So you want to run aCoaching centre
Can a coaching centre full of students, with fees paid in advance, still run out of money? A reel with 2,89,025 plays says 20 students × ₹5,000 = ₹1,00,000 in revenue. J builds one on paper: a 1,250 sq ft hall in Kota at ₹35,000 a month, Class 11–12 PCM at ₹4,000 a month, ₹7,87,500 to open, and a star physics teacher on ₹80,000. On the way: a To-Let board in Bhopal, the number 49, the fire certificate, 600 Google Maps listings, the resignation, the refunds, and the giants.
₹1 lakh a month from 20 students
A reel by @refinewithpriya with 2,89,025 plays: “20 students × ₹5,000 = ₹1,00,000 in revenue!” In revenue. That's the reel's claim.
The flaw
₹1 lakh is what comes in, not what J keeps. In his best month 49 students pay ₹1,96,000; rent, a ₹80,000 star teacher, two more teachers, the desk, power and the rest take ₹2,03,917. Break-even: 51 students with the star, 31 without her, 61 if GST applies.
Run J's numbers
The defaults are the exact worked example from the episode. Move any slider to your own quote.
26 out of 70
Seven questions, ten points each — higher is better on every one. The red tick is the season average so far.
“A coaching centre doesn't sell classes. It sells a teacher, and the teacher can walk.”
Two years, run two ways
The good version
J 2.0: a 600 sq ft back room at ₹16,800, physics and maths only, two teachers plus ₹300 a student, no star salary, refund money kept aside. Break-even 26 students; +₹54,533 in a full month with 40; about +₹18,317 a month across year one. The ₹4,12,200 setup back in about 22.5 months.
The realistic version
J's year: 12 students in month one, 49 by month six. In month eight the star leaves, 14 students follow and refunds take ₹1,04,000; then the board exams empty the room. Fees earned ₹14,92,000, costs ₹21,47,167: −₹6,55,167, about −₹54,600 a month.
J's checklist
- Start with the teacher, not the hall. Count break-even with every salary in: J needed 51 students with a ₹80,000 star, 31 without.
- Price the month the best teacher leaves: students follow the teacher, and classes not yet taught must be refunded.
- Never spend the fees for classes not yet taught. The MoE guidelines ask for a pro-rata refund within 10 days.
- Know your rules: the MoE guidelines count from 50 students, Rajasthan's 2025 bill from above 100. States differ.
- Fire safety and registration before the first student. In Delhi, 67 of 583 institutes had a fire NOC (2023).
- No rank promises, no students below 16, no fee rise mid-course. GST above ₹20 lakh a year moves J's break-even to 61.
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Coaching centre — Calculator
Editable spreadsheet with the episode's numbers already in. Change any yellow cell.
DownloadCoaching centre — Playbook PDF
The real bill, the scorecard, two years run two ways, a checklist and every source.
DownloadJ's Wall poster
The season leaderboard so far, A4. Pin it up and play along.
DownloadScore any business /70
J's seven questions as a blank scorecard. Score your own idea before you spend.
DownloadWhere the numbers come from
Every number in the episode, and where it came from. Claims in posts and videos are their authors' claims.
Rules
• MoE guidelines for coaching centres (16 Jan 2024: no students below 16, graduate tutors, no rank promises, pro-rata refund within 10 days incl. hostel and mess, no mid-course fee rise, penalty up to ₹1 lakh), Careers360: https://news.careers360.com/cannot-enrol-students-below-16-years-no-misleading-promises-moe-guidelines-for-coaching-centres ; Free Press Journal: https://www.freepressjournal.in/education/coaching-centres-cannot-enroll-students-below-16-years-say-education
• Coaching defined as 50 or more students, Khaitan & Co: https://compass.khaitanco.com/is-it-time-to-coach-the-coach-regulating-coaching-centres-in-india
• Haryana coaching bill 2024 (home tuition carve-out), Careers360: https://news.careers360.com/haryana-assembly-passes-bill-regulate-private-coaching-centres-jee-neet-cuet-rs-1-
• Rajasthan Coaching Centres (Control and Regulation) Bill 2025, passed 3 Sep 2025 (above 100 students, 1 sq m per student, fire and building safety certificate, at least 4 instalments, pro-rata refunds), PRS: https://prsindia.org/bills/states/the-rajasthan-coaching-centres-control-and-regulation-bill-2025 ; The Week (PTI): https://www.theweek.in/wire-updates/national/2025/09/03/des129-rj-assembly-coaching-bill.amp.html ; original draft (threshold 50), Drishti IAS: https://www.drishtiias.com/state-pcs-current-affairs/rajasthan-coaching-centres-control-and-regulation-bill-2025
