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Tag: #EdTech

  • ASCI processes 5532 complaints in 2021-22; education remains most violative sector

    ASCI processes 5532 complaints in 2021-22; education remains most violative sector

    Mumbai: The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) released its annual complaints report for the period April’ 21 – March’ 22, during which it processed 5,532 advertisements across mediums including print, digital, and television. Education at 33 per cent remains the single largest violative sector, followed by health care (16 per cent), and personal care (11 per cent).

    The digital ecosystem took centre stage with new categories like crypto and gaming in the top five violative categories, and nearly 48 per cent of the ads processed belong to the medium.

    In 2021-22, ASCI processed a whopping 62 per cent more ads compared to the previous year, and 25 per cent more complaints. The self-regulatory body saw an overall compliance rate of 94 per cent.

    While television and print ads remained in focus, ASCI greatly broadened its ambit by proactively monitoring advertising in the digital landscape. With the influencer guidelines coming into force last year, complaints against influencers constituted 29 per cent of the total grievances. Complaints regarding misleading claims in ads featuring celebrities saw a 41 per cent increase out of which a staggering 92 per cent were found to be violating ASCI’s guidelines.  

    Given its focus on digital monitoring, emerging categories included the relatively new categories of virtual digital assets and online real money gaming, contributing significantly to objectionable ads at eight per cent each.

    ASCI continued its proactive surveillance and 75 per cent of ads processed were picked up suo-motu. This included the AI-based monitoring that ASCI has set up for digital tracking. Complaints from consumers constituted 21 per cent of complaints, followed by intra-industry at two per cent and CSO/government complaints at 2 per cent. Out of the 5,532 total ads processed, 39 per cent were not contested by the advertiser, 55 per cent of them were found to be objectionable after investigation, and complaints against four per cent of ads were dismissed as not violating the ASCI code. 94 per cent of ads that ASCI processed needed changes so as not to violate the ASCI code.

    Talking about the annual report, ASCI chairman Subhash Kamath shared: “2021-22 was the year we followed through on our promise of increasingly monitoring the digital media given the way it has been dominating the advertising landscape. We invested heavily in technology and that has worked quite well. We also upgraded our complaints system which has made it very easy for consumers to register their complaints and for advertisers to respond to it. Going ahead, we will continue to be at the forefront in understanding how best to regulate and monitor the digital frontier, even as we keep streamlining our processes to become more responsive, and more proactive.”

    Sharing her thoughts about the annual report, ASCI CEO & secretary general Manisha Kapoor, said: “The ASCI team, the Consumer Complaints Council, the Honourable ex-high court judges on our review panel, and our domain experts have debated the nuances of advertising and scientificnevidence of thousands of ads to ensure that the process and outcomes are fair to both consumers as well as advertisers. Simultaneously, the constant update to our code ensures that we constantly offer guidance and transparency to consumers and advertisers on newer and emerging formats and categories. This helps in keeping self-regulation at the frontier of advertising developments.”

    ASCI has also upgraded its complaints system “TARA” in order to offer a seamless experience to both consumers and advertisers in the management and resolution of complaints. Features like real-time tracking of complaints aim to make the experience similar to what one would expect from any contemporary tech platform.

    Read the report here: https://ascionline.in/images/pdf/complaint-report-2021-22.pdf

  • Byju’s onboards Jiten Mahendra as VP & head marketing

    Byju’s onboards Jiten Mahendra as VP & head marketing

    MUMBAI: Edtech major Byju’s has onboarded Jiten Mahendra as the new vice president & head marketing. Before joining the edtech company, Mahendra was with retail and hospitality conglomerate, Landmark Group for over 12 years, where he drove the sales for “MAX” Fashion as senior vice president marketing,  he shared the news of his appointment on LinkedIn.

    Earlier, sharing the development of his moving on from The Landmark Group, Mahendra said, “My 12 year long innings with #landmarkgroup group and #maxfashion comes to an end.”

    “I can sum up this whole journey in two words “Passion” and “Perseverance” can make anything happen,” he further wrote, concluding with, “End of your journey is the beginning of the new one”.

