SoftBank-backed edtech firm Unacademy will shut down all its company-operated offline coaching centres and convert them into franchise partnerships by April, co-founder and chief executive Gaurav Munjal told employees in an internal communication, on Wednesday, reviewed by Financial Express. The move marks a complete exit from the asset-heavy offline model, as the firm doubles down on its core online test preparation and language learning businesses. “Over the coming months, we will exit our company operated centre business by converting them into franchise partnerships,” Munjal wrote. “The franchise model has already shown that it works: great local operators run operations, and we provide the academics, technology and reach.