GyanDhan Raises ₹50 Cr from Classplus, Pravega to Scale Education Loans

GyanDhan, India’s leading education financing platform, has raised INR 50 crore in a new funding round led by Classplus and Pravega Ventures. Founded by IIT alumni Ankit Mehra and Jainesh Sinha, GyanDhan is on a mission to make higher education more accessible by simplifying and scaling education loans for students in India and abroad.

Fueling Expansion Across Bharat’s Education Financing Needs

With this capital, GyanDhan will accelerate its efforts to:

• Expand its consultant partner network

• Strengthen its technology infrastructure for end-to-end student loan journeys

• Establish a physical presence in 50+ Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities

• Double its financial partners from 15 to 30 banks and NBFCs

• Scale its team across technology, credit, and sales

• Invest in community-building via seminars, workshops, and financial literacy programs

This strategic growth plan will help GyanDhan grow its loan origination volume from INR 7,000 crore (~USD 840 million) to INR 18,000 crore (~USD 2.1 billion) over the next three years. The company also plans to expand into skilling and executive education financing.

“This fundraise is more than just capital—it’s a strong vote of confidence in our mission to democratize access to education,” said Ankit Mehra, Co-founder and CEO of GyanDhan. “With this backing, we’re doubling down on building infrastructure and technology that will unlock educational opportunities for millions of families across India.”

Investors Back a High-Impact Fintech

The round builds on previous investments from Education Catalyst Fund, Sundaram Finance, Stanford Angels, Harvard Angels, and prominent angels including Pravin Gandhi and Satyen Kothari.

“We love resilient founders, and the GyanDhan team has displayed the DNA of surviving in a tough but massive TAM. Education financing will be a strong pillar of evolving India,” said Mukul Rustagi, Co-founder and CEO, Classplus.

“GyanDhan's dual strategy of marketplace scale and NBFC lending, combined with their SaaS model, demonstrates deep market understanding,” added a spokesperson from Pravega Ventures. “We’re backing them to become the definitive gateway for education financing in India.”

Bridging India's Education Loan Access Gap

Despite rising education costs and strong long-term demand for overseas education, India's education loan penetration remains under 20%, compared to 45%+ in developed markets like the U.S. The current system is fragmented and difficult for students and consultants to navigate.

GyanDhan’s hybrid marketplace + NBFC model, supported by embedded partnerships and a localized presence, is uniquely positioned to serve as India’s foundational education financing infrastructure—at a time when students and families need it most.