SANJAY GUPTA
Chief Executive, EnglishHelper Tech Aid for English
India’s large English-speaking population has often been credited with playingasignificantroleinthesuccessofits services sector. However, with other emergingeconomiescontinuingtoclose the linguistic gap and given the limitations of our vernacular-oriented education system, the advantage India has held so far may not last for too long.
EnglishHelper, founded by US-based serialentrepreneurVenkat Srinivasan, has been set up to bring effective and affordable technology to help people with their English language proficiency.
The start-up, which was came into existence in 2008,has developed two learning tools, ReadToMe and WritingAssistant, aimed at students seeking to learn and improve their reading and writing skills using the software’s multi-sensory interactive tools. “The philosophy is to get them to read and build their vocabulary. The tools have to be contextual and have to enable people to learn at their own pace. There has to be cognitive recognition,” Sanjay Gupta, chief executive, EnglishHelper, said. “We have gone to schools, skill building organisations and industry. We are not constrained by age or economic background,” Gupta, who formerly headed American Express’ India operations, said. The start-up reaches 200 schools, from less than 10 at the end of 2011, and counts almost 50,000 users, up from 2,000 over the same period.
3 TIPS TO RAISE MONEY
Tailor the product to a consumer need, do not offer generic products
Get the brand out on the streets before approaching venture capital firms
Get your distribution channels in place, a start-up cannot afford to have supply chain issues
Chief Executive, EnglishHelper Tech Aid for English
India’s large English-speaking population has often been credited with playingasignificantroleinthesuccessofits services sector. However, with other emergingeconomiescontinuingtoclose the linguistic gap and given the limitations of our vernacular-oriented education system, the advantage India has held so far may not last for too long.
EnglishHelper, founded by US-based serialentrepreneurVenkat Srinivasan, has been set up to bring effective and affordable technology to help people with their English language proficiency.
The start-up, which was came into existence in 2008,has developed two learning tools, ReadToMe and WritingAssistant, aimed at students seeking to learn and improve their reading and writing skills using the software’s multi-sensory interactive tools. “The philosophy is to get them to read and build their vocabulary. The tools have to be contextual and have to enable people to learn at their own pace. There has to be cognitive recognition,” Sanjay Gupta, chief executive, EnglishHelper, said. “We have gone to schools, skill building organisations and industry. We are not constrained by age or economic background,” Gupta, who formerly headed American Express’ India operations, said. The start-up reaches 200 schools, from less than 10 at the end of 2011, and counts almost 50,000 users, up from 2,000 over the same period.
3 TIPS TO RAISE MONEY
Tailor the product to a consumer need, do not offer generic products
Get the brand out on the streets before approaching venture capital firms
Get your distribution channels in place, a start-up cannot afford to have supply chain issues
Biswarup Gooptu ET120621
No comments:
Post a Comment