PE-backed elite Indian schools add pickleball courts amid teacher pay cuts

Prestigious Indian K–12 schools owned or operated by private-equity–backed chains have rolled out photogenic pickleball courts even as teachers report pay reductions and smaller salary hikes, The Ken reported on Aug 28, 2025. The outlet’s podcast episode #695 and related reporting frame the juxtaposition as a broader pattern in PE-run education.

The Ken names Global Schools Foundation and International Schools Partnership as two multi-country operators pushing campus upgrades; both are backed respectively by Apollo Global Management and Partners Group. Those operators "have bought nine K-12 chains in India since 2021" and, according to the reporting, "intend to spend millions to expand their footprint." The Ken’s reporting argues this activity sits alongside cost-cutting at the staff level: "PE-backed school acquisitions in India come with cost-cutting, financial engineering, and culture clashes that are reshaping education."

The reporting foregrounds a repeated private-equity playbook. "Regardless of what they buy, PE firms largely stick to this uncomplicated sequence: trim the fat, grow the top line, juice profits, and find a buyer who’s willing to pay top dollar," The Ken wrote, attributing the assessment to its coverage of acquisitions. Valli Vikram, in a deeply reported take on the story, observed that "Standardised visual upgrades that photograph well took priority over less visible investments, such as training or transportation," and the piece warns that "But these upgrades don’t fund themselves, as parents and teachers will be quick to point out."

Social promotions tied to the coverage amplified the consequences: an Instagram snippet read "PE-backed acquisitions have led to falling budgets, reduced salary hikes, teacher attrition, and declining student numbers at once-prestigious" (text truncated). The Ken’s material does not list specific school names or quantify salary changes, and the reporting notes gaps that remain to be verified - notably which campuses installed courts and the exact payroll adjustments.

At the same time, the Indian Pickleball Association and The Sports Gurukul have announced a formal push into school sport: a strategic partnership to stage an inaugural National Inter-School Pickleball Championship projected to reach more than 500 educational institutions across 20-plus cities. IPA CEO Aditya Khanna framed the event as expansionary: "Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport globally, and India is at the heart of this revolution," and called the championship "a game-changer" that aims to move the sport "from recreational clubs directly into the heart of the Indian education system."

The two developments are not shown to be causally linked in the reporting: institutionalising pickleball through an IPA-TSG championship with national junior ranking points and certified referees sits alongside The Ken’s critique of spending priorities at PE-backed operators. With nine chains acquired since 2021 and millions planned for expansion, the debate now hinges on disclosure from Global Schools Foundation, International Schools Partnership and their PE backers about capital allocation and the missing payroll figures that teachers and parents have asked to see.