"In Bihar, I saw talent everywhere—but opportunity was often lost in translation." That piercing insight propelled Deepak Ranjan, an education entrepreneur with passion for social change from Nalanda, Bihar, to create EnglishBhashi—a mobile-first, Hindi-friendly spoken English learning app for Tier 2 and 3 towns.

Founded in Bihar, for the people of Bihar, EnglishBhashi aims to fill the language gap that quietly restrains aspirations, dreams, and career opportunities for millions of people in small towns across the country.

The Problem: Not a Lack of Talent, But Access
Having spent his formative years in Bihar, Deepak observed how the inability to speak English hindered people—not because they were not smart, but because of limited access to good language education. Whether it was students facing interviews, homemakers dealing with English-medium schools, or young people seeking jobs—confidence was lost at the first "Hello."

While there were apps like Duolingo, they operated under a global scenario—excluding India's small-town students who required relatable, non-judgmental, bite-sized learning. And that's where EnglishBhashi came in—to level the playing field for spoken English with an actually localized, user-centric platform.

The Breakthrough: Sita's Story from Small-Town Bihar
The breakthrough moment came from a simple yet profound success story. Sita, a homemaker in Bihar, used EnglishBhashi to learn basic English so she could confidently attend her children’s PTMs. Her transformation—from invisible to empowered—was more than a personal win; it became the validation Deepak needed.

“This wasn’t just an app anymore—it was a lifeline,” he recalls. Stories like Sita’s echoed across districts, fueling EnglishBhashi’s grassroots momentum.

Made for Bharat: Local First, Tech Second
EnglishBhashi was designed from the outset with India's linguistic diversity and technologic constraint in mind. The app:

employs simple Hindi as a base language

provides voice-based practice as well as offline access

gives low data usage priority for rural regions

Provides job interview sentences, everyday usage words, as well as confidence-building exercises
The product philosophy was evident: Don't teach English—make one feel confident in using it.

Scaling Through Empathy and WhatsApp
Scaling in Bihar involved its own set of challenges—restricted funding, digital literacy, and user mistrust. But EnglishBhashi succeeded by going local.

Rather than costly ad spend, it scaled through:

WhatsApp dissemination of bite-sized tips

Strategic partnerships with coaching centers, NGOs, and micro-influencers

Local community ambassadors for each district to help onboard new users

Gamified learning to keep users engaged despite distraction-oriented apps like YouTube and Facebook

This hyperlocal, trust-driven marketing approach was a game-changer in areas where word-of-mouth had more influence than advertising.

A Startup with a Purpose, Not a Product
What really differentiates EnglishBhashi from the bigger edtech players is its strong cultural fit. The app isn't created in a metro R&D lab—it's developed from user input, WhatsApp voice recordings, and actual tales from Gaya, Darbhanga, Purnia, and more.

"Agility enables us to out-serve, not out-spend, the competition," adds Deepak. "We are committed to making each learner feel heard and seen, not merely counted."

Challenges as Opportunities: Creating in Bihar
Operating a technology startup in Bihar is not for the faint of heart. From suboptimal infrastructure and meager funding to cultural illusions regarding "talent scarcity"—Deepak has encountered them all. Instead of moving elsewhere, however, he's turning those very challenges into a differentiator.

"Bihar's actual strength is its people. With the right tools, we don't need to migrate for opportunity—we can build opportunity here."

More incubators, seed funds, and mentorship are what he pushes for to unlock Bihar's potential as a startup hub. As he puts it: "We don't need a handout, just a platform."

The Road Ahead: From Bihar to Bharat
In the next five years, EnglishBhashi aims to scale up in underserved Indian states while going deeper in Bihar. With growth in AI-based personalization, voice technology, and local content, the future is bright.

The vision of the company?
To be the best-loved brand for learning spoken English among small-town India, and a force in Bharat's digital and economic transformation.