The Indian coaching industry has become a multi-crore empire, shaping the dreams, struggles, and lives of millions of students. At first glance, coaching centres promise a path to success, whether it is the IIT-JEE, NEET, or UPSC. But behind the shining advertisements and toppers’ smiling faces lies a dark reality that very few are willing to talk about. When we look closely, what emerges is a system that fuels pressure, financial strain, and mental health issues among young students. This blog takes you through the hidden truths of this billion-dollar industry and why it has become more of a trap than a solution.
The Massive Scale of the Coaching Industry:
The scale of coaching in India is staggering. Officially, there are more than 70,000 registered coaching institutes across the country, and the unofficial number is far higher. The industry itself is worth nearly 60,000 crores, enrolling more than 70 million students. Every year, the size of this sector continues to expand. The GST collection from coaching alone doubled between 2019 and 2023, contributing nearly 5,000 crores annually.
The rise of such an enormous system creates unavoidable consequences. More students join every year, yet the success rate of the exams they prepare for remains static. For instance, IIT-JEE has an acceptance rate of less than 1 per cent, and NEET hovers around 2.25 per cent. This means that while enrolment goes up, the number of students who fail also increases, leading to crushing disappointment for the majority.
The Mental Health Crisis in Coaching Hubs:
One of the gravest issues that has surfaced is the mental health crisis among coaching students. Cities like Kota have become synonymous with exam preparation, but also with student suicides. Between 2015 and 2024, over 127 students in Kota alone took their own lives. In 2024, 26 young lives were lost in just one year.
Why is this happening? The environment inside coaching institutes is highly competitive, with every student chasing the same goal. Instead of a support system, students find themselves surrounded by rivals. The constant comparisons, the pressure to perform, and the fear of failure create unbearable stress. Many students begin doubting their abilities, and in such a high-pressure environment, this self-doubt only deepens.
To make matters worse, most students live away from home. They lack the emotional support of family and close friends. Parents often sacrifice everything, taking loans, mortgaging property, or selling gold to send their children to coaching hubs. Students then feel an additional burden: the fear of letting their parents down financially as well as emotionally. This dual pressure, academic and financial, becomes overwhelming, leading some to tragic extremes.
The Financial Trap of Coaching Institutes:
Another bitter truth of the coaching industry is the enormous financial burden it places on families. Tuition fees for top coaching centres often range from two to three lakh rupees per year, which is comparable to or even higher than school fees. Beyond this, families must also pay for accommodation, food, travel, and study materials. For a middle-class household, this is an impossible burden without loans.
Coaching centres are aware of this and often tie up with banks and NBFCs to offer education loans at high interest rates. The very institutions that charge enormous fees also profit by linking students to lenders. Many programmes require families to pay fees for one or two years in advance, with no refund policy. This locks students and families into a system they cannot easily escape.
Even more troubling is the way fees rise without justification. Once a coaching center achieves a reputation by producing a few toppers, it can double its fees overnight. Families, desperate for their children’s success, continue to pay. This cycle of financial exploitation benefits the institutions while trapping families in debt.
The Deceptive World of Marketing:
The coaching industry thrives on aggressive marketing. When the results of exams like IIT-JEE, NEET, or UPSC are announced, the first few pages of newspapers are filled with full-page ads from coaching centres. Smiling faces of toppers are displayed, often with exaggerated claims about the institute’s role in their success.
But what these ads do not show is equally important. They rarely disclose how many students enrolled versus how many succeeded. They fail to mention that many toppers also studied independently, joined multiple programmes, or relied more on self-study. Instead, they create the illusion that success is only possible through their courses. Parents and students, fearful of missing out, buy into this myth.
This kind of marketing turns coaching centres into recruitment agencies. Their real business is not about improving education but about acquiring new students. Professors, syllabi, and teaching methods remain the same each year, but the machinery of acquisition advertisements, testimonials, and results-based marketing continues to grow stronger.
The False Promise of Guaranteed Success:
Perhaps the most damaging myth promoted by coaching institutes is the idea that clearing a competitive exam equals lifelong success. Students and parents are led to believe that once you pass JEE, NEET, or UPSC, your life is set forever. This is far from the truth.