    Previously, Mahendra has been associated with brands such as Mahindra & Mahindra, Kansai Nerolac Paints, Zydus Cadila and Unilever, among others.

  • Byju’s onboards Vedhanarayanan Ganeshkumar as VP – technology

    Byju’s onboards Vedhanarayanan Ganeshkumar as VP – technology

    Mumbai: In a bid to further strengthen its technology vertical, edtech major Byju’s announced on Monday the onboarding of Vedhanarayanan Ganeshkumar as vice president, technology. The company has been investing in the powerful synergy of technology and innovation by scaling its tech team, it said.

    “This new appointment is part of Byju’s concerted strategy to further enhance its world-class learning products, and accelerate innovative and impactful learning experiences for students globally,” said the edtech in a statement.

    In his most recent stint over 15 years, Vedhanarayanan held multiple senior engineering leadership roles at Amazon Global Technology organization supporting last-mile delivery, supply chain, and customer shipment tracking experience, among others and also played a key role in the growth of Amazon Global Development Center in India.

    In his new role, Vedhanarayanan will be responsible for accelerating critical technologies to further scale Byju’s tech and innovation prowess to define the future of learning. He will also build and lead a talented team of engineers, software development managers, product managers, program managers, and more.  

    “We are delighted to have Vedhanarayanan on board. His strong expertise in tech innovation will further strengthen Byju’s commitment to creating value in students’ lives and providing them with high-quality learning opportunities,” Byju’s president of technology Anil Goel said. “We look forward to working together and supporting him in achieving his goals.”

    With a career spanning over two decades, Vedharnarayanan brings a track record of ideating and delivering impactful technological innovations across companies like Amazon and Oracle.

    “Technology is a powerful instrument that has the potential to transform and reinvent how education is delivered. I am excited to join the highly motivated and talented tech team that forms the foundation of Byju’s,” commented Vedhanarayanan Ganeshkumar. “The company is already delivering cutting-edge technologies and is constantly innovating the educational ecosystem. I look forward to playing a key role in the development of next-generation education technology that makes quality education accessible, equitable, and contextual for every student.”

  • Byju’s becomes official sponsor of Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022

    Byju’s becomes official sponsor of Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022

    Mumbai: In a significant move, ed-tech major Byju’s has become the official sponsor of the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022. Through this partnership, the company will leverage its rights to the league’s marks, emblem, assets, and run promotions to connect with passionate football fans around the world. It will also create engaging and creative content with educational messages as part of a multifaceted activation plan.

    “Fifa is dedicated to harnessing the power of football towards the goal of enacting positive societal change. We’re delighted to be partnered with a company like Byju’s, which is also engaging communities and empowering young people wherever they may be in the world,” said Fifa’s chief commercial officer Kay Madati. “We look forward to supporting the promotion of Byju’s educational learning opportunities, as well as having them join the global drumbeat of excitement for the Fifa World Cup 2022 through its association with this groundbreaking tournament.”

    “We are excited to be sponsoring the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022, the biggest single-sport event in the world,” stated Byju’s founder and CEO Byju Raveendran. “It is a matter of pride for us to represent India on such a prestigious global stage and champion the integration of education and sport. Sport is a big part of life and brings together people across the world. Just as football  inspires billions, we at Byju’s hope to inspire the love of learning in every child’s life through this partnership.”

    The Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022 will take place between 21 November and 18 December.

  • Amitabh Bachchan revives his ‘Angry Young Man’ avatar in new upGrad ad

    Amitabh Bachchan revives his ‘Angry Young Man’ avatar in new upGrad ad

    Mumbai: Ed-tech major upGrad’s latest digital film features actor Amitabh Bachchan in his 70’s popular persona of the ‘Angry Young Man.’ Conceptualised by upGrad’s creative agency The Womb, the ad spot announces the launch of its new vertical upGrad Abroad. 

