An alumnus of the Indian School of Business (Hyderabad) and the National Institute of Technology (Kurukshetra), Karthik KS has 23 years of experience in sales and operation and 14 years in the corporate training industry. While he co-founded 24x7 Learning, an institute that is into online learning implementation, in 2001; Avagmah Online School (AOS), their latest venture, was launched in 2010. On his visit to Pune as an active proponent of e-learning, Karthik spoke with DNA on compelling value proposition of online education delivery and the success mantra of AOS.
There many educational institutes that offer online distance education. What is the USP of the online school you have started?
The highlights of our courses are virtual campus with 24x7 access to learning systems, course material and real-time faculty lectures, at the click of a mouse. We have converted the physical classroom into a virtual one, using technology and Internet as backbone. Our customised self-instructional material is developed in-house, along with case studies, assignments, project works as an integral part of learning. We strictly maintain the ratio of one faculty for a batch of 50 students.
The advantage at AOS is that students can instantly clarify their doubts with faculties because each session is live and interactive. Students can directly login to classes from their homes or workplace. Online sessions are flexible and usually conducted either late in the evenings or on weekends to fit the schedule of working professionals. The sessions are also recorded and archived, so that students can revisit or download them if they have missed a session.
Why did you shift from creating online education platform for corporate houses and educational institutes to individual training?
With usage of technology for education, we want to address the core problem of skill gap in our educated populace. We have ten years of experience in imparting education to corporates and individuals. We create comprehensive online education and training platforms for corporate houses and educational institutions. Our online school is a higher education initiative partnering with premier management and technical institutions such as Harvard Business Publishing, Annamalai University, KPMG, Thapar University, Network 18 and Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad. Our industry partners ensure our courses are designed to meet the needs of the industry, besides offering internship and placement opportunities to students.
What is the advantage of the long-term programmes the school offers in MBA and BBA?
Our online MBA for working people is especially for mid-career professionals who are considering advancing their educational qualification, during off hours. Our University Grants Commission-approved MBA courses are built in accordance with the latest business trends, in eight streams of management. The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) programme is for those who are keen on pursuing business and marketing careers. The online degrees are recognised by UGC and accredited by Distance Education Council (DEC).
Our online MBA is a cost-effective option for corporate organisations to keep their employees abreast of the changing business trends and new management technologies. The fee for two-year MBA programme is Rs40,000 per year.
Are your short-term online courses industry-oriented?
We offer short-term courses in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)certified by KPMG, NexGen Managers for aspiring managers, Project Management Professional training for current managers, Six Sigma training for operations and quality experts and SkillBridge English for enhancing English speaking skills.
Our online distance certification programme on IFRS is specially designed for finance professionals for a smooth transition from the existing generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) to the internationally accepted IFRS system. On successful completion of the NexGen Managers online management programme, the students will be awarded a co-branded certificate from Avagmah and Harvard Business Publishing.
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