Education – Page 7

There are so many great Indian startup stories – and much more to come

Mr. Girish Mathrubootham started Freshworks without any special help, nor did he come from wealth.

There are so many startup and unicorn stories in India today – and we know there will be more tomorrow.

Consider Freshworks which began eleven years ago and is now a huge firm with more than 3,800 team members and offices all over the world.

Mr. Girish Mathrubootham started Freshworks without any special help, nor did he come from wealth.

“We were only a six-person company operating out of a tiny garage in Chennai over eleven years ago. I didn’t have a gilded CV or come from a wealthy household, but that didn’t stop me from dreaming big.”

“I recognise that not every creator is as lucky, which is why as an angel investor, I have funded more than sixty startups,” he continued.

Now Girish Mathrubootham of Freshworks, Mr. Manav Garg of Eka Software, Mr. Shubham Gupta ex-Matrix, and Mr. Avinash Raghava ex-Accel have teamed together to establish a founders-first company called Together Fund in an effort to boost entrepreneurial enthusiasm in India.

The fund, which has a US$ 85 million initial capital, aims to assist India’s finest SaaS entrepreneurs in building, scaling, and winning together, therefore creating India as a true product country. Together Fund is India’s first and only venture capital fund run by founders. They operate some of India’s most well-known SaaS businesses in addition to being founding partners of Together.

The future of startups and innovation is looking good for India.

India’s EdTech has a huge boost due to covid and home learning

Harsh Rajan and Nirmla Sankaran founders of HeyMath – an E-Learning, online Maths coaching institute in Chennai.

India’s online education sector has really taken off as the pandemic led to school closures and a big part of the 250 million school children switched to online learning.

Investors are attracted to the large number of startups and unicorns in EdTech.

It’s an industry that will be worth nearly $2 billion by next year and is producing unicorns such as Byjus and Skillmatics.

Even with this dramatic growth, online education is touching only a small fraction of the Indian education market, so the future is strong.

A further boost for EdTech is the new National Education Policy (NEP), which looked at addressing the challenges and extending the scope of right to education (RTE) to students aged 3-18 years, with a key recommendation to harness edtech through app-based learning, online student communities, and lesson delivery beyond ‘chalk and talk’.

According to estimates by DataLabs, there are a total of 4,450 edtech startups operating in India, spread across various segments such as test preparation, e-tutoring, online certification, skill development, online discovery, and STEAM kit and enterprise solutions.

Educational delivery will no longer be either fully online or offline but a hybrid blend of both worlds.

For countries like Australia, India has an appetite for almost all of the EdTech innovations coming through.

Bengaluru is India’s “must visit” city for all kinds of tech

New research based on data by Dealroom.co data and analysis by London & Partners – the Mayor of London’s international trade and investment agency – found Bengaluru as the world’s fastest growing tech ecosytem.

Bengaluru, often dubbed the Silicon Valley of India, has firmly cemented its tech credentials. The second Indian city was Mumbai, which made it into the top 10 fast-growing ranking at sixth place.

While Bengaluru, the capital city of the southern Indian state of Karnataka, grew 5.4 times from $1.3 billion in 2016 to $7.2 billion in 2020, the Maharashtra capital of Mumbai grew 1.7 times from $0.7 billion to $1.2 billion in the same period.

Bengaluru is also ranked sixth for the world’s tech venture capitalist (VC) investments, on a global list topped by Beijing and San Francisco, New York, Shanghai and London making up the top five. Mumbai comes in at No. 21 in the worldwide ranking, with Boston and Singapore among the other high-ranking cities.

Bengaluru is dynamic and global in feel, with sleek offices and countless quality bars and restaurants.

It used to be India’s “garden city” but has become a global “tech city”.

For EdTech, MedTech, AgriTech and in fact “any Tech”, Bengaluru is your India starting point.

It is also home to the dynamic Victorian Government Business Office led by Michelle Wade – essential to talk with them about your India entry plans.

India a prime target for Aussie exports and investment – Austrade

Austrade’s Ashley Brosnan puts the case for Australian businesses to quickly get into India:

Australian businesses continue to see opportunities across a range of sectors including education, mining and resources, infrastructure, agri-food, and digital services. Thanks to the steady success of some great Australian brands, Australia is already a trusted supplier and investor.