    Directed by Amit Sharma of Chrome Pictures, the ad film shows Big B on an uncharacteristic rampage annoyed by the fact that upGrad Abroad offerings did not exist during his college days. The film aims to reassure parents and young aspirants that learning opportunities from globally recognised institutions need not be limited by societal or financial constraints anymore.  The film is now live across upGrad’s digital platforms. 

    According to the ed-tech, aspirants who seek to attain academic qualifications from global institutes or universities can now pursue their dream through upGrad Abroad’s diversified portfolio of 20+ programs that comes with the flexibility to complete the first 12 months online, followed by the on-campus learning in the subsequent months.

    “Over decades, the world has seen Bachchan on 70mm, KBC on TV and in numerous ads,” The Womb creative head Suyash Khabya. “So, how do we show him differently now? And that’s where the idea of bringing back ‘Angry Bachchan’ struck us. At the shoot, he was as fit as a fiddle even at 80…kicking, punching, and breaking stuff. We felt as if we were reliving the Zanjeer or Deewar era again. We’re confident that just like he breaks upGrad’s office in the commercial, the ad will break clutter.”

    “Times have really changed. We live in a world where opportunities are booming across all walks of life,” remarked Amitabh Bachchan. “I enjoyed doing this ad film because I want to remind today’s youngsters and their parents that in life appreciating and seizing opportunities is what will lead them ahead. Experiencing learning in newer ways as offered by upGrad Abroad, puts forth such an opportunity where you can access global education at affordable prices.”  

    “While our recently launched upGrad Abroad vertical is a breakthrough, we realised that the bigger challenge is to first reach out to the relevant target audience and create maximum visibility for them to be able to make an informed decision,” commented upGrad India CEO Arjun Mohan. “In this regard, it was extremely critical for us to understand the market sentiment and then make a strong marketing move. And that’s when the decision of joining hands with Amit ji to further our upGrad Abroad mission, came to life; whose on-screen persona and charm will undoubtedly make heads turn and will leave a lasting impact on the audience, thus hitting the bull’s eye.”

  • Majid Yazdani appointed as VP of Byju’s Lab

    Majid Yazdani appointed as VP of Byju’s Lab

    Mumbai: Ed-tech major Byju’s has announced the appointment of Majid Yazdani as vice president of Byju’s Lab to propel and further shape the future of education at the company. Based in the UK, he will lead a team of researcher scientists to help him innovate powerful learning experiences for students.

    “Working on personalisation and other AI applications to the education sector, Yazdani will be responsible for incubating new ideas and delivering breakthrough solutions across Byju’s ecosystem of learning products at Byju’s Lab,” the company shared in a statement on Monday.

    “We are excited about having Majid on board and scaling up Byju’s Lab by harnessing the global pool of highly skilled technical talent,” Byju’s chief innovation and learning officer Dev Roy said on the appointment. “At Byju’s, we are entirely student-centric at our core. By assembling a robust team of high-caliber specialists, Byju’s aspires to make technology accessible and approachable. This will allow us to push limits, create value, and create more impactful learning programmes for students globally.”

    Yazdani has over 15 years of experience in technology and AI, having graduated from Sharif University of Technology in 2008 with a BSc in computer engineering. He previously worked as a staff scientist at Linkedin and at the Idiap Research Institute in Switzerland. He joined Facebook AI (Meta AI) in 2018. He also holds three patents and has 24 research papers in the fields of natural language processing and artificial intelligence.

    “Technology in education is not just about automation, but also about harnessing it in the best way possible to empower students into becoming lifelong learners,” remarked Majid Yazdani. “Education has the power to change the world, and I’m pleased to be joining the Byju’s family and embarking on an exciting new path to delivering tech-driven learning to make quality education accessible, equitable, and contextual for every student.”

    Byju’s Lab was launched in 2021 with the aim to be an incubator of new ideas, provide cutting-edge technologies and deliver breakthrough solutions across Byju’s ecosystem of learning products. As a global company, the company is attempting to tap further into the global talent pool by actively recruiting a wide range of applicants in the United Kingdom, the United States, and India, said the statement.

