The Technical Shutdown
When I refreshed the page, nothing loaded properly: images returned 403 errors, videos refused to play. It was clear that BYJU’S AWS infrastructure—responsible for video storage, image hosting, AI features, and more—had been shut off.
What caught me off guard was their Shopify store, which had been offline for roughly six months. At the time, I assumed it was a temporary e‑commerce glitch. I never imagined that their entire tech stack would collapse so abruptly.
My Rescue Mission
Faced with the ticking clock, I switched to full‑on survival mode:
Archive Everything
I downloaded as many class‑notes and OneShot PDFs as I could—resources unmatched elsewhere.
Security Loophole
Although my subscription covered only Grades 6–8, a simple URL workaround granted me access to the entire catalogue. It felt like discovering hidden treasure, but also highlighted serious IT security gaps.
Web App to the Rescue
Using “vibe coding,” I built Link Finder EDU Helper (https://link-finder-edu-helper.lovable.app/), a small app to scrape and serve BYJU’S class notes. Unfortunately, the AWS takedown was faster than I anticipated, and much content vanished before I could save it.
What Made BYJU’S Stand Out
Despite its collapse, BYJU’S set the bar in EdTech:
Production Quality
In a behind‑the‑scenes video, they revealed hiring professional musicians for custom background scores—an attention to detail rarely seen elsewhere.
Engaging Animations & Insider Humor
Their videos wove in subtle jokes and high‑quality animations, striking a balance between entertainment and learning.
Dual‑Teacher Format
BYJU’S pioneered the “two‑teacher” approach, pairing subject experts with engaging presenters to maintain both depth and energy.
(Physics Wallah has recently begun testing a similar two‑teacher model in their live tuition sessions.)
Technical & Business Missteps
No company is perfect—here’s where BYJU’S faltered:
Overhyped “Innovations”
BYJU’S Wiz touted as cutting‑edge, yet it was essentially a chatbot built on OpenAI’s APIs. Other platforms (Physics Wallah’s doubt solver, FILO’s chatbot) are following the same path.
Support Shortcomings
Despite paying for Grades 6–8 books, I only received Grade 6 materials. Months of emails and calls went unanswered. When I had content doubts or technical issues, it felt like shouting into the void.
Pricing & Ethics
Their aggressive sales tactics and high price points stretched many families’ budgets. While they offered free access to teachers during COVID, that goodwill never extended to safeguarding students’ access at the end.
Timeline of Decline
students.byjus.com – Original portal
byjus.com/learn/byjus-classes – Main site (now shut down)
Shopify store offline – ~6 months ago
AWS infrastructure collapse – Present day
What Could Have Been
During the pandemic, BYJU’S made its platform free for educators—demonstrating a capacity for ethical leadership. Before shutting down, they could have open‑sourced or publicly hosted their archive, preserving a legacy akin to the way BlueSmart users still reminisce about that app. Instead, students are left with memories of exceptional content, now inaccessible.
Interesting Discovery
While processing the shutdown, I found MoreIdeas in Dubai (https://moreideas.ae/ & https://shop.moreideas.ae/), which brands itself as BYJU’S Middle East representative. Their site is a near‑identical copy. Are Indian students being left behind while operations continue elsewhere? It feels like a betrayal.
Looking Forward
Although BYJU’S had its flaws, it made learning complex topics genuinely enjoyable. With many former BYJU’S employees now at Physics Wallah, I’m hopeful the next wave of EdTech content will combine high production values with reliable infrastructure and responsive support.