Lighthouse Learning in talks to acquire Hyderabad's Kennedy School

Lighthouse Learning Group (formerly EuroKids International), the KKR-owned preschool and K-12 education platform, is in advanced talks to acquire Hyderabad-based Kennedy High The Global School, which offers CBSE and Cambridge International curricula for Rs 400 crore, said people familiar with the development. In parallel, it is also eyeing another Hyderabad Hyderabad-based chain Meru International School for a similar amount.

If completed, the acquisitions would mark Lighthouse Learning’s third bolt on buy in the city. The KKR-backed education chain acquired Phoenix Greens School of Learning in 2024.

Both Kennedy and Meru acquisitions will be signed in 3-4 weeks time, said sources.


Kennedy High The Global School was established in 2005 under the leadership of chairman Dr Siva Kumar Reddy M, a California-based gastroenterologist, and president B Subba Reddy. The school, manager by Kennedy Residential Schools Pvt Ltd, is located in Bachupally, Hyderabad, and offers both CBSE and Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) curricula.

Besides Siva Kumar Reddy and Subba Reddy, the promoters include Venkata Reddy, California-based entrepreneur; Sudhakar (Managing Director of Nightingale Hospital, Guntur); Jaipal Reddy (US based General Practitioner of medicine and Atul Roy (US based nephrologist), according to the website.

With over 3121 students on the campus, Kennedy High has completed 21 batches of class X and 15 batches of class XII CBSE respectively, it claims. The Cambridge Wing is affiliated to the University of Cambridge, London, has a strength of 553 students.

Mails sent to Lighthouse Learning and Kennedy High The Global School did not elicit any responses till the press time.

Lighthouse Learning, which operates about 62 K-12 schools across the country, plans to expand its network to 100 schools over the next couple of years, ahead of a proposed initial public offering (IPO), said sources.

The company is exploring an entry into Chennai through both organic and inorganic routes, while it plans to double its school network in Bengaluru and Hyderabad over the same period, the sources added.

Since 2021, Lighthouse Learning has expanded its education network through a series of acquisitions.

In 2021, it acquired Nagpur-based Centre Point, a chain of K-12 schools, followed by Gurugram-based premium school chain Heritage Xperiential Schools in 2023. The following year, it added Hyderabad-based Phoenix Greens School of Learning to its portfolio.

In March this year, Lighthouse Learning Group further strengthened its presence in the early education segment by acquiring Early Learning Village (ELV), a Gurugram-based early education provider. Last month, it acquired leading IB school Pathways School Gurgaon, which has been renamed PSG Clifton International School.

Currently, its portfolio includes brands such as EuroKids, Kangaroo Kids, Mother’s Pet Kindergarten, Early Learning Village, EuroSchool, Billabong High International School, Centre Point Group of Schools, Heritage Xperiential Schools, Phoenix Greens School of Learning and Finland International School Maldives.

It has over 2,000 preschools and about 62 K-12 schools.

Alpha Asia Holdings II Pte Ltd (investment arm of KKR & Co Inc) which owned 92% in the group, sold a minority stake to The Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments), one of Canada's largest pension investors, last November. The co-founder & CEO Prajodh Rajan holds a 7.55% stake.

KKR acquired the controlling stake in EuroKids in 2019 from a consortium led by domestic private equity firm Gaja Capital and Swiss firm Partners Group for about Rs 1,500 crore.