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Tag: BYJU

  • Destiny Redefined: Kriti’s Rise from Byju’s Mass Layoff to BI Developer!

    Destiny Redefined: Kriti’s Rise from Byju’s Mass Layoff to BI Developer!

    As she packed up her belongings and said goodbye to her colleagues, Kriti couldn’t shake the feeling of disbelief and betrayal. Kriti found herself among the employees affected by Byju’s mass layoffs. This news hit her hard, considering the years when she had poured her heart and soul into creating content for Byju’s, only to be let go without warning.

    Kriti, a mathematics graduate, aimed to clear the UPSC exams, a goal that she pursued with dedication for years. However, as time went on, Kriti found herself struggling with increasing financial pressures that made it difficult for her to focus solely on her studies.

    In an effort to manage her finances, Kriti took a job as a content associate at Byju’s. This role seemed like a perfect solution at first, allowing her to earn a living while dedicating time to her exam preparations. However, the workload from her job often left her exhausted. Despite her best efforts to maintain a balance, the stress of meeting deadlines and covering the vast UPSC syllabus began to take a toll on her mental and physical health.

    Eventually, she had to give up her UPSC aspirations. With a heavy heart, Kriti shifted her focus from clearing the UPSC exams to excelling in her job.

    Cut to Byju’s mass layoff

    Kriti was beyond shocked. She never imagined herself to be among the employees being laid off because of her work. She had always tried to work beyond the target.

    After her UPSC dreams fell through, Kriti felt a new determination. However, losing her job suddenly made her feel unmoored. As she packed up her desk, the weight of uncertainty about her future felt suffocating.

    Despite her initial shock and despair, Kriti knew deep down that she couldn’t let this setback define her. With a steely resolve, she vowed to pick herself up and find a way forward, even if the road ahead seemed uncertain. Kriti knew that she had the strength and resilience to overcome this latest obstacle, no matter how difficult it may seem at the moment.

    And so, with a heavy heart but a glimmer of hope flickering in the depths of her soul, Kriti took a deep breath and faced the unknown future with courage and determination. She knew that this was just another chapter in her story, and she was determined to make it a chapter of growth.

    Hence, as she pondered, Kriti remembered being fascinated by the huge growth of the data science field when doing the presentations during her previous work. That’s when she started digging deeper and wanted to pursue a data science course. However, she soon got lost because there were too many online learning resources. That’s when Kriti looked for a proper structure and came across OdinSchool, whose industry-vetted curriculum was taught by industry veterans. Their inspiring success storiesmade her join the data science course immediately.

    Today, Kriti thinks, “had it not been for OdinSchool, I would have never become a full-fledged Business Intelligence Developer. Because, I never liked coding from the beginning. When I wanted to join the data science domain, someone told me to start my journey with Python, and I ended up learning HTML. That’s how bad it was for me because I didn’t understand anything, so I didn’t know which language I was learning. I still freak out sometimes when it comes to coding, but then practice made me a lot better than I used to be. “ 
     

  • Cannes Lions Day 2: A Gold for Dentsu Creative, Byju’s & DDB Mudra win 2 Silvers

    Cannes Lions Day 2: A Gold for Dentsu Creative, Byju’s & DDB Mudra win 2 Silvers

    Mumbai: The Indian contingent carried forward its winning act into Day two, clinching three more Lions- a Gold and two Silvers, taking its metal tally to 10. Vice Media’s ‘The Unfiltered History Tour’ created by Dentsu Webchutney (now Dentsu Creative) added one more feather to its cap by winning a Gold Lion in the Digital Craft category under the Personalised Storytelling & Experience subcategory.

    DDB Mudra picked up a Silver for ‘A Silent Frown’ – a book on the untold story of Charlie Chaplin – created for the Charlie Chaplin Foundation in the Industry Craft category under the Print & Publishing subcategory.

    The second silver came for BYJUS in the Entertainment Lions category under the Talent: Film, Series & Audio subcategory for its ‘Master Ji’ campaign created in-house by the brand and produced by Dora Digs Mumbai.   

    Cannes Lions announced its second day of winners in the Industry Craft Lions, Digital Craft Lions, Film Craft Lions, Design Lions, Entertainment Lions, Entertainment Lions For Music and Entertainment Lions for Sport categories in a live awards show in Cannes, France.

