From Kanpur to London and back to India, Shreyash Raj is building Dredu International around a simple idea: studying abroad should be more accessible, transparent, and affordable for Indian students.
KANPUR, INDIA — For many Indian students, studying in the United Kingdom represents an opportunity to access international education, build a global career, and experience a different culture. But the journey from choosing a university to securing a visa and arranging accommodation can be complicated, expensive, and overwhelming. Having experienced these challenges himself, Shreyash Raj, a student from Kanpur who travelled to London for his master’s degree, decided to build a business around solving them.
That decision led to the creation of Dredu International, a study abroad startup aiming to change how Indian students approach overseas education.
Raj’s experience as an international student gave him a first-hand understanding of the difficulties students face beyond university admissions. From navigating application procedures and visa requirements to finding suitable accommodation and settling into a new country, he recognised that students needed more than assistance with paperwork. They needed practical guidance and continued support throughout their journey.
He believed that the traditional consultancy model could do more to address these needs, particularly when it came to affordability, transparency, and post-admission assistance. Rather than simply identifying the problem, Raj decided to create an alternative.
Building Dredu Around Students, Not Just Admissions
Founded by Raj, Dredu International was built around a student-first approach to overseas education. After developing the business from the UK, the company began its India-based operations in January 2026, with a focus on helping Indian students explore opportunities to study in the UK, Ireland, and the United States.
Unlike conventional approaches that can leave students navigating several stages of the process independently, Dredu aims to bring multiple services together under one roof. These include university and course selection, application assistance, scholarship guidance, visa support, accommodation searches, and pre-departure preparation.
A key part of the company’s proposition is its emphasis on making core guidance accessible. Dredu offers free counselling and visa assistance, helping students understand their options and prepare for the next stages of their applications.
The company is also promoting financial support initiatives for eligible students, including a one-month free accommodation grant and an Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) support offer. These initiatives are designed to help reduce some of the financial pressure associated with moving abroad, where initial expenses can extend well beyond university tuition fees.
For students and families making a significant financial commitment, such support can be an important consideration when choosing how to navigate the study abroad process. Eligibility, terms, and availability may vary by scheme.
Social Media Is Driving a New Conversation
Dredu’s growth strategy also reflects a wider change in how students discover education opportunities. Instead of relying exclusively on traditional advertising and offline counselling, the company has invested in organic social media content to educate students about admissions, scholarships, visa procedures, accommodation, and life in the UK.
According to the company, Dredu’s social media platforms generate more than 2.5 million organic views each month. Its content focuses on practical information that prospective students can use when planning their international education, helping the brand reach audiences well beyond its immediate geographical market.
The strategy places education and information at the centre of its marketing. By addressing common student concerns and highlighting funding opportunities, Dredu seeks to build relationships with prospective applicants before they begin the formal admissions process.
This digital-first approach is particularly relevant for younger audiences who increasingly use social platforms to research universities, compare options, and seek advice from people with first-hand international experience.
Reducing the Burden of Studying Abroad
For many families in India, the cost of studying overseas remains one of the biggest barriers to pursuing an international degree. Tuition fees, accommodation deposits, visa expenses, healthcare surcharges, travel, and day-to-day living costs can quickly add up.
Dredu’s approach combines admissions guidance with initiatives intended to address some of these financial and practical challenges. Through scholarship guidance, accommodation support schemes, visa assistance, and pre-departure services, the company aims to make the process easier to understand and manage.
Its broader philosophy is that support should not end when a student receives an offer letter. Students also need to prepare for life after arrival, understand their responsibilities, and make informed decisions about accommodation, travel, and settling into a new environment.
By bringing these elements together, the startup is seeking to distinguish itself in a competitive study abroad consultancy market.
A Founder’s Vision for the Future
For Shreyash Raj, Dredu represents more than a business opportunity. It is an attempt to use his own international student experience to address challenges faced by others following a similar path.
The company’s expansion into India marks an important stage in that journey, bringing its services closer to the students and families it aims to support. Its next phase will depend on sustaining student trust, expanding access to reliable guidance, and continuing to develop support programmes that respond to the real costs of international education.
As competition among study abroad consultants intensifies, businesses that combine accessible counselling, transparent processes, useful digital content, and meaningful student support will have opportunities to stand apart.
Dredu International is positioning itself in that space, with a model built around the belief that studying abroad should be about more than securing admission. It should also be about helping students make informed choices and prepare confidently for the experience ahead.
For a founder who once navigated that journey himself, the mission is personal: to make the path from India to an international education simpler for the next generation of students.