Spread across 2,300 sq ft, the Big Umbrella Preschool and Activity Centre at Gowalia Tank in south Mumbai is a place where parents can give their kids a head start on the finer things in life.
Spread across 2,300 sq ft, the Big Umbrella Preschool and Activity Centre at Gowalia Tank in south Mumbai is a place where parents can give their kids a head start on the finer things in life, starting with an internationally designed preschool curriculum and classes equipped with video-conferencing facilities. And just for an annual fee of Rs1,65,000 for the preschool membership.
However, Shreena Doshi, director of the centre insists there is no restriction on who can join. “Yes, there is an exclusivity factor but at the same time, it is a very warm and friendly place,” says Doshi.
A similar operation is brewing in a 7,500 sq ft space in the up market Atria Mall in Worli. Kidville, set up in New York 6 years ago, is a yuppie parent’s dream come true. The Mumbai centre, due to open in October, will feature an indoor playground, retail boutique and a salon.
“We certainly do not want to foster groupism. If a class is open, anybody who registers can attend. While the pricing will be as competitive as possible, we also want to be able to provide value,” insists Rosenyn Kapur, managing director and CEO of Kwakids Learning Pvt Ltd, which will open 100 Kidville locations over the next 10 years in India.
However, Chandni Mehta, counselor and CEO of Jumping Genius, a 3-year-old city-based preschool and activity centre, feels it’s not yet time for quality homegrown preschools to hit the panic button.
“These new franchises are a good sign since they will be catering to somebody’s kids. But for most parents, a local setup that provides somewhat the same features at 1/3rd the cost should do just fine.”
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