Former Zomato food delivery CEO Rakesh Ranjan appointed as CEO of Allen Online

Allen Career Institute has appointed Rakesh Ranjan, the former CEO of Zomato’s food delivery business, as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Allen Online, its digital-first arm.

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The move comes weeks after Abha Maheshwari, a former Meta executive who had been leading Allen Online since 2023, stepped down from the role.

Ranjan formally exited Zomato earlier this month after a two-year stint heading its core food delivery operations, where he oversaw the transition toward profitability and sustained market leadership. Before that, he launched and scaled Hyperpure, Zomato’s B2B supply chain vertical, into a large business in less than two years. Earlier in his career, he worked with the Boston Consulting Group, advising Indian conglomerates on digital and operational transformation.

“Rakesh has repeatedly scaled new-age technology businesses and solved complex problems,” said Nitin Kukreja, CEO of Allen Career Institute, confirming the appointment. “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.”

Founded in 1988 in Kota by Rajesh Maheshwari with just eight students, Allen has grown into one of India’s largest test preparation companies. It now operates more than 300 coaching centres across 66 cities, including Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Bhopal, Gwalior, Chandigarh and Indore. Its programmes span classroom learning, distance courses, online tests and study materials for competitive exams such as NEET, JEE Main and JEE Advanced.

Allen entered the edtech market in April 2022 with the launch of Allen Online, shortly after raising $600 million from James Murdoch and Uday Shankar’s Bodhi Tree Systems, one of the largest investments in an Indian education services firm at the time. Based in Bengaluru, the platform has been expanding its reach with AI-driven assessments, content, and student support.

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.”