Page 50 - EducationWorld March 2022

People

billion (Rs.15,000 crore). With over has impacted the careers of over 3
100 million millennials looking to lakh working professionals through
pursue and monetise their creativity, its 30 learning centres countrywide.
India is a high-potential market for The company has agreements
Skillshare. We plan to make signifi- with over 20 academic partners
cant investments in the country this including IIM-Ahmedabad, IIM-
year. The company currently has Trichy, University of Toronto/
numerous creators based in India Rotman Business School, Imperial
producing authentic content that College Business School, UK,
resonates with creative youth and WeSchool among others, and over
professionals,” says Kaul. 1,000 corporate partners including
Future plans: Skillshare’s focus on Accenture, American Express, Axis
the creative arts gives its “value Bank, Tech Mahindra and Infosys.
proposition a unique edge” despite Newspeg. Last October, Jaro
competing with several international Education launched a series of
and homegrown edtech compa- innovative joint programmes
nies. Besides running acquisition including its Future Leader
campaigns to attract new learners, programme, a collaboration between
Kaul: significant investment promise Skillshare also conducts special
programmes — ‘Teach Labs’ and
travel films, and Chaitanya Limaye, ‘Teacher Success’ to help creators
illustrator and animator who worked (teachers) polish their classes before
on the Oscar winning The Jungle broadcasting them on the platform.
Book. “Skillshare wouldn’t be what it
History: Founded by Michael Karn- is without its teachers. We make
janaprakorn, Skillshare moved from every effort to ensure they have the
in-person teaching to an online plat- right tools, training and resources
form back in 2012 to “democratise to produce quality content through
learning and make acquiring creative our Teach Labs and Teacher Success
skills affordable and accessible to programmes. We want to boost
everyone”. Skillshare’s two-sided India’s creative economy and aim
marketplace connects teachers, who to support creative professionals
take online video-based classes, to expand our online learning
with learners who pay an annual community. Currently we have over
subscription fee (Rs.1,788) to access 1,000 teachers from India on our
over 30,000 video-based lessons in platform and the plan is to increase
creative disciplines such as graphic that number substantially in the
design, photography, painting, illus- coming years,” says Kaul. Raman: bridging industry-academia gap
tration and interior design. Dipta Joshi (Mumbai)
A computer engineering gradu- leading advisory services firm KPMG
ate of the Sardar Patel Institute of Executive educator in India and Australia’s high-ranked
Technology, Mumbai, Kaul seems Deakin University.
the perfect fit to lead this increas- History. A fashion technologist and
ingly popular tutorial hub in India. ANJITA RAMAN is the business management alumna of
Earlier, this ed-tech entrepreneur Mumbai-based CEO of Jaro NIFT, Mumbai and IIM-Ahmedabad,
co-founded Chase, a digital creativity REducation Pvt. Ltd (JE, Raman began her career in 2007 as
learning ecosystem in 2018, which estb.2009) — a constituent of the a talent acquisition associate with
was acquired by Bitclass in July Jaro Group of companies. JE is an NetHR, a Jaro group company. In
2021. edtech company that provides world- 2009, she was inducted into Jaro
Direct talk. “India is one of the larg- class executive education, certificate Education’s core management team.
est markets for Skillshare outside and degree programmes included, to “Since then, I have handled various
the US. The Indian edtech industry enable junior, middle and senior- and diverse responsibilities, start-
has witnessed phenomenal growth level working professionals to upskill ing as a team lead, senior manager,
since 2020 and is now valued at $20 and advance their careers. general manager, vice president,
billion with an annual revenue of $2 Since inception, Jaro Education director, COO and eventually CEO.

50 EDUCATIONWORLD MARCH 2022