However, India remains a challenging place do business. Expansion requires a high degree of market literacy and on-the-ground experience. Local partners help exporters and investors to navigate markets and regulation – and these partners can prove invaluable.

Despite this, the Government of India has signalled that India is ‘open for business’. It is emphasising investment and competitiveness as factors that will support the economy and encourage a return to growth.

The effects can be observed already in global rankings. India has moved up 63 places in the World Bank ‘ease of doing business’ rankings in recent years.

Austrade is helping Australian companies to explore India

The Australian Government is investing heavily in developing commercial links between Australia and India. The Australia-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreed by Prime Ministers in June 2020 creates further opportunities for Australian business.

The Partnership seeks to build supply chain resilience between the two countries. It strengthens and diversifies trade and investment links with a focus on education, critical minerals and technology cooperation.

Today, Austrade posts across India are working intensively with Australian businesses to understand market, identify opportunities, make connections and help companies negotiate contracts.

India consumer spending skyrockets

India’s consumer spending a “revolution”

Austrade’s Ashley Brosnan on India’s consumer spending “revolution”:

The biggest revolution taking place is the rapid rise of a huge, diverse and wealthy consumer market. Despite the impacts of the pandemic, domestic demand is likely to be a major driver of recovery and growth over the next decade, making up 60% of the overall economy.

E-commerce is taking off as smartphone usage multiplies. India already has over 1 billion internet users and the digital economy’s contribution to GDP is projected to grow 15–20% by 2024.

Incomes are also rising strongly. India’s median income per household is expected to reach A$13,867 by 2025. The World Economic Forum considers that consumer expenditure in India will grow by a factor of four up to 2030.

This means over 80% of Indian households will be middle-income in 2030 – an increase of 140 million. Another 20 million will be considered high income.

India’s emerging and aspirational middle class is seeking premium food and beverage, healthy lifestyle products, technical infrastructure, quality healthcare and education, entertainment and consumer goods.

Trends in consumer demand are encouraged by a substantial, highly-skilled Indian diaspora in Australia, which is set to number 1.4 million in 2031.

Deakin University again leads the way with India

When organisations ask how to engage with India, the answer can be found in how Deakin University has built the India relationship.

Deakin has demonstrated patience, long term commitment, adaptability and real community engagement with India.

Their latest announcement takes it to another level:

“Deakin University’s relationship with India has been a key part of who we are for more than 27 years. Our Indian students and staff are an integral part of the Deakin community and we have been shocked and saddened seeing the COVID-19 crisis unfold.

“After careful consideration about what we can do to help make a difference to the Indian community, we’ve decided to join forces with our long-time partners, Tata Trusts, through their initiative ‘One Against COVID-19’ to lend financial support and encourage our community and partners to do the same.

“Funds will go to the areas most in need, specifically to aid with:

Repairing/upgrading facilities
Staff training, and
Expert project management to improve the efficacy and efficiency of the health response

“These funds would be in addition to the existing Student Emergency Assistance Fund which supports Deakin students experiencing financial distress and would go directly to the individuals and public services in need in India.”

To Vice Chancellor Iain Martin and Ravneet Pawha, Deputy Vice President Global – well done for shining a light in the relationship with India.

Melbourne edtech firm TALi launches learning app in India

Pictured is Glenn Smith, MD, TALi Digital

I was pleased to hear from Michelle Wade, Commissioner South Asia at Global Victoria, that Victorian edtech and digital wellness company TALi Digital this week launched their Indian platform via the Times of India. The two apps — the TALi app and TALi TRAIN — are designed to improve children’s attention skills, which are so important for their ability to listen, learn and focus on tasks at home and at school. Targeting children aged 3-8.

As Michelle wrote on Linked In – “Very proud of our team, and particularly Annie Santhana, Gopi Shankar and Stuart Bland for the many months’ work and continued support to Tali Digital.”

Well done!

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IMF Projects India’s Growth Rate to Jump to Impressive 12.5 Per Cent in 2021

My good friend Mugunthan Siva is the CEO of India Avenue Investment Management – an India and Australia investment company – and he has advised me of great news for the Indian economy and investors.

