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The Smart Techie was renamed Siliconindia India Edition starting Feb 2012 to continue the nearly two decade track record of excellence of our US edition.

July - 2007 - issue > Entrepreneur

Well-researched Education through the Internet

Michael Paulraj
Monday, July 2, 2007
Michael Paulraj
It was in 1994 that Shantanu Prakash started the company Educomp Solutions Ltd to help schools set up computer labs, taking advantage of the government’s policy to encourage computer education in schools. The venture has now grown into a leading eLearning provider serving the markets in India and abroad. He had just graduated from IIM Ahmedabad when he teamed up with some friends and started an entrepreneurial venture in 1988. The reason for his foray into entrepreneurship at the very beginning of the career was, to put in his own words, “The pay packets were not seductive enough in those days.”

The first challenge he faced was mobilizing funds as banks give loans only on collaterals and Prakash didn’t have much. But Prakash was sure that the niche he had identified was set to grow at a rapid pace in the following years. He managed by availing of financial assistance from non-banking finance companies, which, of course, came at a higher interest rate. After twelve years, in 2005-2006 fiscal, Educomp had a turnover of Rs 54 crores ($13 million), while the market value of the company is Rs 984 crores ($284 million). Capital began pouring in with the U.S. buyout fund Carlyle buying a 15 percent stake in the company.

Innovative eLearning programs
Educomp specializes in creation of eLearning content, providing the e-Learning tools to the teachers and students, and management of learning. Teachers are trained in both the subject they specialize in and technology utilization. The company works hand-in-hand with schools to develop and deliver innovative course models in line with the prescribed curriculum. The company began producing digital content for classrooms and simultaneously focused on the professional development of teachers. Thus it functions as an interface between the learners and educators.

Educomp’s “Smart Class” system adds a new facet to using technology in the classroom. The educational content and teaching ideas from Educomp help teachers enhance the students’ academic performance. The technology used is simple, practical, easy to handle. The instructor-led multimedia content and instructional materials are created according to specific syllabi of the schools. The technology enables teachers evaluate the performance and growth of each student instantly.

Smart Class helps engage the student’s interest in learning while in the classroom. The students are enabled to move on to higher modes of thinking and difficult to understand abstract curriculum concepts are made easier to comprehend and visualize.

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