Khaitan & Co has a dedicated education practice, which has advised on market-leading transactions and represented prestigious Indian and international clients. Decades of experience in deal-making combined with the depth of our sectoral knowledge means that we are able to offer best-in-class services to our clients.
Our clients choose us for our ability to deliver high quality advice and work alongside them through transactions as well as day-to-day operational matters. Our education practice is supported by complementary practice groups such as intellectual property, direct tax, indirect tax, real estate, data privacy, and employment and benefits, which enables us to provide holistic legal services to our clients. We work with a range of businesses making a mark in the education sector, including prominent ed-tech companies, top-ranking international and Indian universities, Indian and international K-12 groups and other leading education businesses.
Our education practice covers acquisitions, strategic investments, joint ventures, private equity and venture capital investments, structuring and joint ventures for Indian campus of international universities, other India entry strategies, various forms of international collaborations or strategic alliances, corporate restructurings, and exits. Our close relationships with some of the world's leading education groups gives us a unique insight into the evolving pressures of the sector and a deep pool of knowledge on which to draw upon in anticipating issues and finding practical solutions for clients. We are recognised for our strong regulatory practice, having helped Indian and international companies decode India's complex regulatory framework.
We cover all segments across education and have represented diverse education businesses, in established and emerging areas, over the years. This includes the formal regulated segment (K-12 and higher education), ed-tech, online higher education, professional or continued learning, skilling, medical education and adjacent categories, and student accommodation and hostels.
Khaitan & Co has a top-ranked, award-winning M&A and private equity practice, consistently recognised for its expertise in advising on complex transactions. Our education sector practice is widely regarded as the market leader – we have been named Law Firm of the Year – Education and EdTech by the India Business Law Journal every year since 2021. This depth of experience across both regulated education and transactional mandates enables us to deliver commercially sound, practical and sector-specific advice tailored to the unique needs of our clients.
Advised upGrad, one of India’s largest higher education and skilling platforms, on a series of strategic acquisitions – including Centum Learning, Insofe Education, Harappa Education, WOLVES Recruitment (UK) and Global Study Partners (Australia).
Advised Coursera, the Nasdaq-listed global online learning platform, on its investment in and strategic partnership with Unstop, a leading Indian talent discovery and engagement platform for students and graduates.
Advised global school operators and Indian education groups on strategic collaborations and IP licensing arrangements to bring the UK’s Wellington and Charterhouse School brands into India.
Advised Laureate Education on its USD 145.6 million exit from the Indian market through the sale of its Indian university business to Global University Systems (GUS), marking the largest buyout in India’s private education sector.
Advised the University of Liverpool, University of York and University of Bristol, three globally top-ranked universities, on the establishment of their India campuses – among the first foreign universities to receive such approval under India’s new regulatory regime.
Advised Venturi Partners, a consumer-focused private equity fund, on its investment in K12 Techno Services, the operator of Orchids International Schools, a prominent K–12 school chain in India.
Advised Stanford University, Yale University and Johns Hopkins University, three of the world’s most prestigious universities, on a range of India-focused regulatory, structuring and tax matters.
Advised PowerSchool, a NYSE-listed global leader of cloud-based software for K-12 education, on its 100% acquisition of Neverskip, an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software company.
Advised Mahindra University, a leading Indian private university promoted by the Mahindra Group, on a range of regulatory and transactional matters, including its purchase of 103 acres of land and 1.2 million sq. ft. of built-up space in Telangana for INR 535 crore.
“The firm’s education practice, led by Partners Rajat Mukherjee and Monika Srivastava, advised on Laureate’s exit from India and sale to Global University Systems. The deal is one of a few examples of a complete exit by way of secondary sale in the Indian education market.”
