Abha Maheshwari resigns as Allen Digital CEO after two years

Abha Maheshwari, a former Meta executive who took charge of Allen’s digital business in 2022, has stepped down as CEO after two years in the role. She announced that she will be taking a short break before moving on to her next opportunity.

“When I first joined, we were a small team of 15 to 20 working out of a WeWork, scrappy, ambitious, and committed to building something meaningful. Two years later, I leave behind a buzzing office filled with passionate people, bold ideas, and the same deep sense of purpose, now backed by a much larger and stronger team,” she wrote in a social media post announcing her exit.

In April 2022, Allen Career Institute set up a wholly owned subsidiary, Allen Digital, with the aim of taking on India’s multi-billion-dollar edtech giants. The move came barely a month after Allen raised $600 million (about Rs 4,500 crore) from Bodhi Tree Systems, the investment vehicle of James Murdoch and former Disney Asia-Pacific chairman Uday Shankar.

During her tenure, Allen Digital acquired AI-powered doubt-solving platform Doubtnut in a slump sale reportedly valued around $10 million. In December 2024, Allen was also reportedly in early-stage talks to acquire Unacademy at a discounted valuation of around $800 million. However, Unacademy co-founder and CEO Gaurav Munjal publicly denied the claim.

"Together, we built a digital-first EdTech business anchored in learning outcomes. We launched transformative technology, scaled rapidly, and most importantly, made a real difference in the lives of students. From AI-powered learning to seamless offline–online integration, every step was guided by our vision to make education more accessible, deliver real learning outcomes, and truly empower students," Maheshwari wrote.

For FY24, the company’s revenue grew 42% year-on-year to Rs 3,244.7 crore, driven by strong offline enrolments and an expanding digital footprint. However, its profit fell 44% to Rs 136 crore during the same period.