upGrad, an integrated learning, skilling and workforce development company, has inaugurated 100 offline connect and counselling touch-points and learning centres in India to bolster its online growth. The first two counselling centres have already been opened in Mumbai and Delhi, along with the first two learning centres in Indore & Pune, according to an official release.
upGrad claims that its initial response has been robust, with more than 500 career counselling sessions conducted within the first 30 days. The aim is for these 100 centres to counsel over half a million individuals regarding their career choices, while the learning centres are expected to enroll more than 10,000 learners, the release mentioned.
To further expand into non-metro areas and smaller towns and accelerate operations in the next 12 months, the company claims to have allocated an initial fund of Rs 100 crore. This initiative complements upGrad’s existing offline presence, which includes more than 50 franchises and 150 channel partners, as per the release.
“We’ve identified the high-demand geographic pockets that will allow talents beyond metros to experience the sincere hand holding they need in their lifelong learning journey. Our centres are designed to enhance and ensure every learner who walks in, either existing or potential, resonates with the brand DNA and mission to further support them in fast-tracking their decision-making process,” Mayank Kumar, co-founder and MD, upGrad, said.
These centres will function as hubs for career counselling, catering to individuals seeking to upskill and reskill. They will offer access to all of upGrad’s courses and programmes in a single location, it added.