ST Bureau
New Delhi
Avagmah
is an edtech startup that enables an MBA degree through a mobile app, and is
already helping thousands of India’s young professionals satisfy their career
ambitions with an MBA from recognized Universities. Avagmah also provides an
intuitive technology platform on a managed services model to assist
universities and offers web and mobile application platforms, helping
universities manage the lifecycle of their students, including marketing,
admissions and other administration processes and the delivery of the courses.
New Delhi
Avagmah
is an edtech startup that enables an MBA degree through a mobile app, and is
already helping thousands of India’s young professionals satisfy their career
ambitions with an MBA from recognized Universities. Avagmah also provides an
intuitive technology platform on a managed services model to assist
universities and offers web and mobile application platforms, helping
universities manage the lifecycle of their students, including marketing,
admissions and other administration processes and the delivery of the courses.
Avagmah
was founded in November 2013 by Karthik KS, Sankar Bora and Prasad G Palla. It
has raised an undisclosed seed funding from Kris Gopalakrishnan and Atul Nishar
in March 2016 and has raised a total of $5 million since inception.
was founded in November 2013 by Karthik KS, Sankar Bora and Prasad G Palla. It
has raised an undisclosed seed funding from Kris Gopalakrishnan and Atul Nishar
in March 2016 and has raised a total of $5 million since inception.
In an
interview with Startup Terminal, Karthik
KS, Co-founder & CEO, Avagmah shares more insights about the venture
and future goals.
interview with Startup Terminal, Karthik
KS, Co-founder & CEO, Avagmah shares more insights about the venture
and future goals.
Excerpts:
ST: What was your inspiration behind starting
up a new venture?
up a new venture?
Karthik
KS: The present Gross
Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education in India is around 24% with only 33
million students enrolled in higher education, which is far below the developed
countries GER of 50%+. The Govt. of India has set a target of achieving 30% GER
by 2020. To enrol the additional 10 million students to achieve this target,
even if we have a massive scale up of infrastructure, the quality of education
imparted cannot be improved. Such expansion and improvement in quality would be
possible only through usage of powerful ICT tools, mobile and increasing
internet penetration in the country.
KS: The present Gross
Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education in India is around 24% with only 33
million students enrolled in higher education, which is far below the developed
countries GER of 50%+. The Govt. of India has set a target of achieving 30% GER
by 2020. To enrol the additional 10 million students to achieve this target,
even if we have a massive scale up of infrastructure, the quality of education
imparted cannot be improved. Such expansion and improvement in quality would be
possible only through usage of powerful ICT tools, mobile and increasing
internet penetration in the country.
The Avagmah Platform is specifically
designed to enable universities supplement traditional academic pedagogy with
online academic delivery. This is what makes the Avagmah Platform the default
destination for mid-career re-education for professionals who otherwise wouldn’t
have been able to pursue their higher education from conventional mode. Using
the platform, classes can be conducted and attended from anywhere by just using
the internet.
designed to enable universities supplement traditional academic pedagogy with
online academic delivery. This is what makes the Avagmah Platform the default
destination for mid-career re-education for professionals who otherwise wouldn’t
have been able to pursue their higher education from conventional mode. Using
the platform, classes can be conducted and attended from anywhere by just using
the internet.
The Avagmah Platform, designed for
busy, ambitious professionals, solves the fundamental issues of access, quality
and equity of higher education by connecting globally qualified faculty to
reach thousands of quality students across geographies on any device.
busy, ambitious professionals, solves the fundamental issues of access, quality
and equity of higher education by connecting globally qualified faculty to
reach thousands of quality students across geographies on any device.
I (Karthik KS) along with Sankar Bora
and Pasad G Palla co-founded Avagmah in November 2013.
and Pasad G Palla co-founded Avagmah in November 2013.
ST: Please tell us more about your
organization.
Karthik KS: Avagmah is an EdTech company which
provides the intuitive Avagmah Platform to universities and institutes
including IIM Bangalore, AIMA, Pondicherry University and NMIMS Mumbai among
others.
provides the intuitive Avagmah Platform to universities and institutes
including IIM Bangalore, AIMA, Pondicherry University and NMIMS Mumbai among
others.
The
platform helps universities reach a wider audience, where every university is
provided a customized service model based on their individual requirements and
goals. It also assists universities to manage marketing, student counselling,
enrolment, virtual classroom, content development, student engagement and
retention and much more using the Avagmah Platform. For students, the Avagmah
Platform provides quality education delivered at your fingertips, better than a
traditional classroom, using intuitive technology at every step. The platform
is custom built to provide every student with guidance, interactivity and
personalization across app and web.
platform helps universities reach a wider audience, where every university is
provided a customized service model based on their individual requirements and
goals. It also assists universities to manage marketing, student counselling,
enrolment, virtual classroom, content development, student engagement and
retention and much more using the Avagmah Platform. For students, the Avagmah
Platform provides quality education delivered at your fingertips, better than a
traditional classroom, using intuitive technology at every step. The platform
is custom built to provide every student with guidance, interactivity and
personalization across app and web.
Beyond transforming offline courses to
the online mode, Avagmah provides a better than physical classroom learning
experience. Students in Avagmah powered programs have busy personal and
professional lives and balancing this with their higher education is not easy.
