When a 22-year-old medical college student realised in 2014 that his father’s medical coaching institute was in serious difficulties and on the verge of closure, he went to his father’s aid, restructured the company, and turned its fortunes around in a matter of years.
Today, the Delhi-based Dr. Nachiket Bhatia Medical Coaching Institute (DBMCI), a coaching centre for NEET PG Entrance Exam (PGEE) applicants, is back in the running as a category leader, with a turnover of Rs 77 crore in fiscal 2020-21.Dr.
Dr. Nachiket Bhatia was doing his MBBS at Subharti Medical College in Meerut (2011-2017) when a salesman from a competing coaching centre visited his college in 2014 to advertise their institute. “Dr. Nachiket BhatiaNachiket Bhatia was doing his MBBS at Subharti Medical College in Meerut (2011-2017) when a salesman from a competing coaching centre visited his college in 2014 to advertise their institute. “
“So I asked him, what if I’m interested in Bhatia Coaching?”
Nachiket recalls the moment that transformed his life. He had witnessed the evolution of DBMCI as a child, and how his father had constructed the organisation brick by brick.
His father, Dr Mukesh Bhatia, who was running a clinic from the garage of his 3 BHK house in Rohini, Delhi, had opened a coaching centre for medical PGEE aspirants in 1992, the year he was born.
He had launched DBMCI in a room in his residence with four students. The institute quickly grew in popularity and spread across the country. By 2008, their revenue had surpassed Rs 2 crore. There were 20 centres with approximately 15,000 students and 40 faculty members dispersed throughout cities such as Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Vadodara, Jaipur, Bengaluru, and Kolkata.
Dr. Nachiket Bhatia was staying at the hostel at the time.
He says, “I had to pick between my father’s company and my MBBS.I balanced both by devoting three days to college and three days to business. In the end, I did become a doctor, but with the lowest college attendance and the lowest grades.”
But Nachiket was not sorry as he knew was doing all that he could to save his father’s reputation and business.
“While I was studying for my MBBS, my father changed the direction of the coaching institute,” he explains.
DBMCI established approximately 20 satellite centres in 2012, where students listened to recorded video courses.
By 2014, the number of centres had reached 100, by 2014. However, Nachiket’s father was unable to handle it alone, and the business began to fail.
“There were also managerial issues.” The coaching institute operated as a family business, as they would contact Dr. Nachiket Bhatia even if a light bulb needed to be replaced someplace.
Almost a dozen employees were managing all the things, which contributed to the demise. This was because they were not able to handle everything, including the expanding business. Employees began to leave when the student service deteriorated. Despite the difficult condition, only the most devoted remained. Nachiket seized over and started out to sort things out.
He kept up to date on the latest marketing strategies and instilled professionalism in the organisation.
“We hired a business head who understood how to run a firm and manage a franchise structure,” Nachiket explains. “
As DBMCI’s marketing and spokesperson, I visited medical institutions in over 200 cities across the country.
It aided in the re-establishment of the brand. Nachiket completed his MBBS in 2017 and began working full-time at the firm.
DMMCI had a turnover of Rs 20 crore during that time period, however the company was losing money. That year, he launched a course for the dentistry PG entrance test.
“We started with a batch of 40 students at a building in Patel Nagar, Delhi,” says Nachiket, who also launched a game-changing app the following year. “
Even though my monetary reserves were decreasing, I invested in technology and released an app called eGurukul, which was developed for students who want to study the course material on their own time.
“The software has content for medical as well as dental postgraduate examinations.
“eGurukul comprises pre-recorded lessons, a question bank, and a test series. However, the app failed to take off.
Our teachers left to open their own coaching centres, and many of our students followed them. However, in 2019, I mortgaged our home and acquired finances to relaunch eGurukul in January 2020.”By May 2020, we were profitable and had paid off all of our debts.
“Because of the Covid shutdown, our coaching centre went online.” Their numerous courses cost between Rs 14,000 and Rs 1 lakh. The company now has a total of 209 employees.
Nachiket’s father, Dr. Mukesh Bhatia, is now developing curriculum for the USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Exam), a one-day, three-step computer-based exam for medical students wishing to practise in the United States.
It would be a significant barrier to overcome for medical professionals who wish to relocate abroad.
DBMCI plans to launch a course for USMLE hopefuls soon.
Anu Bhatia, Nachiket’s mother, is also involved in the firm. Urvashi, his younger sister, is a lawyer.
