Ankur Warikoo closes his ₹100cr courses business
What's the story
Popular entrepreneur and content creator Ankur Warikoo has announced the closure of his highly successful courses business. The venture, which was launched five years ago, has generated over ₹100 crore in revenue and ₹25 crore in profits. However, despite its profitability and a user base of five lakh students, Warikoo has decided to shut it down. His announcement sparked widespread speculation about the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in this unexpected decision.
Business closure
Video announcement and detailed post
In a video shared on X, Warikoo announced his decision to shut down the courses business. He said, "I am shutting down my courses business. After 5 years, 5 lakh students, and ₹100 crore in revenue, all profitable. Completely shutting it down." Along with the video, he shared a detailed post about the scale of the business and why he was discontinuing it. "It makes no sense to continue it," he wrote while hinting at AI's influence on his decision.
AI impact
AI's influence and online education disruption
As soon as Warikoo's post went viral, many users wondered if the rise of AI tools had anything to do with his decision. Responding briefly, Warikoo confirmed that it did play a "huge" role in his decision-making process. This sparked widespread discussions about the future of online courses businesses amid the growing influence of AI on learning, content creation, and access to educational resources.
Student welfare
User reactions and concerns about enrolled students
Many users expressed their surprise at the voluntary closure of a profitable business with such a large user base. Some even raised concerns about the fate of enrolled students and their continued access to courses. However, Warikoo has not yet provided any information regarding the future of existing students or what will happen next for his courses platform.
Background
Who is Ankur Warikoo?
Warikoo is a well-known figure in India's start-up and creator ecosystem, having been associated with nearbuy.com and WebVeda. He is also known for his angel investments and business-related educational content aimed at young professionals, creators, and start-up founders. The announcement comes just after he shared a personal story about his parents' financial struggles during his childhood.