    Furthermore, India’s shortlist tally increased to 57 with 20 additional shortlists across Brand Experience & Activation (10), Creative Business Transformation (1), Creative Commerce (4), Mobile (4), and Creative Effectiveness (1).

    Reacting to the Gold win, Dentsu Creative CEO India Amit Wadhwa said, “It has been a fantabulous Day 2 at Cannes Lions. After an exciting start with a Grand Prix, 1 Silver, and 2 Bronze, we are ecstatic to add a Gold to our kitty. This is indeed a mesmerising experience. A big, big thank you to all our ex and present teammates for making this happen. It has indeed been a breathtaking miracle. Also, my deepest gratitude to everyone who has held their faith in our teams and work. Thank you!”

    Dentsu Creative group chief creative officer India Ajay Gahlaut added, “After the Grand Prix yesterday, the Gold today comes as yet another validation of the quality of the Unfiltered History Tour campaign. Winning against fantastic campaigns from around the world is a great feeling. While we are extremely grateful for the recognition that our campaign has received so far at the Cannes Lions, we are hungry for more!”

    Byju’s vice president –Brand and Creative Strategy Vineet Singh said on the win, “It’s a proud milestone for us at BYJU’S. The ‘Master Ji’ campaign is a testament to BYJU’S belief in creating and driving meaningful messaging to connect with its audience. We are extremely grateful for everyone who supported us in achieving this dream run and kudos to our brilliant in-house team for ideating and executing the film so beautifully.”

     Sharing his thoughts, DDB Mudra Group chief creative officer Rahul Mathew said, “A Silent Frown is a tribute to the man who regaled us all with his craft. And to be awarded for the craft of the book is quite poetic.”

  • Why Indian ed-tech companies are going global

    Why Indian ed-tech companies are going global

    MUMBAI: The advancement in technology has brought about various revolutionary changes in the educational sector in recent years. Post the rise of ed-tech start-ups, students in India are enjoying personalised learning experiences, and as a result, the popularity of these companies among kids and grown-ups alike has risen dramatically. 

    From appointing film superstars as their brand ambassadors to offering virtual learning experiences to users, ed-tech brands in India are pulling out the stops to become the top name in the education industry. Several ed-tech companies in India have already emerged as big names, and they are now gradually extending their reach to foreign countries as well. 

    The rise and rise of Byju's

    With a user base of over 65 million and a bunch of A-listers promoting it, Byju's is undoubtedly the most popular ed-tech platform in the country. Launched in 2011 by Byju Raveendran, Byju's, in the course of years has emerged as the most trustworthy ed-tech platform for students in India. 

    Over the years, Byju's has acquired several other players in the ed-tech space, like coding platform WhiteHat Jr, TutorVista, offline test prep Aakash Educational Services, Osmo, etc. Valued at $11 billion, the Byju Raveendran-led start-up is now eager to make its presence felt in the international market. 

    Byju's is already a known name in the US ever since its acquisition of Osmo, an American learning start-up that is popular among kids aged between five and 12. During the Disrupt 2020 conference, co-founder & CEO Byju Raveendran had claimed that the company has plans to launch a digital learning app aimed at kids in several English-speaking markets. He also added that WhiteHat Jr will introduce math subjects to students in Australia and New Zealand. The company is also angling to expand its operations to countries like Singapore and Germany. 

    On the marketing side, Byju's is a brand known for its close association with the Indian Premier League (IPL). Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the IPL, has roped in 18 sponsors for this year's tournament, and Byju's has once again made the cut. As the reach of IPL is unparalleled in India, the ed-tech giant will likely continue its association with cricket in the coming years too. Moreover, the popularity of IPL is not just confined to India, and it will help Byju's to familiarise its brand among foreign viewers too. 

    upGrad: Offering courses to Indian learners from foreign universities

    Headquartered in Mumbai, upGrad is one of the largest homegrown online learning companies. It was recently reported that the start-up is planning to increase its line-up of global universities threefold in 2021. 

