic partnerships as competition intensifies across higher education, skilling and test preparation segments.
