# Aakash Institute launches ANTHE-2026 with Rs 2.5 crore prizes 2026-08-26T05:27:18+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL) has announced the Aakash National Talent Hunt Exam (ANTHE) 2026, offering up to 100 per cent scholarships and Rs 2.5 crore in cash prizes for top performers. The exam is open to students from Classes V to XII and will be held in online and offline formats. Registrations are now open via the official ANTHE portal or at Aakash centres. The online exam will be conducted from October 27 to November 1, while offline exams are scheduled for October 11, October 25 and November 1. Chandra Sekhar Garisa Reddy, MD and CEO of the institute, said more than one crore students have taken the test over the past 16 years, and its purpose is to help students gauge their academic potential and identify areas for improvement. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Aakash Institute, now part of the Byju's group, has run the ANTHE since 2009, positioning it as both a scholarship pipeline and a brand-building exercise in the test-prep market that sees nearly 30 lakh students appear for the JEE Main annually. The Rs 2.5 crore prize pool, though eye-catching, covers only a handful of top performers while the bulk of value is in the tuition waivers that lock students into multi-year coaching contracts. The key figure to watch is the eventual number of registrations: past editions drew roughly 8-10 lakh candidates, and this year's tally will signal whether the brand is regaining traction after parent Byju's financial distress has dominated headlines through 2024-25. ## Coverage - tribuneindia.com Led with the scholarship offer and CEO quote, no critical framing of the institute or the test-prep industry. This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Aakash Institute, ANTHE, Chandra Sekhar Garisa Reddy Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/aakash-institute-launches-anthe-2026-with-rs-2-5-crore-prizes/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/aakash-institute-launches-anthe-2026-with-rs-2-5-crore-prizes/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/