Podar International School - Pune (Wakad) (Cambridge International)

A domestic Pune day school that pairs CBSE with a parallel Cambridge stream, pitched at local families wanting an international pathway without expat-tier fees.

Part of the Podar Education Network, the Tathawade campus opened in 2018 and runs two boards under one roof: CBSE from nursery and a separate Cambridge stream covering Cambridge Primary, Lower Secondary and IGCSE to Class 10. The international label is real in the sense that the campus delivers a genuine Cambridge programme, though it stops at IGCSE, with no AS or A Level and no IB on site, so older students move elsewhere for senior years. Facilities are modern and the operation is sizeable for the area, with a large teaching staff across a purpose-built block. Annual tuition sits roughly between 65,000 and 82,000 rupees depending on grade and stream, with admission and transport charged on top, placing it well below the city's premium international names. It suits Pimpri-Chinchwad families wanting structured CBSE results with an IGCSE option close to home rather than an expatriate or boarding environment.

Local families weigh this campus mainly against other Wakad and Hinjewadi day schools, and the feedback is mixed rather than glowing. One recurring read is that it is a solid, no-frills CBSE option that holds up well next to nearby alternatives, while a competing strand warns of patchy teaching and parent dissatisfaction.