• Supreme Court, Sukdeb Saha v. State of Andhra Pradesh (25 Jul 2025: counsellor at 100+ students, states to notify registration rules in 2 months), SC Observer: https://www.scobserver.in/supreme-court-observer-law-reports-scolr/sukdeb-saha-v-state-of-andhra-pradesh-menta
• CCPA guidelines on coaching ads (13 Nov 2024), Careers360: https://news.careers360.com/centre-issues-coaching-centres-guidelines-jee-neet-upsc-cuet-2025-crack-down-on-mi ; 28 institutes fined, 157 notices (25 Dec 2025): https://news.careers360.com/vision-ias-fined-rs-11-lakh-ccpa-for-misleading-upsc-cse-result-advertisement-ads-
• Central Delhi consumer commission, refund ordered despite a no-refund policy, LiveLaw (Aug 2023): https://www.livelaw.in/amp/consumer-cases/lumpsum-fee-in-advance-exploits-students-central-delhi-consumer-comm
• GST: 18% on entrance-exam coaching (Maharashtra AAR, 2018), Taxscan: https://www.taxscan.in/entrance-coaching-centers-gst-18-aar/22690 ; ₹20 lakh registration limit, ClearTax: https://cleartax.in/s/gst-registration-limits-increased
Fire safety
• Delhi: 67 of 583 institutes with a fire NOC (Delhi High Court hearing, police report), Outlook India, 14 Dec 2023: https://www.outlookindia.com/national/hc-directs-delhi-fire-services-mcd-to-inspect-coaching-centres-news-3365
• Old Rajinder Nagar basement, 27 Jul 2024, 13 centres sealed, Outlook Business (PTI): https://www.outlookbusiness.com/corporate/basement-deaths-mcd-seals-13-illegal-coaching-centres-in-old-rajinde
• Supreme Court, 5 Aug 2024, federation's appeal dismissed with ₹1 lakh costs, Verdictum: https://verdictum.in/court-updates/supreme-court/playing-with-lives-of-children-sc-suo-moto-issues-notice-to-d
• Lucknow Aliganj fire, 22 Jun 2026 (15 dead per KGMU via ANI; other reports 12–18; ₹2 lakh per family), Scroll: https://scroll.in/latest/1093759/lucknow-14-killed-as-fire-breaks-out-at-coaching-centre-building
• 924 Delhi centres given a month to pass a fire audit, Careers360, 26 Jun 2026: https://news.careers360.com/delhi-coaching-centres-repeatedly-violate-safety-norms-will-be-sealed-sood/amp
Market and Kota
• Bhopal coaching centre shut with a To-Let board (fees over ₹1.5 lakh, refund minus 25%, landlord's ₹40–45 lakh rent claim), Free Press Journal, Jul 2026: https://freepressjournal.in/bhopal/vision-ias-bhopal-centre-shuts-without-notice-to-let-board-greets
• Kota enrolments, revenue, hostels and room rents (stakeholder estimates), Free Press Journal: https://www.freepressjournal.in/amp/education/rajasthan-drop-in-student-numbers-impacts-kotas-coaching-hostel- ; https://www.freepressjournal.in/education/kota-coaching-hub-revives-student-enrolments-surge-2030-after-3-year ; ETV Bharat: https://www.etvbharat.com/en/state/kota-countrys-largest-coaching-hub-fails-to-attract-aspirants-enn2512070162
• NSS education survey 2025 (27% of school students in coaching; urban spend ₹3,988 a year; by state), Careers360: https://news.careers360.com/27-of-students-rely-on-private-coaching-urban-participation-higher-cms-education-s ; https://news.careers360.com/cms-education-survey-2025-haryana-school-fees-coaching-class-tuition-mos ; Delhi (Class 11–12 ₹12,891), Free Press Journal: https://www.freepressjournal.in/education/when-school-isnt-enough-nearly-4-in-10-delhi-students-attend-private
• Kota hall listing (₹35,000 for 1,250 sq ft), realestateindia: https://www.realestateindia.com/kota-property/commercial-shops-for-rent-in-vigyan-nagar.htm ; Old Rajinder Nagar (₹130/sq ft): https://www.realestateindia.com/delhi-property/office-space-for-rent-in-old-rajinder-nagar.htm
• Fees: TutorGali Class 10 rates: https://tutorgali.in/class-10-tuition/ ; Sulekha Delhi Class 11–12 group tuition: https://www.sulekha.com/science-tuitions-for-11-12th-classes/delhi ; Vedantu Kakinada JEE/NEET fees: https://www.vedantu.com/blog/vedantu-jee-neet-coaching-fees-kakinada
Costs and pay (estimates)
• Codingclave guide, 4 Oct 2026 (setup ranges, star pay ₹80,000–1.2 lakh, hire a star after 100+ paid students, cost per admission): https://codingclave.com/guides/how-to-start-coaching-institute-india-2026
• OkCredit blog, 2 Sep 2026 (multi-batch centre ₹6–25 lakh; worked example): https://okcredit.in/blog/how-to-start-a-coaching-centre-in-english/
• Sotros Infotech, Jun 2026 (Meta leads, ₹2,000–6,000 per enrolment): https://sotrosinfotech.com/blog/meta-ads-cost-per-lead-education-india-southeast-asia-2026/