    Touted to be India's largest higher education firm, upGrad has already expanded its worldwide network of top universities by partnering with the University of Essex (Online), Duke Corporate Education, and Michigan State University. This move will help Indian students to pursue higher education from top-rated foreign universities, the company had said.

    "2020 has been the year when we grew over 100 per cent in terms of both, national and international university partnerships. We introduced global MBAs and made them one of the highest revenue-making verticals. Now with the recent tie-ups, we have grown three times our program portfolio to cross 100+ programs. The figures are set to double in 2021," said upGrad co-founder Phalgun Kompalli told Bloomberg Quint. 

    Last year, upGrad inked a deal with Star India to run its latest ad campaign during IPL matches. On the back of its association with the league, the e-learning platform aims to expand its global reach with an advertising blitz this year as well. 

    Mindler aiming sky high

    Mindler cannot be considered purely as an online teaching company; rather, it’s a career counselling firm that provides career development guidance services for students. Three years into the business, Mindler has succeeded in establishing operations in five foreign countries. 

    "It’s no more about saturating in India before going global…if your product is good then why not," said Minder founder Prateek Bhargava, as quoted by Mint. 

    Aspiring Minds' successful overseas run

    Another ed-tech company that has planted its flag in the overseas market is Aspiring Minds, headquartered in Bengaluru. The start-up has already ventured into countries like the United States and China. 

    Aspiring Minds co-founder Varun Aggarwal shared that they are planning to foray into other countries because they have a quality product that can be showcased globally. 

    "If you have a globally competitive product and a company with ambition, then it is wiser to go overseas. We believe what we were doing in India can be replicated anywhere in the world. We are now in China, the US, The Philippines and parts of Africa. When you talk about global – for an Indian company like us it means two key markets, China and the US. Other markets are small in comparison," he added. 

    Interestingly, Aspiring Minds' international operations account for 25-30 per cent of its overall revenue. 

  • Byju’s raises $460 million in series F funding round

    Byju’s raises $460 million in series F funding round

    New Delhi : Bengaluru based ed-tech company Byju’s has raised $460 million in its ongoing series F round led by MC Global Ed-tech Investment Holdings LP. The investment now values the ed-tech start-up at around $13 billion, according to regulatory filings.

    This is the first fund raise for Byju’s this year as it had raised over $1 billion in 2020. With the development, the holding of the promoters’ group in Byju’s which includes founder and CEO Byju Raveendran and his family now stands at 26.09 per cent.

    As many as nine investors participated in the funding round including Tiga Investments, TCDS (India) LP, Arison Holdings, XN Exponent Holdings, Baron Emerging Markets Fund and Baron Global Advantage Fund, according to news portal Entrackr, which first reported the development.

    Founded by Byju Raveendran, the start-up is on an acquisition spree ever since it acquired Whitehat Jr in 2020 for $300 million. In January, it signed an acquisition deal with brick-and-mortar Akash Educational Services for $1 billion, which is also believed to be one of the largest ed-tech acquisition deals. It is also in advanced talks to acquire smaller rival Toppr for $150-160 million, according to multiple reports.

    The Covid2019 pandemic set the demand soaring for the ed-tech firms like Byju’s which cater to students from kindergarten to Class 12. 

  • Sony BBC Earth premieres ‘Seven Worlds, One Planet’ on 20 Jan

    Sony BBC Earth premieres ‘Seven Worlds, One Planet’ on 20 Jan

    MUMBAI: India’s premium infotainment channel Sony BBC Earth is all set to premiere the much-anticipated series on biodiversity across the seven distinct continents – Seven Worlds, One Planet – on 20 January at 9PM. Narrated by the Godfather of Natural History – Sir David Attenborough – and set to a beautiful musical score by Hans Zimmer, the series will take viewers on an incredible 7-part journey revealing how each distinct continent has shaped the extraordinary animal behavior and biodiversity found there.

    ‘Seven Worlds, One Planet’ will premiere in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu and has attracted marquee advertisers including TATA Intra as the Co-presenting sponsor and Suhana and BYJU’S as the co-presenting sponsors. By telling unknown, unseen and unexpected wildlife stories, the series is set to uncover the fundamental truth about what makes each one of our seven worlds unique.  

