Free coaching initiative helps hundreds secure IIM admissions

Challenging the dominance of costly private coaching centres, a mentor-led non-profit organisation is providing free coaching to students to tackle entrance examinations.

Led by alumni of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore along with professionals from technology and management backgrounds, the OpenGrad Foundation offers free coaching for Common Admission Test (CAT) as well as other MBA entrance examinations.

The organisation, founded by Sahil Sameer, Sebbin Joshy, Mohammed Shahid, and Amith Tony Joseph connects aspirants with mentors who have recently cleared these exams, offering structured study plans, live online classes, recorded sessions without expiry, mock tests and interview preparation.

A native of Kozhikode, Mr. Sahil told The Hindu that the initiative emerged from what he describes as a structural gap in the education system. “Schools are not measured by what happens to students after Class 12. But access to a good college today depends on cracking competitive exams. That is where many students need guidance,” he said, adding that higher education enables both economic mobility and broader social exposure.

The programme began modestly with 80 CAT aspirants in May 2023 selected through an application process based on economic criteria; 47 secured admissions to business schools. The following year, 500 students enrolled, with 101 entering IIM. Many alumni subsequently returned as mentors, expanding the volunteer network to more than 1,000 and reinforcing what the founders described as a peer to peer mentorship model.

Ankith Suman, now pursuing his MBA at IIM Ahmedabad, prepared for CAT in 2023 using OpenGrad’s YouTube classes and mentor guidance. He scored 99.8 percentile and later secured admission to the institute. “It was not just syllabus oriented. There was motivation, and importantly, guidance in Malayalam, which is rare,” he said. He added that mock interviews conducted during an early bootcamp in Kochi helped him during his IIM interview. “From strategy sessions to understanding the admission process, I had support until I walked into the college,” he said, noting that he had avoided paid coaching due to what he considered “exorbitant” fees.

Meanwhile, Sri Lakshmi N.S., a Kollam native working at Technopark, enrolled after a friend gained admission to IIM Raipur through the programme. “They give a clear plan before starting. The class recordings have no expiry, and we can ask doubts even about admissions,” she said, adding that candid discussions about MBA specialisations helped her make informed choices.