The headline-making event of the week in India’s edtech space is this: Byju’s app taken down from the Google Play Store and its official website stripped down to just a landing page. This sudden disappearance has left thousands of learners, parents, and educators in confusion and concern.

Byju’s, once the crown jewel of Indian startups and a global edtech leader, is now facing service disruptions that are raising red flags across the education technology industry. Users are reporting being locked out of paid courses and video lessons, while the company’s once-rich website content has mostly vanished.

What Happened to Byju’s App and Website?

The outage wasn’t random. According to a detailed report by Moneycontrol, the disruption occurred because Byju’s failed to make timely payments to Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud provider responsible for hosting and powering its digital operations.

This resulted in a massive back-end collapse affecting:

• Access to the main Android app (now removed from Google Play Store)

• Video streaming features and online lessons

• The website’s core content, which has been wiped or hidden

• User accounts being restricted or inaccessible

AWS is critical for content delivery, data storage, and user authentication—so any disruption here is essentially a digital blackout for a tech-based platform like Byju’s.

What’s Still Working?

Despite the main app being taken down, not all of Byju’s digital products have gone offline. Several apps from the company are still operational and listed on app stores, including:

• Byju’s Exam Prep – For aspirants of IAS, MBA, UGC NET, and other competitive exams

• Think and Learn Premium – A specialized offering still live on the Play Store

This selective availability suggests that some parts of Byju’s infrastructure may be hosted separately or handled by different teams and contracts.

From a $22 Billion Unicorn to Crisis Mode

This isn’t just an app issue—it’s a symptom of a much larger crisis.

At its peak, Byju’s was valued at $22 billion, making it India’s most valuable startup. But behind the growth story was a growing list of financial challenges. The latest service outage is just another chapter in a year of troubling headlines for the company.

The most recent blow came in the form of insolvency proceedings filed by the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India). The cricket body is seeking to recover ₹158 crore in unpaid dues from a sponsorship agreement with Byju’s. This legal move adds to the growing pile of financial troubles, delayed payments, and investor anxiety.

What the Founder Had to Say

In a recent address, Byju Raveendran, the company’s founder and CEO, acknowledged several strategic mistakes, most notably the $1.2 billion term loan the company took in 2021. He admitted that the firm should have opted for equity-based funding rather than burdening itself with high-interest debt.

To counteract the crisis, Raveendran unveiled a new strategy called Byju’s 3.0, which he claims will shift the company from a profit-first model to a purpose-driven approach focused on sustainable education and learner impact.

What This Means for Users

The most immediate concern is for the millions of students and parents who rely on Byju’s for daily lessons, test prep, and academic support. Many have already paid for subscriptions and are now unable to access the services they were promised.

Here’s what users should know:

• Customer Support: If you’ve been locked out of content, reach out to Byju’s support team or your payment provider.

• Refunds & Legal Options: If access isn’t restored soon, consumers may explore refunds or class action measures.

• Data Security: Users should also monitor whether any data stored on the platform has been compromised.