My own selection journey with a thorough analysis, more inclined towards

the facts that they hide (towards the end Ill come to the sources), pointing
out the good points wouldn't make much sense as they themselves would
anyways exaggerate those.

Edupristine:
Like you, even Id an impression that its the only one - they should receive
an award for cheap marketing gimmicks, I mean the impressive professor
Amit Jain (VP Kotak) who took the demo sessions has the job of just
taking demos.
Their infrastructure is good, their flexibility is very good, they've a presence
online / virtual portal (still majority of students refer Arif Irfanullah) but at
the same time their fb google jd reviews are by fake profiles, they are the
same ones who keep on posting links of Edupristine on facebook groups!
Hardly anyone at Edupristine is into full time teaching. Good professors get
promoted at finance companies they are working so on weekends they prefer
leisure over work (the quality has deteriorated compared to the past) At the
Inquiry, Edupristine office told me about IIM IIT founders but did not say
these founders don't take lectures in Mumbai (these have become business
persons, not teachers).
Results: % of students passing who takes the Edupristine are as good as
60% in some branches & also below 40% in suburbs. (Borivli June 2015)
Their reply on why one should join Edupristine: founded by IIT IIM grads
& is a USA co (they went to US to register their co as still there are many
Indians who'd feel all that is foreign is good & Indian isn't good!)

Laukik: My seniors studied with him, he made a name having a monopoly

in CFA coaching industry a decade back, there were no options you see - In
fact he confessed in class that he himself hasnt cleared even the first level
of CFA after the Indian CFA was declared valueless, there were no options
to learn US CFA other than him. Passing score was high in CFA exams as
much as ninety percent that time so that turned to his benefit.
He uses a 'traditional parrot style teaching & eats up a lot of self study
hours. Indians have mentality that older the Institute better it is & more the
coaching hours - its 'paisa vasool'. Trust me, self study is the key in such
competitive exams, coaching is just a help via mentoring, acts as a boost
with study strategies exam tips.
Results: Laukik doesn't declare them.
Their reply on why one should join Laukik: oldest institute (in my opinion
finance coaching is led by innovative dynamic ever changing youngsters),
highest number of mock tests, highest teaching hours (I repeat self study
(majorly self study time) will be the deciding factor.

Finstructor: I was almost decided to join this after seeing Aditya

Alluhwalia, (the founder of Finstructor who appears on their demo sessions
on Youtube) - the man behind Finstructor is just amazing but Aditya
permanently moved to Honk Kong & doesnt take regular sessions in
Mumbai. He has handed over the Finstructor franchise to other professors
for letting them use the brand he made.
My friends literally blame Aman for poor results of Finstructor - during
regular lectures he has an approach of 'class ke bahar mein mera tu tera' &
doesnt go in depth. Anyone who has taken Finstructor would be knowing
that he hates entertaining doubts in class. This is the reason I don't like
the idea of 'weekend' teachers, he wouldn't be in a mood after a hectic five
day schedule at Crisil!
Results: 38 of 62 students of Finstructor passed December 2015 CFA Level
1.

V D Shah: He's growing so obvious problems associated like few options

on location, average infrastructure (as of 2014-15), poor marketing budget
etc.
He keeps his book open while writing a formula (I don't know if he
remembers it) but I also admit that he logically step by step derives it &
gives some practical valuation stories surrounding it.
He has Engineers as assistant professors who would build up an accounting
finance base for non-finance guys & Stats for commerce grads I did not
need that.
V D Shah's Dec 2015 Level 1 results: 29 out of 30 students passed. My
friends who took up the level 1 in December, felt CFA a concept oriented
paper (against memory / formula based) & V D has more of a quality
concept oriented teaching approach so acted to the result advantage. You
wouldnt hear the word 'Rule' in his lecture & be it small or big, the
formula is simply derived (not mathematically but logically). For all this it
is quite irritating that he would call you for lectures on holidays. I missed it
once; he called me on another holiday.
jk, You 'May' get through level 1 by mug it up parrot style but you're 'stuck'
for sure in level 2 as it is mathematical (logical arithmetic) conceptual
valuation formula based, for good or bad the boost in your career comes
only after level 2 - Don't take this as a co-incidence, read the last two
sentences again.

Their reply on why one should join V D: Setting of the conceptual base for
Level two by teaching CFA Level one from the CFA curriculum so that
you're geared to get both levels done consecutively.

Fintree: Google for awesome training providers (you get to read Fintree's
name), Utkarsh's really awesome. He too is a full time teacher. The reason
I prefer someone into full time teaching is that these are the only ones who
are approachable for doubt solving. Industry professionals have hectic
weekday schedule (you know how MNC's make charter holder's slog) & so
they find it hard to find time to solve queries, prepare well to deliver
lectures, they just look sophisticated & polished.