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  • upGrad ropes in Amitabh Bachchan as brand ambassador

    upGrad ropes in Amitabh Bachchan as brand ambassador

    Mumbai: Asia’s higher ed-tech major upGrad has signed actor Amitabh Bachchan as its official brand ambassador. 

    As a part of the partnership, the actor will be seen supporting upGrad’s brand value through endorsements and promotions of services offered by the edtech company, while emphasising the importance of life-long learning for progressive career growth. 

    “We take responsible marketing very seriously, and in that respect, what better than having a personality like Amit ji’s that carries so much faith and respect,” said upGrad India CEO Arjun Mohan. “Our marketing strategies are at the core of evolving industry dynamics and therefore, keeping in mind the market sentiments and audience appeal, we have taken a conscious call, which is also aligned with upGrad’s brand value of having a celebrity that resonates credibility and shall have a lasting impact on our viewers. We are elated to have Amit ji on-board and drive future developments which in turn shall further solidify our ambition of positioning upGrad as a household name, wherever they say higher education.”

    In line with upGrad’s overall marketing goals, the latest development will be followed by other events with each having a strong message addressing the higher-ed challenges that persist across the country, at large, according to the brand.

    upGrad recently unveiled its marketing campaign #AssNahinAssetBano that captures the essence of what goes around the annual appraisal period in a corporate world to create urgency amid professionals who have parked upskilling for an indefinite period.

  • EdTech sees exponential growth during pandemic

    EdTech sees exponential growth during pandemic

    Mumbai: Education has been one of the severely-hit sectors during the lockdown as the entire education system had to go online overnight. But on the other hand, the Covid-19 pandemic also led the education sector to an unplanned demonstration of e-learning methods, which was not possible otherwise. Interestingly, remote learning, which started as a substitute for offline classes for some time, emerged as a complementary and supplementary mechanism.

    The latest ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor Report gave evidence of the speed and scale of business activities in online education. Conducted on a cross-section of ZEE5 viewers in over 146 cities and towns across rural and urban India, the primary survey included parents who were also regular ZEE5 viewers from tier I, II, and III cities.

    ZEE Entertainment Enterprises chief operations officer Rajiv Bakshi said, “Innovation lies at the epicenter of our business. Coupled with our consumer-centric approach, we endeavored to introduce a property that will educate and empower our audiences as well as partners. ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor knowledge series offers the tenets, roadblocks, and insights of the sectors that have witnessed a massive change in the last two years.”

    The ed-tech report is the first in the series and highlights the disruption witnessed in the Indian education sector, fuelled by tech solutions, convenience and a new-age mindset. “We are confident that the report would benefit brand custodians and product leaders and provide new information and insights for them to make advertising and business decisions,” said Bakshi.

    The report aimed to gauge the changes in consumption patterns and consumer attitudes towards e-learning in India.  This survey by ZEE5 unearthed some interesting insights about online education. Let’s take a look!

    E-Learning Grows As A Nationwide Trend

    As the schools shifted to remote learning, 46 per cent of the survey respondents considered e-learning applications for their children during the pandemic. While 50 per cent of the parents in metro cities embraced e-learning for their children, the corresponding figure for non-metro parents stood at 40 per cent. The figures indicate that e-learning has accelerated nationwide.

    Same Quality of Education For All

    One significant benefit of e-learning apps is that they ensure a similar quality of education for all, which is impossible to imagine in offline classrooms. “E-learning platforms offer the same quality of education across the country, from tier I cities to tier II and tier III locations to the farthest corners of India,” said Toppr founder and CEO Zeeshan Hayath.

    Parents Adopt E-Learning Methods for Kids

    Millennials who were among the early adopters of computers and the internet have also emerged as the first group of parents to adopt e-learning applications. The ZEE5 report highlights that 55 per cent of millennial parents adopted e-learning platforms for their children. As millennial parents include people born during the 1990s, they have grown to see significant disruptions in technology. Hence they were quick to adapt to the e-learning applications.

