As AI, EdTech platforms and digital learning tools reshape the education landscape, Navneet Education Limited is betting on a future where technology supports, rather than replaces, the fundamentals of learning. For the company, that philosophy is also influencing how it markets its nearly five-decade-old flagship Digest to a generation of students that is increasingly self-aware and independent in how it learns.
Speaking to Impact Magazine, Devish Gala, President, Educational Books Division, Navneet Education Limited, says the company’s latest campaign, ‘Jab Baari Ho Tumhaari, Digest Se Karo Taiyaari’, reflects this shift in student behaviour. Unlike earlier communication that focused on building confidence and supporting students through their learning journey, the campaign puts the student’s agency at the centre.
“Today’s child and today's generation is all about self-awareness. They are less influenced by peers, seniors or market trends. Because they are so self-aware, they also like to decide for themselves on how they would like to approach a certain problem,” Gala says.
Watch the full interview here:
The campaign therefore positions Digest not as something that dictates how a student should learn, but as a support system when it is their turn to take charge. “We wanted to communicate that when it’s your turn to decide, we are there to support you. The decision is yours, and you decide how you want to approach it. That thought shaped the tone and language of the campaign,” he adds.
The approach is backed by a marketing strategy that remains heavily rooted in physical engagement. Gala says around 95 per cent of Navneet’s marketing investment goes into retail activations, school engagement programmes and sampling, with television, social media, newspapers and radio largely serving as support for its on-ground campaigns. The company also focuses on product awareness and recall rather than driving direct digital sales through its campaigns.
While the Digest remains rooted in physical learning, Navneet is not ignoring the growing influence of AI. Gala says the company sees books and classroom teaching as the primary forms of learning, while digital platforms, EdTech and AI act as supplementary tools.
“We have also adapted to the rise of EdTech, digital learning, assisted learning and even phygital learning, which combines physical and digital learning. But it has become very clear that these are ancillary tools that can only supplement physical learning. Learning through books remains primary, as does learning through teachers in schools.”
The company is also developing AI tools tailored to the Indian education system, addressing what Gala sees as a key limitation of generic AI platforms. “The Indian education system has multiple layers, and generic language models do not necessarily understand what belongs to a particular grade or standard. What is relevant for a student in Standard 1 versus Standard 10 is not clearly defined in these models,” he says.
Another challenge for physical learning products is the practice of students passing books down to juniors. Gala says Navneet does not see this as a major concern as long as the books are being used within families or among students. The bigger issue, he says, is when used books re-enter the market and compete with new retail sales.
“Passing is of course very common. But the more we innovate every year, the more we enhance our products every year or every other year, that percentage seems very negligible,” Gala says. He adds that frequent upgrades through content enhancement and digital support help ensure that students continue to see value in newer editions.
For Navneet, the future therefore lies not in choosing between books and AI, but in making technology work around the learning ecosystem. “How we can enhance a student’s learning and a teacher’s teaching through AI support, Navneet is constantly going to develop and invest time and effort in providing those tools and services,” concludes Gala.
