New edtech providers are innovating on how access, affordability, and outcomes come together, especially in smaller towns, as India's test-prep landscape grows beyond its big cities. SpeEdLabs, founded by Vivek Varshney, is betting on a school-integrated, full-stack model that embeds competitive exam preparation directly into classrooms rather than relying on the parallel coaching economy. In a conversation with Economic Times Digital, Varshney discusses the limitations of traditional coaching for new learners, how SpeEdLabs has grown to 800 schools, and the broader trends in India's edtech market suggested by its success. Edited excerpts.
ET: You have positioned SpeEdLabs as a response to the access gap in competitive exam prep. What did you see in smaller towns that convinced you the traditional coaching model was fundamentally broken?
