Ahmedabad entrepreneur's post on ₹1.5 lakh preschool 'donation' ignites online debate

An Ahmedabad-based entrepreneur has sparked a widespread online conversation after revealing that a preschool sought a 'donation' of ₹1.5 lakh as a condition of admitting his two-year-old daughter.

Pritesh Lakhani shared the experience on social media platform X while searching for an early-years school for his daughter, who had recently turned two. His post quickly drew thousands of reactions, with many parents sharing similar encounters at private preschools across Indian cities.

The episode has reignited questions about the largely unregulated fee structures of private early-childhood institutions, where voluntary 'donations' are widely seen as an informal but effectively compulsory charge that parents feel pressured to pay.