• Payscale, Kota maths teacher (data Apr 2022): https://www.payscale.com/research/IN/Job=Mathematics_Teacher/Salary/a4813921/Kota
• Allen salary cuts and teachers' letter (report), Trak.in, 11 Jul 2024: https://trak.in/stories/upto-40-salary-cut-for-teachers-in-kotas-allen-coaching-find-out-why/
The giants
• Physics Wallah FY25 from the updated DRHP, Inc42: https://inc42.com/?p=530697 ; ad spend and founders' pay, Storyboard18: https://storyboard18.com/advertising/physicswallah-ramps-up-ad-spend-to-rs-276-crore-in-fy25-earmarks-rs-710-c ; https://www.storyboard18.com/amp/brand-makers/heres-how-much-physicswallahs-alakh-pandey-and-prateek-maheshwar ; IPO, Outlook Money: https://www.outlookmoney.com/invest/physicswallah-ipo-listing-edtech-companys-shares-make-strong-debut-with-33 ; leasehold offline centres, Outlook Business: https://www.outlookbusiness.com/start-up/news/physicswallah-to-back-offline-push-with-460-cr-from-ipo-proceeds
• Allen FY25 and FY24, Entrackr: https://entrackr.com/news/allens-profit-plummets-70-in-fy25-as-revenue-dips-10579392 ; https://entrackr.com/fintrackr/allen-nears-rs-3500-cr-revenue-in-fy24-profit-shrinks-44-7779172
• Allen centre economics and Kota enrolments (insider claim; Allen's CEO called the figures exaggerated), The Ken, Aug 2024: https://the-ken.com/story/allen-career-institute-sours-on-kota-the-city-that-made-it-a-test-prep-behemoth/
• Unacademy FY25 (internal document, reported), Entrackr: https://entrackr.com/exclusive/exclusive-unacademy-narrows-ebitda-losses-by-38-in-fy25-reports-rs-826-cr-incom ; sale to upGrad, TechCrunch, 1 Sep 2026: https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/01/indias-unacademy-sells-to-rival-upgrad-for-206m-about-94-less-than-its-peak- ; offline centres to franchise, Storyboard18: https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/unacademy-to-exit-offline-centres-embrace-franchise-model-by-apri
• Resonance (reported), Entrackr: https://entrackr.com/exclusive/exclusive-crisis-deepens-for-resonance-and-base-edu-as-lenders-manage-to-freeze
• FIITJEE (ED allegations, disputed by FIITJEE), Careers360: https://news.careers360.com/fiitjee-money-laundering-case-ed-seeks-conviction-of-directors/amp ; Tribune: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/india/fiit-jee-siphoned-off-fee-collected-from-students-ed-probe
• Physics Wallah partner-centre margin (unofficial estimate), StartupTalky: https://startuptalky.com/physics-wallah-franchise-guide/
• Free online coaching announcement, Independence Day 2026, Careers360: https://news.careers360.com/pm-modi-announces-free-online-coaching-competitive-exams-80th-independence-day-speech
Reels, videos, posts and comments (shown as claims by their authors)
• @refinewithpriya reel (2,89,025 plays, 19 Oct 2026): https://www.instagram.com/p/DeqmvDWBSjn/
• Mohak Mangal, "Biggest Fight in Kota: PW vs Unacademy vs Allen": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hJ-7LWsRuM
• Rise With Abhilasha, "How to Start Teaching Tuition?": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15RHy9ytzwg
• Shark Tank India S3, "Raja Rani Coaching" (title only): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HXfP_Kfw7Y
• Viewer questions: YouTube comments under coaching how-to videos, e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jVeDp27KLo
• r/indiasocial, a private tutor (Jan 2025): https://www.reddit.com/r/indiasocial/comments/1i7vq2a/i_am_a_private_tutor_and_this_was_probably_the/
• r/india, the same toppers in two coaching ads (2019): https://www.reddit.com/r/india/comments/by4bdz/in_todays_toi_both_aakash_and_allen_institute/
• Our own data: 600 public Google Maps listings, Kota, Patna and Indore, collected 1 Nov 2026 (searches "coaching centre" and "tuition classes", capped at 200 per city).
MUSIC
Music by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Tracks: Rollin at 5 · Airport Lounge · Long Note Two · Investigations · Comfortable Mystery · Hidden Agenda · Covert Affair · Ossuary 6 - Air · Mystery Sax · Spy Glass · The Lift · Darkling · Hitman · Wallpaper · Easy Lemon · Gymnopedie No 1
J is a made-up character. Every price, rule, quote and post shown is real. Worked examples and the two-year scenarios are illustrations built from the numbers in the video. Education only — not financial, legal or tax advice. Rules and fees change; check the current terms before you act.