Leverage Edu targets 2x FY26 revenue on Africa, SE Asia expansion

Leverage Edu is expanding into Africa and Southeast Asia to double FY26 revenue, as Indian students shift away from the US amid visa curbs and new education hubs emerge

Overseas education services platform Leverage Edu is aiming to close FY26 with doubled revenues on the back of expansion into newer markets in Africa and Southeast Asia, even as the shift of Indian students from the United States (US) to other destinations appears to be a long-term trend driven largely by visa curbs.

 

Akshay Chaturvedi, founder and chief executive officer of Leverage Edu, told Business Standard that the company has already crossed Rs 200 crore in revenue in the first half of FY26 (H1FY26), compared to Rs 180 crore in the whole of FY25.

 

This growth, he said, was supported by diversifying source markets such as Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana, which are seeing strong student demand. “We are also looking at opening business in Rwanda and Morocco,” Chaturvedi added.

 

The Binny Bansal-backed firm has also launched operations in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Vietnam and Malaysia as part of its aggressive growth strategy focused on markets with rising student mobility, employability demand and favourable government initiatives.

 

“With this, the company is aiming for Rs 360–380 crore in revenue for FY26,” he said.

 

At the current rate, Leverage Edu may consider going public or raising a large sovereign fund round in the next 18–24 months.

 

With Indian students facing issues such as stringent US visa policies and the proposed $100,000 levy on H-1B applications, Chaturvedi said the situation may have a long-term impact, with new international markets beginning to replace India as the largest student cohort in the US.

 

“American universities that engaged with us considered the situation to be political rhetoric. However, we can now see that their events and investments in India have declined,” he said.

 

While the India–US corridor is weakening, Leverage Edu is capitalising on Vietnam and Latin America (LATAM). “Our Vietnam visas have gone up by about 180 per cent, and in LATAM, specifically Brazil, visas have increased by 130 per cent,” Chaturvedi noted.

 

Even as US universities offset the fall in Indian numbers by sourcing students from other regions, Indian students are exploring diverse destinations, with Ireland, New Zealand, Germany and other European countries emerging strongly.

 

Another factor driving diversification is the rise of transnational education (TNE), where universities set up hubs such as Dubai, Hong Kong and India to establish foreign campuses, cutting travel costs for students.

 

“As part of TNE, American, British and Canadian universities are setting up campuses in international education hubs, making the destination side far more diverse,” Chaturvedi added.