Significant time and effort of every student is spent in planning and
scheduling their subjects and homework. The Avagmah Platform removes the need
for this effort through the Personalised Study Plan. The Personalised study
plan schedules ‘learning items’ across subjects in a customized manner, based
on each student’s progress and available learning time per week.
This removes the hassle of planning their study schedules on a daily basis and
lets them focus on only one thing, learning.
the online mode, Avagmah provides a better than physical classroom learning
experience. Students in Avagmah powered programs have busy personal and
professional lives and balancing this with their higher education is not easy.
Significant time and effort of every student is spent in planning and
scheduling their subjects and homework. The Avagmah Platform removes the need
for this effort through the Personalised Study Plan. The Personalised study
plan schedules ‘learning items’ across subjects in a customized manner, based
on each student’s progress and available learning time per week.
This removes the hassle of planning their study schedules on a daily basis and
lets them focus on only one thing, learning.
Further, learning from your classmates
is one of the key requirements for students enrolling with top university
programs. The Avagmah Platform provides the same experience of collaborative
learning, where classmates are divided into cohorts and each cohort works on
their assignments, case studies and much more directly on the platform. The
Avagmah Platform integrates synchronous and asynchronous learning for students
to simultaneously work on case studies and group projects. The Avagmah platform
is also provides live interactive classes, video lectures, downloadable content
with additional reference study materials like case studies, group assignments
and submission, model question papers and self-assessments for exam prep and so
on.
is one of the key requirements for students enrolling with top university
programs. The Avagmah Platform provides the same experience of collaborative
learning, where classmates are divided into cohorts and each cohort works on
their assignments, case studies and much more directly on the platform. The
Avagmah Platform integrates synchronous and asynchronous learning for students
to simultaneously work on case studies and group projects. The Avagmah platform
is also provides live interactive classes, video lectures, downloadable content
with additional reference study materials like case studies, group assignments
and submission, model question papers and self-assessments for exam prep and so
on.
ST: What business opportunities do you see
particularly in your sector-Edutech?
particularly in your sector-Edutech?
Karthik KS: The Indian
higher education market including technical education is the largest education
market in the world. As of 2014, 33.7 million students are enrolled. With the 30% GER target to be achieved by
2020, an additional 10 million students are expected to enrol.
higher education market including technical education is the largest education
market in the world. As of 2014, 33.7 million students are enrolled. With the 30% GER target to be achieved by
2020, an additional 10 million students are expected to enrol.
The
Distance learning enrolments in India are expected to grow to 8.8 million by
2019 with the market size expected to grow to ~$18 bn by 2019.
Distance learning enrolments in India are expected to grow to 8.8 million by
2019 with the market size expected to grow to ~$18 bn by 2019.
Avagmah
offers customized solutions to address the entire market size and each of its
segments.
offers customized solutions to address the entire market size and each of its
segments.
 |
| Avagmah leadership team (L to R: Prasad G Palla, Karthik KS, Sankar Bora) |
ST: How has been your
entrepreneurship journey so far?
Karthik KS: Entrepreneurship is a very exciting
journey. It gives you the opportunity to work with some of the best minds in
the world, such as entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, to launch exciting
new ideas, based on market understanding and thorough research. Over time, as these
ideas are further adapted and success delivered, the end consumer benefits from
your work and this becomes the most satisfying experience as an entrepreneur.
journey. It gives you the opportunity to work with some of the best minds in
the world, such as entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, to launch exciting
new ideas, based on market understanding and thorough research. Over time, as these
ideas are further adapted and success delivered, the end consumer benefits from
your work and this becomes the most satisfying experience as an entrepreneur.
ST: As an entrepreneur, what
challenges do you face in your day to day professional life, if any?
Karthik KS: A good
idea needs capital at the right time. It is only when the two come together that
it can result in a huge impact. Chasing this capital takes a toll on management
bandwidth. However, there is no shortcut to it as capital owners need to
understand the potential and risk before they invest. It is a part and parcel of
the job of an entrepreneur.
idea needs capital at the right time. It is only when the two come together that
it can result in a huge impact. Chasing this capital takes a toll on management
bandwidth. However, there is no shortcut to it as capital owners need to
understand the potential and risk before they invest. It is a part and parcel of
the job of an entrepreneur.
ST: How big is your team? Are you
planning to hire more?
Karthik
KS: We currently have
a highly qualified and experienced team of 80 and counting. As we plan to
expand into other regions, we would be looking at growing our team.
KS: We currently have
a highly qualified and experienced team of 80 and counting. As we plan to
expand into other regions, we would be looking at growing our team.
ST: What are your future plans?
Karthik
KS: Avagmah has
proven a successful business model in South India and has now expanded into
other geographies, replicating the same success model in other regions. Over
the next few months, several new universities and institutes will be joining
the platform to deliver their programs to students across geographies on the
Avagmah Platform.
KS: Avagmah has
proven a successful business model in South India and has now expanded into
other geographies, replicating the same success model in other regions. Over
the next few months, several new universities and institutes will be joining
the platform to deliver their programs to students across geographies on the
Avagmah Platform.
Further, with new universities and new
geographies, the student enrolments will see an exponential increase.
Send us your feedback at startupterminal@gmail.com
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geographies, the student enrolments will see an exponential increase.
Send us your feedback at startupterminal@gmail.com
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