| Oswaal Books | |
| Type: | Privately held company |
| Industry: | Educational publishing |
| Founded: | 1984 |
| Founder: | Naresh Jain |
| Hq Location City: | Agra |
| Hq Location Country: | India |
| Key People: | Naresh Jain (Founder) Prashant Jain (CEO) |
Oswaal Books is an Indian educational publishing company headquartered in Agra, India. Established in 1984 by Naresh Jain, the company focuses on producing study materials for different educational boards, including CBSE, ISC, ICSE, and Karnataka, as well as materials for competitive exams such as JEE Main and Advanced, NEET, CAT, and CLAT.[1] Prashant Jain is the CEO of the company.[2]
Oswaal Books began in 1984,[3] founded by Naresh Jain, who is Prashant Jain's father.[4] The Jain family's involvement in another publishing business inspired Naresh to enter this field. During the 1980s, education gained prominence as people from various backgrounds acknowledged its value. The books available in the market at the time were mostly government publications, falling short of fully meeting consumer needs, which led to a demand for private players.
To start the business, Naresh borrowed ₹100,000 from friends. He initiated book production in Agra, primarily targeting students affiliated with the Madhya Pradesh board. In the 1990s, the company expanded to include books for CBSE and ICSE boards. In 2007, Prashant and his wife, Swaati Jain joined the family business after returning from London, and in the same year, they launched the company's website.[5] In 2021, the company became one of the largest publishing companies in the offline space with an annual circulation of 3.5 million books.
In 2018, Oswaal Books organized roundtable discussions on school education in various states,[6] including Kolkata and Andhra Pradesh. These events featured the participation of education ministers and government officials from different states. K Sandhya Rani, commissioner of school education;[7] Ganta Srinivasa Rao, minister for human resource development in the Government of Andhra Pradesh; minister Laxmi Ratan Shukla; and commissioner of school education, Dr. Saumitra Mohan.[8]
In September 2021, the company initiated a trial for its high-school test-preparation platform, Oswaal 360, during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was officially launched in March 2022.[9]
In July 2023, Oswaal Books appointed actor Jitendra Kumar, popularly known as Jeetu Bhaiya, as its brand ambassador.[10]
The company also diversified its portfolio by entering the education sector with Lil Legends.[11] Oswaal Books collaborated with an educationist to author their debut series for Lil Legends.[12] The company also introduced sample papers for the official CBSE Board 2022–23 for class 10th and 12th.[13] These CBSE Sample Papers 2022–23 cover classes 9, 10, 11, and 12, featuring questions expected in board exams, aligning with the CBSE Sample Papers.[14] [15]