(I haven't met Fintree's Utkarsh but have seen him on Youtube! search for
utkarsh fintree)

Arif: Popular, simplistic, nice command over language, goes in average

depth, one good thing - aligns with the CFA curriculum books. Numerical
concepts are 'okay' (not very detailed, but people usually like getting away
with complexity)

Best combination:
Schweser notes (concise) +
Fintree (Utkarsh Jain) or V D Shah (explaining concepts of CFA curriculum
so making up missed clarity of short Schweser notes) +
Arif videos (use as complimenting real lectures, though can be a substitute
for theory topics ONLY as for practical topics passive learning isn't
recommended) +
Quick revision materials by V D Shah (don't purchase it, someone will share
it, they aren't protected / secured)

Finstructor Q bank (only after you finish reading the books at least once) or
Schweser Q bank software (you'll get it over the web).

(Even though Fintree or VD are not authorized by CFA Institute, the quality
is good. I once checked the basis on which Institute authorizes you pay
them an annual fee, pay them half a dollar for the personal details of every
candidates, thats it no quality checks! Education is a business, not only
in India :P The CFA Institute Ethics would actually say not to say (expose)
such thing)

P.S. After taking a demo at possibly everywhere, I completed coaching at V

D Shah & my biases towards him are even more stronger as I was interning
with him (no wonders I know the games the coaching guys play :P , usually
all his students intern in his family equity research house where we analyze
past investment banking & equity research projects internship was okay,
not much related to actual work at basic level but incomparable learning),
though but trying to be as transparent as possible, VDs worth the time &
money & you wouldnt regret I feel (since Ive already opened up the things
he lags).

But you should do your homework as something that suits one may not suit
all, for me sitting 5 to 7 hour even with breaks at Edupristine & Finstructor
was difficult, & I prefer small batches over big (there are students who come
to class to network, seriously just connections). Long lectures isn't
something bad, in fact it's an advantage as you save your travel time with
once a week of lectures. Though I didn't face time a big problem as VD gave
us 2+ months for self studying at the end against others who completed the
portion two weeks before exam. Again here, I'm the type of the person that
would study at 2x the speed during the last couple of months rather than
valuing saved holidays during the beginning.

Sources: I frankly had attended all demos possible as few friends were
fooled, misled & flunked the 2015 attempt. Reviews about Edupristine were
provided by friends including Ronak (he opted for CFA coaching at
Edupristine for Dec 2015 Level 1 but couldn't get through & then was with
us at V D Shah for 2016 Level 1 - (he found V D as good as the top
professors of Edupristine & felt fooled & pulled by Edupristine's brand &
marketing the first attempt!) & other reviews by the attendees of crash
courses at V D Shah (who didn't find him quite sophisticated, found him
quite childish - yet they attended with us by not going to where they
enrolled! So nobody's perfect, you gotta select the best from what's
available). Id repeat - my biases towards V D Shah are stronger as I
was interning with him (no wonders I know the games the coaching
guys play :P) but Im trying to be as transparent as possible but
incorporate that in my response.

If you're in Banglore, there is no one as good as Edupristine as these local

South Indian professors are true geniuses. Someone who was shifted to
Banglore for work told me about this. (Edupristine in a way is good for those
who might attend any random location) It's all local, & quality is case to
case on professors, never on the name. & so for me, the decision looked like
a Glamorous foreign company without a substance vs sound traditional no
show full time teachers.

For your ready reference. order of my preference):

1. Arif : Before you buy, read this - (once you connect with students,
someone would be sharing it for free by then. I want them on VDs
whatsapp group): +16124243934
2.
2. Fintree
or V D Shah: +91 9969637888

3. Schweser classroom training - training not as good as how good the books
are but not as bad as the remaining others (like Arif, no need to get the
original ones) - 9980851406 / 8023512324

Edupristine: 18002005835

Finstructor (Founder Aditya Allhuwalia - he shifted to Honk Kong but

somehow still uses whatsapp on this number): +91 9833669220
Before contacting them, first make sure if you could manage it self or need
the coaching. The best is self study provided you're disciplined. If your idea
is to rely on videos, its a passive learning that is to be a supplement & it's
like being penny wise pound foolish. I having a relevant background could
have taken the risk but the reason for me joining VD was if it were me alone,
I wouldn't even have started before he completed the portion (I know
myself). If I did that way - my motive would at the end would have been to
get through level one but those basics wouldn't help much in level two!
Though this is more than one would need, you still could write to me,

Vinay Satardekarvin