ADVERTISEMENT

How a Small-Town Teacher Became India’s Unlikely Mentor for Gen Z Learners

From Mahendragarh to millions — how one teacher made physics personal and turned learning into belonging.

Published
story-hero-img
i
Aa
Aa
Small
Aa
Medium
Aa
Large
ADVERTISEMENT

The first thing you notice in Prashant Kirad’s classroom isn’t the whiteboard or the equations—it’s the noise. A fan rattles overhead, the marker squeaks against glass, and the chat floods faster than he can read it. Somewhere between all that, learning happens.

Kirad, who grew up in Mahendragarh, a small town in Haryana, began teaching science online when many of his students couldn’t afford big-city coaching. Today, millions know him as Prashant Bhaiya—the YouTube teacher who somehow made physics feel less like punishment and more like possibility.

His setup is minimal: a single camera, a worn-out whiteboard, and his voice—steady, unhurried, unfailingly patient. His lessons are less about performance and more about reassurance. There’s no hard sell, no marketing polish—just a teacher who seems to remember what it was like to be lost in a chapter and still want to try again.

The Teacher Who Competes With Reels — and Wins

Every teenager studying today fights the same invisible battle: distraction. Between notifications, meme pages, and reels, attention has become the most valuable currency in education. Prashant doesn’t fight that tide; he meets it head-on.

His videos are stripped of gimmicks—no flashy intros, no motivational theatrics. Instead, he leans into the camera and explains complex ideas like someone talking across a table. The tone is closer to a conversation than a lecture.

For many of his students, that simplicity has made all the difference. His sessions are full of small pauses, self-corrections, and spontaneous moments that make them feel alive. There’s comfort in the imperfections—the sense that the person teaching them isn’t just chasing subscribers but genuinely trying to make them understand.

Next Toppers: From YouTube Hustle to Learning Collective

When his audience ballooned from thousands to millions, Prashant realised teaching alone wasn’t enough. Students needed structure, mentorship, and a community they could belong to. That’s how Next Toppers began—a digital learning collective built around trust, not transactions.

The model stays true to his approach: live classes, real-time guidance, and a deliberate focus on keeping the human connection intact. In a world of venture-backed edtech giants, Next Toppers functions more like an extended classroom than a product.

Prashant often says that teaching is a responsibility before it’s a business, and that belief runs through everything he builds. For him, education can’t be reduced to marketing metrics or engagement charts.

The Voice in the Background

For thousands of students, Prashant Bhaiya isn’t just a teacher—they hear him in the background as they study late into the night. His videos play quietly while they take notes or revise; his presence has become a kind of digital companionship.

What he teaches goes beyond physics. His larger message—about showing up, staying consistent, and trusting the process—has resonated deeply with India’s Gen Z learners. At a time when quick success stories dominate their screens, his insistence on patience and effort feels almost radical.

The Bigger Picture

Prashant’s rise signals something larger than just one man’s success. India’s new generation of learners isn’t looking for authority figures in suits or apps that promise shortcuts. They’re drawn to mentors who sound like them, understand their pressures, and don’t pretend to have all the answers.

He represents a quiet shift in the idea of what a teacher can be—someone who doesn’t stand at a podium but sits beside the learner, camera on, ready to explain one more time. In a country still obsessed with toppers and ranks, that may be the most meaningful revolution of all.

About Prashant Kirad:


Known online as Prashant Bhaiya, Prashant Kirad is an educator, YouTube creator, and co-founder of Next Toppers. With over 16 million subscribers, his platform has become one of India’s largest learning communities for high school and competitive exam aspirants.

×
×