CBSE To UPSC: 5 Places Where You Can Rent Textbooks At Unbelievably Low Prices

I had a love-hate relationship with my textbooks during school and college. After spending a hefty amount on those bulky books, it pained me to give them to the raddiwala at the end of each academic year.

While I was fortunate to afford the textbooks, thousands of students cannot purchase expensive study material.

Apart from the financial strain, there is also the aspect of environmental depletion. The solution to these problems could be renting books. This way, we can prevent the high cost of new books and normalise the concept of reusing.

Multiple organisations across India are making a student’s life easier by introducing affordable and accessible rental services.

Here are five:

1. KopyKitab

Founded in 2011 by Sumeet Verma and Amit Shrivastava, KopyKitab is one of the pioneering digital libraries that offer renting options to students in India.

Starting with fares as low as Rs 10 per chapter, this rental platform allows students to rent books for a week or an entire semester.

From competitive entrance exams like UPSC, CAT, NET, IIT-JEE, GATE, or courses in architecture, engineering, law, management, chartered accountancy, science, agriculture, to school material and mock test series, KopyKitab has an inventory of nearly two lakh learning resources.

You can highlight, underline, annotate and even share your notes in your e-textbook with your study group.

As per their website, 45 lakh students have accessed their study material.

Check out the books here.

2. Padhega India

Padhega India is an initiative of Bodhi Tree Knowledge Services started by Sushant and Prashant Jha in 2014 to provide second-hand books or books on rent for those who cannot afford high-priced textbooks.

It is a unique service that functions on an inquiry basis. All one has to do is feed the name and author of the book and select a rental plan.

One can also enquire about the availability and cost of a book by sending an SMS or WhatsApp message. For this option, simply send a text like this:

RENT to +91-9873166694.

Alternatively, contact the organisation on LinkedIn.

On receiving the request, Padhega India will revert with the availability and price of the book, along with a unique reference number.

A student from any academic field can make an inquiry on this pan-India free home-delivery service. Padhega India will charge the MRP of the book as a deposit, and once the book is returned, refund up to 55 per cent of the deposit.

3. Bukroot

If you are an engineering, undergraduate or diploma student (any stream) who prefers physical copies of textbooks, Bengaluru-based Bukroot is a one-stop solution.

You can rent books for a semester at 50 per cent cheaper. All you have to do is download the Bukroot app from the play store, make an account, and pay a nominal deposit.

Further, you can rent a book or purchase it second-hand. Your deposit will be refunded after you close the membership.

The textbooks are passed from one student to another, so it is important that they are kept properly without any markings or damage.

Please note that this is only for students in Bengaluru. Prabhanjan R, the founder, hopes to soon expand the new venture in other cities.

Get in touch with Bukroot here.

4. Pustakkosh

Pustakkosh allows students to save up to 70 per cent of the original cost of books by opting for rental services. The Noida-based organisation caters to students of undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

They claim to have catered to over 70,000 students in fields like engineering, medicine, computer science, biotechnology, pharma, and business administration.

Students can rent an e-book or its physical copy from four days to six months via their website, Facebook page, retail stores or phone (9136437970, 0120-2433388). Notably, students can also purchase or sell second-hand books, which will be delivered to their homes.

Please note that the physical books are for students based in the National Capital Region.

Check out the books here.

5. bookthisbook

This Mumbai-based organisation allows users to find books to rent by their International Standard Book Number (ISBN), title, and author.

Once you find your textbook, place an order on their website and receive the book at your doorstep. Upon returning the book, you will receive the deposit. You can also sell or purchase second-hand books.

This rental service is for students of CBSE and ICSE boards, and competitive examinations in law, engineering, and medicine.

Apart from academic books, this organisation also caters to books in fiction, non-fiction, children, self-help, motivation, and cookery.

Please note that this service is only for students based in Mumbai.

Check out the books here.

(Edited by Shruti Singhal)

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