‘We feel cheated’: Students, parents left in limbo as Mumbai’s Mahesh Tutorials shuts multiple branches

3 min readMumbaiJul 16, 2026 07:44 PM IST

Mumbai’s popular coaching institute Mahesh Tutorials (MT) has abruptly shut multiple branches, leaving hundreds of students and their parents in distress at the start of the new academic year.

Parents alleged that the institute has not issued any official communication regarding the closures with classes having remained suspended for a week. Subsequently, parents were invited to meetings regarding “academic transfers”.

The parents claimed that in this meeting they were told that the centres had been shut and that another coaching institute, Arihant Academy, had agreed to accommodate their children without charging any additional fee.

“We still haven’t received any official communication from the MT management. Although representatives of Arihant Academy were present at the meetings and assured us that our children would be accommodated, we feel cheated. We have no option but to continue with Arihant Academy because most of us have already paid a substantial portion of the fees,” said a parent.

He also questioned why MT accepted admissions for the 2026-27 academic year if it was uncertain about continuing operations.

Aggrieved parents have submitted a complaint to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and School Education Minister Dada Bhuse, seeking government intervention.

Pradip Magare, a parent and social activist who has approached the government, also added that parents are considering moving court if the government fails to respond.

Story continues below this ad

Magare said the abrupt closure has created uncertainty, particularly for students appearing for board examinations this year. “Students should be focusing on their studies, not on shifting to a new coaching institute. Moreover, since nothing has been provided in writing, how can we be certain that every MT student will be accommodated by Arihant Academy?” he asked.

Several parents said they feel betrayed because they enrolled their children in one coaching institute but are now being compelled to join another without being offered the option of a refund. “Ideally, MT should have informed us in advance and allowed us to choose between refund or opt for Arihant Academy,” another parent said.

There is no official clarity on the number of branches that have shut, as MT’s management remained unavailable for comment. However, Arihant Academy said nearly 30 MT branches in Mumbai have closed and that it is accommodating more than 1,000 students from various boards and classes at its nearby centres.

The academy clarified that the arrangement is not a takeover but a humanitarian initiative to ensure academic continuity.

Story continues below this ad

In a statement, Arihant Academy said, “Last month, our management was approached by senior representatives of Mahesh Tutorials regarding certain operational challenges affecting their ability to fulfil commitments to a large number of students in Mumbai. Keeping the interest of academic continuity of these students as our foremost priority, we agreed, on a purely humanitarian and best-effort basis, to extend reasonable coaching support by accommodating eligible students at select Arihant Academy branches in Mumbai, subject to applicable policies.”

MT Educare, the parent company of Mahesh Tutorials, has been under severe financial strain since the pandemic disrupted the coaching business.

In 2022, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) admitted the company into insolvency proceedings after creditors alleged payment defaults, following which an insolvency resolution professional assumed control of its management.

Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra.
Expertise

Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting.

Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. Her coverage scope is comprehensive:

Policy and Regulatory Changes: Reports on major shifts in educational policy, including the restructuring of entrance exams (e.g., MHT-CET adopting the JEE Main model), the draft regulatory framework for coaching classes, and revised teacher recruitment processes.

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Provides in-depth reporting on prestigious institutes like IIT Bombay and TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), covering institutional initiatives, administrative debates (e.g., renaming IIT Bombay), and student welfare programs (e.g., mandatory mental health courses).

Teachers and Eligibility: Covers crucial issues affecting the teaching fraternity, such as the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers and related controversies and application numbers.

Student Welfare & Rights: Focuses on issues concerning students, including the rollout of government scholarships, the financial strain on schools due to midday meal reimbursement delays, and instances of child rights violations (e.g., the Powai studio hostage crisis).

Admissions and Vacancy: Tracks the outcome of centralized admission processes (e.g., MBBS, BPharm) and analyzes vacancy concerns, providing essential data-driven insights for parents and students.

Credentials & Trustworthiness

Dedicated Beat: Her consistent focus on the “KG to PG” education beat allows her to develop unparalleled subject matter knowledge, ensuring her reports are accurate, detailed, and contextualized.

Proactive Reporting: Her articles frequently break news on policy and institutional planning, providing the public with timely, essential information about a sector that directly impacts millions of families.

She tweets @Pallavi_Smart … Read More