Published on: August 20, 2026
For many Indian students, receiving a UK university offer letter is seen as the finish line. For Shreyash Raj, it is only the beginning.
At just 26, Shreyash Raj, founder of DREDU International, has built his career around understanding both sides of the UK education journey — first as an international student, then as a UK professional, and now as an entrepreneur helping other Indian students prepare for life abroad.
Shreyash studied for his master’s degree in Marketing Management in the UK before going on to work for the UK Civil Service, the United Kingdom’s public-sector administration. Having lived, studied and worked in the UK, he experienced first-hand the realities that international students often discover only after arriving — from accommodation and living expenses to adjusting to a new academic environment, understanding the job market and managing the financial pressure of the first few months.
It was this experience that eventually shaped the vision behind DREDU International.
Shreyash launched DREDU while he was still working in the UK, initially managing the business remotely. What began as an entrepreneurial venture focused on helping students pursue international education has since grown into a wider student-support initiative.
In January 2026, DREDU opened its first physical office in Noida, India, marking an important step in the company’s growth and bringing its services closer to students preparing to study abroad.
But Shreyash says that one of the biggest gaps he noticed was not necessarily in helping students secure university offers — it was in preparing them for what comes after the offer letter.
“An offer letter is only the beginning”
According to Shreyash, many students receive considerable assistance with applications and university admissions but can still be left with practical questions about what life in the UK will actually look like.
Which city should they choose? How much should they realistically budget for accommodation? What should they expect during their first few weeks? How can they manage their expenses before finding part-time work? What should they know about student life, transport, accommodation and settling into a new country?
These are questions that cannot always be answered through a university application alone.
Having personally experienced the transition from being an international student to working professionally in the UK, Shreyash began offering students practical guidance beyond the conventional counselling process.
For students preparing for the September 2026 intake, he created a WhatsApp community that grew to around 500 students, where he provided guidance and answered questions about preparing for life in the UK.
The initiative was offered as a free support resource, with the objective of giving students access to someone with first-hand UK experience.
The response, according to Shreyash, was encouraging, with students sharing positive feedback about receiving practical advice that went beyond simply securing an admission offer.
Helping students manage the first month in the UK
One of the biggest challenges faced by international students is the cost of settling into the UK.
Students often have to manage accommodation costs, food, transportation, deposits, university-related expenses and other initial costs before they have established themselves in the country.
Finding part-time employment can also take time. Students may need to settle into university, understand their surroundings, prepare their CVs, attend interviews and wait for their first opportunity.
For a student arriving with a limited budget, the first month can therefore be particularly challenging.
This is where Shreyash introduced another initiative through DREDU International — a 1-month UK stay grant for eligible students who apply through DREDU.
The initiative is designed to help reduce the initial financial burden of moving to the UK by supporting students with their first month’s accommodation.
For students and their families, the support can represent a meaningful saving at one of the most expensive stages of the study-abroad journey.
Shreyash says the idea came directly from his own understanding of the challenges international students face after arrival.
Having experienced student life in the UK himself, he understands that the period between landing in the country and receiving the first income from a part-time job can be financially difficult.
Rather than viewing student support as ending once a university offer is secured, he believes the responsibility should extend into the student’s transition to life abroad.
From September 2026 to January 2027
The initiative has now been extended to students planning to join UK universities for the January 2027 intake as well.
The aim is to create a more comprehensive support system for students — from university selection and applications to scholarships, accommodation and practical preparation for life in the UK.
For Shreyash, the larger objective is not simply to increase the number of students going abroad. It is to make sure that students are better prepared when they get there.
“Students don’t just need someone who can get them an offer letter. They need someone who understands what happens after the offer letter.”
That philosophy has increasingly become central to DREDU’s approach.
A different approach to study-abroad counselling
The study-abroad industry in India has grown significantly, with thousands of students exploring international education every year. As competition between destinations and universities increases, students and parents are also becoming more conscious about the value of the guidance they receive.
Shreyash believes that counselling should move beyond applications and admissions.
For him, effective study-abroad guidance should cover the complete journey — from understanding a student’s goals and selecting the right course to preparing financially, choosing accommodation and helping them understand the realities of living abroad.
His own journey gives him a perspective that is difficult to replicate through purely application-focused counselling.
He has been an international student himself. He has lived in the UK. He has studied there. He has worked within the UK Civil Service. And he has subsequently returned to India to build an education business designed around helping other students make the same transition.
That experience now forms a central part of his approach to student counselling.
Building a student-first education brand
DREDU International has continued to expand its services around the broader study-abroad journey, including university guidance, application support, scholarships, accommodation assistance and student support.
The company’s initiatives, including the 1-month UK stay grant, reflect a broader attempt to make international education more accessible and practical for Indian students.
For Shreyash, however, the 500-student WhatsApp community represents something more significant than a marketing initiative.
It represents the kind of student support system he believes should exist before a young person boards a flight to another country.
As more Indian students look towards the UK for postgraduate education, the conversation is increasingly moving beyond university rankings and offer letters.
The real question is becoming: Are students actually prepared for the life they are about to begin?
Shreyash Raj believes the answer should be yes.
And through DREDU International, he is attempting to build a model of study-abroad support that doesn’t stop at the university gate — but continues until students feel ready to navigate the country they have chosen to call home.
