Last week, Sri Chaitanya-backed ed-tech platform Infinity Learn acquired WizKlub, a cognitive development edtech start-up that help build ‘thinking skills’ in schoolchildren. “In addition to technical skills, a lot of employers today value cognitive skills, and far more will do so in the near future,” says Ujjwal Singh, president & CEO, Infinity Learn. In an interview with FE’s Vikram Chaudhary, he adds that these life skills will prepare young learners for future jobs. Excerpts:
What will you gain out of acquiring WizKlub?
We aim to help develop cognitive skills in kids at an early age when their grasping and retaining capabilities are high, making them learn higher order thinking skills (HOTS) like analytical thinking, complex problem solving, critical thinking, innovation, active learning, and the ability to use technology to solve real-world problems. These life skills will prepare young learners for future jobs, as modern employers not only seek talents with technical skills but also soft skills.
How many acquisitions have you done prior to this? Are you actively looking at more acquisitions for growth?
We have acquired two more companies: Teacher, a digital community platform for teachers, and Don’t Memorise, a concept-based multilingual content platform. WizKlub is our third acquisition, and that too in the first year of our operations. We will continue to look for more such acquisitions in the days to come.
Do you think virtual learning is as good as physical classroom learning for competitive examination preparation?
We strongly believe hybrid learning is the future of education. Although online learning tools and platforms have brought massive transformations to the table, it doesn’t mean offline learning will go out of fashion. At Infinity Learn, we want to leverage both and make learning fun and engaging. Our recently launched HyFlex Classrooms is a testimony to this.
Of late, a lot of edtech platforms have got cricketers as their brand ambassadors, including Infinity Learn, which has chosen Rohit Sharma. What is the reason for choosing cricketers?
Any brand should choose ambassadors that resonate with its ethos, visions and missions. Rohit Sharma’s success story perfectly fits these three aspects. At Infinity Learn, we believe that nobody can stop you from achieving success and excellence in life if you put efforts from early years.
Sri Chaitanya also runs courses that help a student get into IITs. Does Infinity Learn run independent of what Sri Chaitanya does as far as competitive examination preparation is concerned?
Yes, we at Infinity Learn also help learners prepare for other competitive exams like JEE and NEET.
Do you have plans to expand beyond JEE and NEET?
We started with test prep as we had the know-how (expertise coming from Sri Chaitanya). But recently we have also begun courses from 8th grade onwards. We plan to include lower grades as well.
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