    Rated 9.5 on IMDB and from the makers of Planet Earth II, ‘Seven Worlds, One Planet’ is shot over 4 years in 38 countries by a crew of over 1500 people worldwide and is the first time BBC Studio has explored all the planet’s continents in a single series. It not only celebrates the diversity of life on each of these continents, but also features the many challenges faced by animals in a modern world dominated by humanity.

    Given the spectacular prowess of the content, the premiere was supported by an engaging and extensive on-ground and social media plan. Starting with the global premiere at the Royal Opera House, Mumbai, this was the first time that Sony BBC Earth was a part of a one-of-a-kind global launch. Over 400 students from select schools got a chance to be the first few in the world to not only witness the first episode of this much awaited series, but also interact with the talented crew including Sir David Attenborough.

    While Royal Opera House screening was on invitation basis, Sony BBC Earth also hosted ‘open to all’ screenings of select episodes at various consumer touchpoints, to create excitement and chatter, leading to the big television premiere. In a category first move, the channel partnered with The Lil Flea, Mumbai – the city’s biggest flea market – and screened two episodes at the festival, creating a cozy, family-viewing experience. Additionally, The Lil Flea housed a thought-provoking art gallery with breath-taking visuals from each continent supported by the unheard stories that explain the diversity behind each continent.

    The channel also joined hands with India Habitat Centre in Delhi and SOCIAL in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Pune to screen South America and Asia episodes for the patrons, before the Indian Television Premiere. SOCIAL event curated a special menu inspired from the seven continents which will be available across 23 outlets in 5 cities. The idea behind the menu is to celebrate the diversity of our world in one meal.

    On social media, a robust 4-week promotion plan kickstarts with a LIVE interaction with Fredi Devas – Producer of the first episode: Antarctica, on the day of the episode premiere. Also, there’s something exciting planned for the premiere of each episode on 7 continents. Additionally, SPNI’s digital arm, Sony LIV will support the premiere by promoting it and premiering it on the app, same time as Sony BBC Earth premiere.      

  • Colgate & BYJU’s partner to educate kids

    Colgate & BYJU’s partner to educate kids

    MUMBAI: Colgate-Palmolive India recently concluded its annual Colgate Scholarship Offer that gives children from across India, a chance to win scholarships up to Rs 1 lac. While Colgate has upped the number of scholarships and the amount with every passing year, the bigger challenge that it took upon itself this year was to give something to every consumer who picked the Colgate Scholarship Offer pack and not just to the lucky few who end up winning a scholarship. In order to do that, Colgate partnered with BYJU’s, India’s leading education app, to give children access to free BYJU’s lessons.

    The partnership enabled thousands of school children to avail Maths and Science lectures curated by experts at BYJU’s, through the Colgate Dental Cream pack. Each pack offered a free one-month video tutorial subscription of BYJU’s, worth Rs 999. For children who could not access the app, the duo created special audio lectures that could be availed by giving a missed call on the number provided on the pack, and also mentioned in the TVC.

    Participation in the scholarship offer did not require consumers to buy the Colgate Dental Cream pack. The 2017 edition of Colgate Scholarship Offer received more than 49 lac entries from across the country.

    In order to inspire many more children and their parents to avail this unique offer, Colgate felt the need to show them the stories of real scholarship winners from their own regions – and how they benefitted from this program. The thought led to the decision of choosing to film individual stories of real winners in their real homes, instead of shooting a standard, scripted TVC in a studio with actors.

    After spending/shooting for a couple of days with each of the winners, across different geographies, the team came back with massive amounts of footage which was ultimately edited into short TVCs, and finally the top five stories were put on air. To make the TVC more impactful only the local winner’s story (TVC) was aired in that particular region.

    Colgate-Palmolive (India) director marketing Eric Jumbert says, “The campaign revolved around the real winners from previous years’ Scholarship Offer winners telling their real stories, which made the proposition all the more compelling.”

    Red Fuse Communications creative director Sanjay Sipahimalani adds, “We’ve seen kids across the country realise their potential and live their dreams. It has been humbling to see this change, and no advertising campaign could have been better than presenting the stories of these children to the world. Thus, our testimonial campaign was shot in a raw, candid manner. Our teams went to their houses, and spoke to them. What you see on television is their life, and their narrative.”