Clearing an exam is just the beginning. Life at IIT or in the civil services brings its own set of challenges. Many students who fought tooth and nail to clear JEE or NEET end up burned out by the time they reach college. Surrounded by equally talented peers, they struggle to cope with new competition. Some discover that they do not even enjoy the field they worked so hard to enter. Others face depression, disillusionment, and a lack of direction.
The narrative that exam success guarantees happiness, wealth, and purpose is a lie. Real life is far more complex. People who clear these exams may still struggle with careers, relationships, and mental health. At the same time, many individuals who never cleared them go on to live successful and fulfilling lives. Believing that one exam defines your worth is one of the most harmful ideas perpetuated by the coaching industry.
What Needs to Change:
So, what can be done? The responsibility does not lie with coaching institutes alone. It also lies with students, parents, and the larger education system. Three changes, in particular, could make a big difference.
First, students and parents must question why a particular exam is important. Are you pursuing it because of genuine interest, or simply because everyone else is? Is clearing the exam truly necessary for the life you want to build? Asking these questions can save many from years of stress and misdirected effort.
Second, students should carefully identify what kind of help they need. Not everyone requires daily classroom coaching. For some, self-study combined with a short crash course may be enough. Others may benefit more from study groups, school teachers, or online resources. By tailoring preparation to individual needs, students can avoid unnecessary financial and emotional burden.
Finally, we must broaden our understanding of education. Coaching should not be the default path to success. If schools focus on better teaching, if students cultivate curiosity and self-learning, and if families support alternative aspirations, the hold of the coaching industry will weaken. Success should not be measured by one exam but by building a life that aligns with individual strengths and passions.
Conclusion:
The reality of the coaching industry is harsh. It is a business empire built on the dreams of students and the sacrifices of parents. It thrives on marketing, financial traps, and the illusion of guaranteed success. But behind the glossy advertisements lies a cycle of disappointment, mental health struggles, and financial ruin for many families.
Breaking free from this cycle requires courage—courage for students to define their own paths, courage for parents to support those paths, and courage for society to stop glorifying exams as the sole measure of success. If we can shift our focus from coaching centres to genuine education, we will not only save lives but also create a generation that is stronger, happier, and more fulfilled.
The question we must all ask is simple: do we want to keep feeding this multi-crore machine, or do we want to build an education system that truly serves students? The answer to that will decide the future of millions of young minds.
FAQs:
1: Why has the coaching industry in India grown so big?
The coaching industry has grown because of the intense competition for exams like IIT-JEE, NEET, and UPSC. Parents and students see coaching as the only path to success, which fuels massive demand. With more than 70,000 institutes and a market worth nearly ₹60,000 crores, it has become a multi-crore empire that thrives on this fear and pressure.
2: How does coaching affect students’ mental health?
Coaching hubs create extreme pressure due to constant comparisons, fear of failure, and lack of emotional support. Students live away from families, face intense competition, and carry the burden of parents’ financial sacrifices. This has led to rising stress, anxiety, and even suicides, with Kota alone witnessing over 120 student deaths in the last decade.
3: Why is coaching such a financial burden on families?
Top coaching centres charge fees ranging from ₹2–3 lakhs per year, in addition to living costs like rent, food, and materials. Many families take loans or mortgage assets to afford this, while institutes often tie up with banks for high-interest education loans. With advance payments and no refunds, families are financially trapped once enrolled.
4: Are the success claims of coaching institutes genuine?
Not entirely. Coaching institutes spend heavily on marketing and showcase toppers to attract students. However, they rarely disclose how many enrolled compared to how many succeeded. Many toppers succeed through self-study or multiple resources, not solely because of one institute. The illusion of “guaranteed success” is one of the industry’s most deceptive practices.
5: What is the alternative to relying solely on coaching?
The alternative is redefining preparation and education itself. Students should first question if an exam truly aligns with their interests. Self-study, online resources, school teachers, and short crash courses can often replace full-time coaching. Families and schools must encourage curiosity, skill development, and broader career choices instead of seeing exam success as the only path.