Allen appoints former Zomato CEO Rakesh Ranjan to lead Allen Online

Rakesh Ranjan, former CEO of Eternal-owned food delivery platform Zomato, has joined Allen Online, the digital division of test prep company Allen Career Institute, according to sources familiar with the development.

Allen Career Institute, backed by James Murdoch and Uday Shankar’s Bodhi Tree Systems, had appointed former Meta executive Abha Maheshwari as CEO of Allen Online in 2023. Maheshwari announced her departure from the role last month.

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Rakesh Ranjan, now leading Allen Online, previously headed Zomato’s core food delivery operations for two years before being succeeded by Aditya Mangla. He stepped down in April and formally exited the Gurgaon-based company earlier this month.

Allen Career Institute entered the edtech space in April 2022 with Allen Online, amid dominance by Byju’s and unacademy. This followed Allen raising $600 million from Bodhi Tree Systems, one of the largest funding rounds for an Indian education services firm.

Commenting on his new role, Ranjan said, “At Allen, we are building on decades of proven pedagogy and success stories to bring personalised, reliable and high-quality learning experiences to millions of learners. The goal is not just to widen access but to ensure every student, regardless of background or geography, has the opportunity to realise their potential.”

Allen Career Institute CEO Nitin Kukreja said, “Rakesh has repeatedly scaled new-age technology businesses and solved complex problems. With him leading Allen Online, we will continue to be the gold standard for educational outcomes nationwide, combining 37 years of pedagogical excellence with next-generation, AI-powered technology.”

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Founded in 1988 by Rajesh Maheshwari, Allen has established over 300 offline centers across 65 cities, serving lakhs of students preparing for JEE, NEET, Olympiads, and foundational courses.

Allen Online extends this reach with AI-powered assessments, content, and student support, resolving over one million queries monthly at nearly 99% accuracy. In 2025, its AI systems achieved an AIR-equivalent rank of 8 in NEET. The platform has helped thousands secure admissions to IITs and top medical colleges, including AIIMS.

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