Ninad Karpe, MD & CEO, Aptech Ltd, was earlier Managing Director, CA (formerly known as Computer Associates) for India & SAARC. He had been associated with CA India since the company’s inception in the country. He held numerous management responsibilities in CA India that include setting up offices in India, managing marketing, PR, technical services, HR, operations and finance. In his capacity as Managing Director of the Indian operations of the world’s fourth largest software company, Ninad’s responsibilities included driving the adoption of CA’s technology and broadening and strengthening strategic partnerships in India. Earlier, Karpe was Executive Director of CA India. In the past, he was a consulting specialist for companies seeking to invest in India. He has also authored several books on strategy, taxation and foreign investment in India and contributes regularly to newspapers, magazines and journals.
Aptech Limited is a global retail & corporate training solutions provider headquartered in Mumbai, India, with a presence across 5 continents. The company commenced its IT training business in 1986. Over the years, Aptech Limited has trained over 5 million students. In 1993, Aptech became the first IT training organization in Asia to receive the ISO 9001 quality certification for ‘Education Support Services’. Aptech prepares students for global careers in IT, multimedia & animation, hardware & networking, aviation, hospitality and travel & tourism. Corporate solutions include corporate training, assessment solutions for corporates & universities/ academic institutions and custom content development for overseas & domestic customers.
Speaking with Yash Ved of India Infoline, Ninad Karpe says, "We are planning to increase revenue from 22 to 50% in international business in the next 3-5 years."
What will be the focus areas of the company?
We want to continue to focus on multi-geography products. Also, we want to focus more on the career segment in India and in emerging countries.
Which are the new courses you are planning for students?
We have 5 brands and multiple product offering. We offer a whole basket of courses in each of the verticals from short-term courses to certification courses and degree courses in various levels i.e. IT, Networking, Hardware, Animation, Multimedia courses, Aviation and Gaming, and English teaching too.
How many centres do you have at present? What are your expansion plans in India and abroad?
We have over 1000 centres in India across all our retail brands in India and abroad. This year the plan is to add another 150 centres to the list.
Brief us about your JV with Falgo Group?
We have done a JV agreement in Brazil with the Falgo Group. The JV constitutes 51% investment from Aptech while the rest is being invested in equal parts by the Brazilian group. Aptech’s foray in Brazil will help the company to develop, expand and focus better on the entire Latin American region. This JV agreement will have 50 centres over the next three years. We have done JV agreements in Philippines in January 2010. We see extremely good potential in Philippines.
Are you planning any acquisition?
We have acquired the education business of Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC). The acquisition is through the takeover of 100% equity shares of Maya Entertainment Ltd. (MEL), the parent company of MAAC. MAAC, the second largest player in the Animation & Multimedia education industry after ARENA (an Aptech brand) is known to be a premium player-offering high end animation courses and has 70 centres in India.
What are the plans for your various divisions? (IT, Aviation, Animation and International)
We have launched a program in Cloud Computing. The program has been designed by Vijay Mukhi, Aptech’s Cloud Evangelist and the pioneer of IT education in India. The program will be rolled out in 35 countries and in phases, starting with India, Vietnam and Malaysia. The duration of the course is 40 hours, split into three levels: Level 100 (4 hours), Level 200 (12 hours) and Level 300 (24 hours). Cloud computing will enable enterprises to achieve economies of scale and agility in delivering new solutions. As you may be aware, there is an expectation in the market that over 3 million jobs will be created in the next few years in Cloud Computing space.
Brief us about your revenues in percentage terms?
22% of revenue currently comes from international business and balance 78% of revenues from domestic business. We are planning to increase revenue from 22 to 50% in international business in the next 3-5 years.
Your recruitment plans?
We have around 800 highly motivated employees in India & International locations. We hire according to the geographical expansion & business development plans.
What is your view on MBA students / B-schools today?
MBA Students need to focus more on shortening the learning curve in their jobs. They need to develop a methodical approach towards their respective functions. The summer projects/internships need to be taken with utmost seriousness – which later helps them understand the org climate better.
What is the culture of your organization and what kind of talent are you looking for?
The company has a strong culture-where employees do things because they believe it is the right thing to do. The company appreciates lateral thinking where even with a difference in opinion-all stake-holders have seamless integration towards organizational goals and objectives. We keep looking for people who are aggressive and hungry for growth and who have an undying passion & drive for education.