The International Monetary Fund is now forecasting India to grow GDP at 12.5% in 2021 – the only double digit forecast amongst developed and emerging economies.

Expected global growth of 6% will also play a role in India’s growth given its incrementally increasing role in supply chains, the rise again of the IT outsourcing industry and its strength in pharmaceutical manufacture and export.

In 2022 the IMF forecasts a further 6.9% GDP growth for India – once again the leader of the pack. If India continues to grow like this the US$5tn goal of the Modi’s Government appears within reach in the next 4-5 years.

According to Mugunthan, India’s equity market is evolving nicely given the pivot post COVID. Market breadth has normalised and active managers are dominating the landscape again, as they should in an inefficient equity market like India’s. The next 3 years should see a strong recovery in corporate profit.

Deakin University shows how to attract Indian students in the Covid era

Iain Martin, President and Vice-Chancellor of Deakin University

Australia is a leading destination for Indian students going overseas for education – and Deakin University has been a pioneer and leader in building a strong presence in the Indian market.

The coronavirus outbreak has impacted plans for many. However, some universities have started offering scholarships and fee cuts to attract Indians.

Iain Martin, President and Vice-Chancellor of Deakin University spoke to Careers360 about the impact and the measures taken.

Q. How many Indian students have applied to Deakin in 2020? Has COVID-19 impacted the admissions?

A. Over the three intakes in 2020, over 8,500 applications have been received from Indian students. Yes, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact, especially with the closed borders prohibiting international students to travel. However, we are working very closely with our Indian partners and networks on innovative opportunities for students to begin their studies online and transition to on-campus study once travel restrictions ease. Deakin is a leader in digital education and we are well-positioned to offer our international students an excellent experience.

Q. Is Deakin offering financial sup-port to Indian students?

A. Deakin University is offering a 30 percent bursary to all Indian students enrolling during these times. Deakin has also awarded 100 percent meritorious scholarships to four deserving Indian students who will be commencing studies in November 2020.

Q. How is Deakin working on blended learning?

A. The university is offering students the opportunity to start their studies online at home through Deakin’s innovative Cloud Campus and then transfer on-campus once the borders are open for travel. Deakin has an inclusive and student-focused culture and a reputation for using innovative digital solutions to provide an engaging and personalised learning experience. One of the benefits of joining a huge online community is the incredible support students get every step of the way.

Students are able to connect with Deakin’s teachers, study mentors, student success coaches and tutors whenever they need to so that they never lose momentum on the way to achieving their study goals. Our dedicated IT support staff are available out-side regular hours, plus you can access our online library 24/7.

Q. What are the challenges and opportunities for international universities in India with the introduction of New Education Policy 2020? Is Deakin planning to set-up a cam-pus in India?

A. The NEP 2020 provides an exciting opportunity for international universities to facilitate ‘knowledge exchange’ with India. The National Education Policy 2020 allowing international education providers to come to India is a step ahead in developing its higher education ecosystem. It will definitely assist in fostering the ‘study in India’ campaign of the Indian government.

The challenges will be clear once we understand the modalities and implementation of these opportunities. Deakin has been engaging in India over the last 26 years and continues its future-focused journey of “in India, with India, for India”. The National Education Policy 2020 has helped propel our strategic vision in this new normal and we will continue to work with our existing partnerships through hybrid models of engagement including digital and face-to-face learning environments.

Thanks to Careers 360 for this information.

https://news.careers360.com/deakin-university-covid-plan-blended-learning-and-scholarships

Thanks also to Ravneet Pawha, Deputy Vice President Global and CEO India for Deakin University.

Vishal Kampani, JM Financial, applauds the Indian budget

Commenting on the recent Indian Budget, Vishal Kampani, Managing Director, JM Financial Group, said “the Finance Minister has laid the foundation for next-generation growth and deserves a big round of applause.”

The Union Budget 2021-22 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday has laid out the road map for India to achieve sustainable growth in the years to come by delivering on key expectations. By choosing growth imperatives over fiscal puritanism, the FM has clearly indicated where the government’s focus and priorities rightly lie.