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upGrad Co-founder and Managing Director Mayank Kumar has reportedly stepped down as the co-chairperson of the India Edtech Consortium (IEC). Meanwhile, Physics Wallah (PW) Co-founder Prateek Maheshwari has stepped into Kumar’s role.

Having been at the helm of IEC, alongside BYJU’S Co-founder Divya Gokulnath since 2022, Kumar has informed IEC members about his decision to step down through an email, citing a desire to focus more on upGrad’s operations, Moneycontrol reported.

YourStory has reached out to IEC, upGrad, and PhysicsWallah for comments.

IEC, a self-regulatory body formed under the aegis of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), was established in January 2022. IEC comprises Indian edtech startups, including upGrad, BYJU’S, Careers360, Classplus, Doubtnut, Times Edutech and Events Limited, Scaler, Simplilearn, Unacademy, and Vedantu, among others. It claims to represent 95% of the Indian learner community.

In November 2022, IEC had a meeting with Rohit Kumar Singh, Secretary of Consumer Affairs, to provide an update on their self-regulatory efforts. In a prior meeting in July, Singh had gathered edtech companies and warned them about unfair trade practices, such as misleading advertisements.

During the establishment of IEC, it was emphasised that under IAMAI’s guidance, edtech companies would follow a shared ‘Code of Conduct’ and establish a two-tier grievance redressal mechanism aimed at ensuring transparent business practices that prioritise customer interests.