How a wheelchair-bound engineer turned a quiet Rajasthani city into India's coaching capital

Countries & Cities · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Kota is famous for its massive test-preparation industry, which draws thousands of students annually to study for elite engineering and medical entrance exams. This phenomenon began in the 1980s with a single tutor, but recent shifts in regulation and student welfare have triggered a significant decline in the sector.

Kota, a city of over 1.5 million people in Rajasthan, has long been known for its history as a princely state and its unique stone-polishing industry. However, its modern identity is defined by the 'coaching factory' model. The industry took root in 1985 when Vinod Kumar Bansal, an engineer who faced physical limitations due to a degenerative condition, started tutoring students using a systematic, problem-solving approach inspired by the Kumon method. His success in placing pupils into the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) sparked a massive educational migration.

At its peak, the city attracted hundreds of thousands of students annually, creating a specialized economy of hostels, 'dummy' schools, and over 300 coaching centers. The industry generated billions in annual revenue, with the Allen Career Institute alone tutoring over one million students nationwide. The city's influence became so pervasive that it inspired a popular web series, 'Kota Factory,' which depicted the intense, high-pressure lives of students living away from home for years to secure spots in top-tier medical and engineering colleges.

The landscape is currently undergoing a dramatic contraction. By 2024, enrollment numbers dropped by more than half, falling from over 200,000 students to between 85,000 and 100,000. This decline is attributed to a combination of stricter government regulations from the Rajasthan administration and the Ministry of Education, alongside heightened concerns regarding student mental health and rising suicide rates. As the city navigates this transition, it remains a critical case study in the intersection of private education, economic dependence, and the intense pressures of competitive academic culture in India.

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