Classmate's hybrid-learning, omnichannel play resurfaces a June 2025 move

ITC's Classmate paired QR-enabled notebooks and gamified learning content with school programmes back in June 2025, distributing through general trade, modern retail, e-commerce, quick commerce, D2C and institutions to stay relevant in digital-first India.

— FiledSun, 2 Aug, 2026, 22:48 IST·First seen Sun, 2 Aug, 2026, 22:48 IST·Source Financial Express · BrandWagon

What happened

ITC’s Classmate is expanding its hybrid-learning proposition through QR-enabled notebooks, gamified content and school programmes while leveraging ITC paper

Key facts

  • 2003
  • Rs 16,500 crore
  • FY25
  • Rs 219,81 crore
  • Rs 1,000 crore
  • 11 interactive challenges
  • NEP 2020
  • June 19, 2025

Why this matters

Education-content, edtech and school-network partnerships could help Classmate scale its QR-enabled learning proposition faster while creating differentiated omnichannel engagement beyond notebooks.

What to watch

  • Evidence of repeat QR scans per notebook rather than one-time activation rates.
  • Number, duration and renewal rate of school and institutional partnerships.
  • Launch of curriculum-aligned content for CBSE, ICSE and state boards.
  • Quick-commerce assortment expansion, back-to-school bundles and stock-out frequency.
  • Competitor launches of QR-enabled notebooks, edtech partnerships or licensed learning content.
  • Changes in child-data privacy rules, school policies on digital tools or parent concerns about screen exposure.
  • Whether QR engagement translates into premium pricing, higher repeat purchase or measurable share gains.
  • Build grade- and board-specific QR learning journeys tied to exam calendars rather than generic gamification.
  • Use QR registration and consent-led parent engagement to create a first-party audience for replenishment, bundles and school-season offers.
  • Bundle notebooks with pens, art materials and study planners across D2C, quick commerce and modern retail to increase basket size.
  • Create school dashboards, teacher toolkits and inter-school challenges that make institutional adoption more durable.
  • Use ITC's paper ecosystem to position QR-enabled books as both learning-enhancing and responsibly sourced.
  • Protect the proposition with child-data safeguards, low-data access and multilingual content to avoid privacy, accessibility and screen-time backlash.