Core Projects & Technologies Ltd (CPT), a Mumbai-based IT company listed (and highly fancied) on the Bombay Stock Exchange which earned its spurs in competitive markets in the US and Britain as a “leading provider of best breed end-to-end solutions in the education domain worldwide”, is all set to make its India debut. The company promoted in 2005 by Mumbai-based IT entrepreneur Sanjeev Mansoutra has been providing information communi-cations technology-enabled curriculum-mapped content to 116 schools in the US and 139 schools in the UK for the past four years, chalking up sales of Rs.675 crore in fiscal 2008-09. On the cards now is an ambitious blueprint for marketing and certifying e-content, i.e learning programmes delivered through television, CDs, DVDs and other electronic media in India.
“From April next year, the company will roll out a series of e-learning vocational education packages and offer training services to government personnel and primary school teachers which will enable them to quickly upgrade their skill-sets and improve productivity. The distinguishing characteristic of our e-content is that it will be pedagogically certified,” says Dr. Ajay Chauhan, head of the India division of CPT, who is spearheading this hitherto export-oriented company’s maiden foray in the Indian marketplace.
An economics and philosophy graduate of Rajasthan University — where he learned the dismal science under the late and legendary Prof. Raj Krishna — Chauhan acquired his Ph D at IIM-Ahmedabad under the guidance of renowned economist and former governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Dr. C. Rangarajan. A latter day polymath with experience across a swathe of industries, Chauhan began his career in the Indian Space Research Organisation, and served with several blue-chip companies including Asian Paints, Grindwell Norton, HCL (1987-90), Times of India (1990-94), IndusInd Cable Television, Zee Convergence and the Finnish multinational Teleste. Subseqently he re-entered academia as director of the Thakur Institute of Management, Mumbai (2002-06) and India Online Broadband prior to signing up with CPT in 2007.
“Although a large number of companies are engaged in the business of e-learning and marketing e-content, the content is not pedagogically certified and varies from vendor to vendor. Our intent is to establish academic standards for content delivered through electronic media, certify e-learning content and also to develop and market duly certified and qualitatively approved e-learning curriculums and content. High-potential e-learning urgently needs industry standards and certification. We intend to provide it,” says Chauhan.
God speed.
Neha Ghosh (Mumbai)