

Home
Exams we cover
Blog
From Struggles to Startup: My Journey to Building Ostello

Learn Faster,
Achieve Smarter : Ostello
Rajbir Singh,
Founder & CEO, Ostello

I come from a middle-class family in Ranchi, Jharkhand, and like many people with big dreams, I always aspired to own a successful company. My entrepreneurial journey started early—way back in school. From Class 8 onward, I began working alongside my father, managing his small events and catering business. Watching my family struggle, I decided early on that I would one day change our circumstances and build something bigger
The Early Days: A Rollercoaster of Challenges
Growing up, I wasn’t the best student. I struggled to memorize and retain what teachers said, especially when I didn’t have notes to refer to. Somehow, though, I made it through and completed my 12th grade in the commerce stream. After school, I decided to dive into business. I started a distribution venture and managed to scale it from zero to ₹50 lakhs in just nine months through self-advertising and promotions. Unfortunately, things turned sour when the company betrayed us by bringing in a new super stockist, which led to my exit from the business
“Every great journey starts with learning, and we are your trusted partner in this adventure.”
Discovering the Coaching Industry Gap
Back in college at St. Xavier’s in Ranchi, my focus shifted to preparing for competitive exams, and my parents were insistent that I should study for an MBA and find a stable job. While I understood their concerns, I couldn’t shake off my entrepreneurial instincts. During my preparation, I noticed a major issue that so many students face—finding the right coaching for competitive exams. Just like I struggled to find good tutors during school, others were facing the same issue for entrance exams.
That’s when it clicked—why not create a platform that helps students find the right educator? Why not aggregate the best teachers and offer them a place to share their expertise while providing students with verified reviews and a more efficient way to find the right fit? This idea sparked what would become Ostello.
Turning the Idea Into Reality: From Dreams to Action
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, I wasn’t ready to give up. I hired a team of interns and pushed forward with building Ostello online. The idea was to aggregate top educators and make their courses accessible to students across India. But without sufficient funds, things didn’t progress as planned. My college years came to an end, and I headed to Bangalore to meet my sister after her marriage. There, I pitched the idea to a few of my brother-in-law’s friends, and they agreed to support me.
The plan was to start in Delhi, so I packed my bags and moved to South Delhi, setting up a small office. In the first few months, I managed to onboard almost 50-100 coaching centers and began marketing to students in the local area. Despite generating leads, the offline marketing methods we used didn’t work as expected. I was cautious with every penny I spent, but it still wasn’t yielding results.
Navigating Setbacks and Pushing Forward
I remember sharing my idea with the owner of the coaching center I attended. His response was less than encouraging:“Har second-year ka ladka startup sochta hai, but kar nahi pata." It hit me hard, but it only fuelled my determination to make it happen. With no prior experience in pitching ideas or creating pitch decks, I got to work. I created a website, began aggregating offline centers, and started looking for funds
It was then that I stumbled upon Jharkhand’s startup policy. I quickly applied to pitch my idea at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Innovation Lab (ABVIL) in Ranchi. My hard work paid off when Ostello emerged as one of the top three winners at the 5th SEBI Meet, securing Rs. 20 lakh in funding. It was a huge win, but just as things seemed to be moving forward, the pandemic hit, and the funds were blocked.
Pivoting to Online Education: The Game Changer
By the second year of operations, I realized that our business model needed a major pivot. It became evident that the offline approach just wasn’t sustainable. After collaborating with the Delhi Education Board, I gained access to 800 government schools and generated around 15,000 leads. However, the offline mode still didn’t deliver the success I was hoping for.
It was at this point that I really started listening to what students wanted. After surveying hundreds of school and college students, I saw a huge shift toward online education. This was the turning point for Ostello. We transitioned from offline coaching aggregation to an online platform that could reach students anywhere, anytime.
Building Snippets: An AI-Powered Learning Platform
With two years of experience in the coaching industry, I understood the needs of both students and educators. Educators wanted to grow their brands, while students wanted affordable, high-quality education that fit into their busy schedules. This led to the birth of Snippets—an AI-powered platform designed to deliver learning in quick, digestible chunks.
With Snippets, students can learn key concepts in under a minute, thanks to expert educators who provide micro-learning sessions. The platform allows students to access free videos and, once they connect with a particular educator’s teaching style, they can purchase premium content for a deeper dive into topics. The platform also provides live sessions, giving students the opportunity to interact with educators in real time.
Ostello today serves as a bridge between students and educators. It’s a marketplace where students can easily find top educators for a range of subjects and competitive exams, such as CUET, NEET, JEE, and CLAT. Ostello aggregates both offline and online coaching centers, bringing together the best of both worlds in one place.
The Journey Continues: Helping Students Learn Smarter, Achieve Faster
Ostello is not just a platform—it’s a vision to make education more accessible, efficient, and affordable. With over 2,000 students already learning from top educators on the platform, the journey is just beginning. As we continue to grow, we aim to reach even more students, offering them the tools they need to succeed in school exams and competitive exams.
I’ve learned a lot through this journey—the importance of perseverance, the value of listening to your audience, and how to pivot when things aren’t working. But most importantly, I’ve seen firsthand how technology and innovation can reshape the education space. And I’m excited about what lies ahead for Ostello and the students we serve.

Download Our App
Explore courses, track progress, and access live and recorded classes—all in one place.


Start learning with #Ostello
Ostello – Learn Smarter, Achieve Faster
Your journey to success starts here with the right guidance and opportunities
Subscribe to newsletter
We care about your data in our
privacy policy