    Parents See E-learning Cost As An Investment In Child’s Future

    The parents are quick to adopt e-learning and are also open to spending on the platform. As per the report, 63 per cent of parents don’t consider the cost of e-learning as a limiting factor; instead, they see it as an investment in their child’s future. According to ZEE Entertainment Enterprises’ chief operations officer, revenue, Rajiv Bakshi, parents’ willingness to adapt and invest in the new e-learning mechanism is a testimony to the efficacy and value of ed-tech.

    Internet Connectivity Still Remains A Big Barrier

    The applications offering e-learning services interact and participate in activities via computer; thus, robust internet connectivity becomes critical to this new learning mechanism. But even after winning the trust of the majority of parents, ed-tech platforms cannot effectively reach many due to the unstable internet connectivity across the country. With all family members working from home and students studying remotely, internet connectivity is insufficient. Even while mobile phones are available across the nation, the bandwidth it offers doesn’t support e-learning platforms.

    At least 40 per cent of parents feel that internet connectivity is a barrier to effective e-learning. They find internet connectivity even a more significant challenge than the cost of e-learning applications.

    Moving Towards A Hybrid Future Of Learning

    While the lockdown has disturbed human lives like never before, it has forced us towards the things that we couldn’t even think of otherwise- for example- an MNC operating entirely from home or an education system performing remotely. While we all wish to get rid of the pandemic soon, the behavioral changes it has brought will stay with us for life. As far as the education system is concerned, the ZEE5 Intelligence Monitor Report clearly illustrates that e-learning has become very effective.

    E-learning empowers individual learners and has the potential to improve access to education at a broader level when used in conjunction with the traditional class-based model, commented Bakshi on the findings of the ZEE5 survey.

    The e-learning industry trends suggest that teachers and learners have become comfortable with e-learning, they even like this system over the traditional classroom setting. And while the e-learning applications are becoming more immersive, parents also like the fact that they can monitor their children’s academic progress throughout. However, the school environment and physical interaction are crucial for children’s overall growth. We can expect the learning system to move towards a hybrid model where e-learning platforms support classroom learning. 

  • Teachmint teams up with Anil Kapoor for #NayeZamaaneKiNayiSchooling campaign

    Teachmint teams up with Anil Kapoor for #NayeZamaaneKiNayiSchooling campaign

    Mumbai: Teachmint, an education infrastructure startup and teaching platform has launched its brand new campaign featuring Bollywood veteran Anil Kapoor. Centered around the idea of ‘Naye Zamane ki Nayi Schooling,’ the all-new ad campaign decodes what makes a school truly digital in today’s world and how digitisation can empower schools and teachers, thereby benefiting the learning opportunities and experiences of students.

    The digital ad film sees Kapoor play the role of a school principal who is experiencing the benefits of having digitised his entire school. The film begins with him establishing the fact that true digitisation goes beyond just conducting “live classes,” it takes place when you automate your operations and allow your teachers to focus on what they love doing – teaching. 

    The film also highlights the brand’s features like automated test generation & correction, classroom recordings as well as end-to-end institute management which enables principals and admins to significantly boost efficiency by automating several mundane, manual processes.

    “I am delighted to be associated with Teachmint, not just as an actor but also as a strong advocate of the power of education,” said Anil Kapoor. “Tech-enablement in education will play an integral role in building the future of our nation and it’s heartening to see a young company like Teachmint revolutionize this experience for educators, schools and institutes.”

    This is Teachmint’s second significant celebrity collaboration in 2021. The company had launched its first large marketing campaign with Rajkummar Rao in April to drive awareness and adoption of its mobile-first teaching platform. 

    “We have witnessed unprecedented growth in just 17 months since launching Teachmint and this campaign marks a new milestone in our journey of building a state-of-the-art infrastructure for education,”  said Teachmint COO & co-founder Divyansh Bordia. “With this new campaign, we take this up a notch by introducing an offering to help an entire institute digitise within minutes – Teachmint for Institute. We are extremely excited to collaborate with Anil Kapoor and are confident that this partnership will help us reach out to a larger audience, connect with educational institutes and help them become more aware of the benefits of end-to-end digitisation.”