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While the Indian economy grows tremendously every year with the increase in working population, there continues to be a wide gap between the skilled labour force and the employment opportunities available. According to a 2014 <keyword id="6355833" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="united-nations">United Nations</keyword> report, India has the world’s largest youth population of 356 million 10-24-year-olds and by 2020, India is expected to become the world’s youngest country. As 68.8% of Indians live in the rural areas, the problem of underemployment looms one of the fastest growing countries in the world. <keyword id="6653" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="ICICI-bank">ICICI Bank</keyword> through their <keyword id="6354502" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="CSR">CSR</keyword> division <keyword id="339601" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="ICICI-Foundation">ICICI Foundation</keyword> is actively trying to close this gap in by focusing on <keyword id="2840939" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Skilling-India">Skilling India</keyword> before Making in India. ICICI is trying to reach the very last mile to train the underprivileged youth across the length and breadth of the country, and these programs have already trained approximately 2,00,000 individuals to achieve their dreams. Uplifting a community One such individual is <keyword id="6162243" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="arjun-solanki">Arjun Solanki</keyword> who had to let go of his education at the young age of 14 when he lost his father to tuberculosis in the small village of Baroda Sindhi, near Indore, <keyword id="6355554" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Madhya-Pradesh">Madhya Pradesh</keyword>, His life took a tough turn and while his friends went to school every morning, Arjun would head to fields and building sites to find work. His family depended on him for their daily bread and he was forced to look for work every day for survival. So, when Arjun’s friend Shravan advised him to take up a two-month paint application course to enable him to find better employment, he was willing to learn. The free-of-charge course was held at <keyword id="2974508" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="ICICI-Academy-of-Skills">ICICI Academy of Skills</keyword> where Solanki was enrolled for a two-month period while his elder brother supported the family during that time. At that time, Solanki didn’t realize that his life was about to change; he not just learnt how to paint immaculately but also learnt how to work in a formal organization by emulating soft skills like how to talk to potential clients, and gain trust to close work contracts. Arjun’s hard work and persistence paid off when Rajesh Roshan, a painting contractor from Indore hired him and promoted him from a supervisor to a subcontractor in just ten months! He now gets contracts regularly and has gained popularity amongst his peers for his success. Solanki realizes how the skill training changed his life and now has higher ambitions than ever before. Arjun has uplifted his family from poverty and bought them a pukka house in the village. Not just that, he has even put a borewell outside his home for the community use and has inspired the villagers to pursue skill training courses. From struggling to earn Rs. 100 a day looking for labour work, Solanki is now employing trained youths from the Academy of Skills who work alongside him on considerable painting contracts. When he entered the <keyword id="6162242" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="icici-skill-academy">ICICI Skill Academy</keyword>, he was not aware at the time that he will be able to build a beautiful life for himself, his family and his community. <div type="Youtube" id="hdmzwrkmh3o" title="ICICI Bank - Corporate Social Responsibility - Arjun Solanki" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hdmzwrkmh3o/mqdefault.jpg"></div>

 People who enter the industries, currently have limited understanding of the business they are entering therefore targeted initiatives focused on particular skills can help train individuals better for taking up any job. ICICI has designed several programmes under the Skill Development initiative that provide trainees with industry-relevant vocational skills. ICICI Academy for Skills (IAS) The ICICI Academy for Skills offers training in 11 technical and office skills and the courses are specially crafted for underprivileged youth between the ages of 18 and 30 years. It has trained over 79,000 candidates through its 24 centres free-of-cost. To ensure best-in-class skill training programmes, the Academy has partnered with various industry leaders as knowledge partners to co-create the course curriculum and content and has also set-up laboratories for imparting practical training. Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) As part of a national programme initiated by the <keyword id="386230" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Rural-Development">Ministry of Rural Development</keyword> (MoRD), ICICI has set up Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) in Udaipur and Jodhpur. This programme focuses on providing free vocational training in locally-relevant skills that empower villagers to be self-reliant. The initiative also promotes entrepreneurship and development of micro-enterprises by providing loans. ICICI RSETIs offer 38 programmes and over 61,000 individuals have been trained at RSETIs. RSETIs offer 2-4 weeks courses for underprivileged rural people in the age group of 18-45 years. ICICI also makes sure that the needs of local employers are mapped to design relevant courses under the rural initiative that are customised to suit the local requirements with a focus on practical execution of skills. All the trainees are additionally oriented on life skills, financial literacy and workplace organisation (Five S) to ensure a holistic learning experience. The ICICI Foundation has tied up with a large number of industry partners to provide employment opportunities to their trainees. The trainees have been placed in over 1000 companies including Eureka Forbes, Daikin, Bluestar among others. ICICI Foundation also promotes self-employment and encourages trainees to set up their own micro-enterprises like Arjun Solanki who has become self reliant after a two-month skill training course. <a href="https://www.icicibank.com/csr/index.html?utm_source=business_insider&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=csr2017&amp;utm_content=skill-development-business-insider-article" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by ICICI Bank </a>

Here’s how a free skill training course uplifted a daily-wage worker out of poverty

<keyword id="6355629" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Google" source="Orion">Google</keyword> and <keyword id="3602182" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Meity" source="Orion">MeitY</keyword> Startup Hub, an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), on Wednesday announced a cohort of 100 Indian early to mid-stage startups, to help these startups build high-quality global apps and games as part of the <keyword id="12397921" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="appscale-academy" source="Orion">Appscale Academy</keyword>. As part of the six-month programme, the 100 startups will be trained through a customised curriculum designed to help them drive high-quality apps for a global market. "Startups and developers are key drivers of <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>'s digital transformation journey. We at MeitY value our partnership with Google, and it gives me immense delight to further boost this spirit of innovation with the Appscale Academy Programme," said Bhuvnesh Kumar, Joint Secretary, MeitY. Startups of the Appscale Academy cohort are solving for some of India's critical needs through creative homegrown solutions. These include BitClass (a live learning platform), Farmyng Club (a social platform for farmers to improve their livelihood), Kutuki (preschool learning app), Sunita's Makerspace (a community to foster innovation), Stamurai (a platform offering affordable and high-quality speech therapy), LearnVern (a job-oriented skilling app offering courses in vernacular languages), Vivasayam (an app promoting organic farming), and many more. "India is uniquely positioned to become a leading hub for global app innovation with tremendous opportunity for Indian startups across the country, regardless of size and location, to thrive in the global app ecosystem," said Purnima Kochikar, Vice President, Play Partnerships, Google. The 100 startups were chosen from over 400 applications following an in-depth selection process. Representing the talent diversity emerging among India's startup and developer ecosystem, 35 per cent of the cohort come from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, including Surat, Vadodara, Kanpur, Lucknow, Meerut, Morbi, and many others. Nearly 58 per cent of the cohort have a woman in a leadership role. "Our mission with Appscale Academy is to empower early to mid-stage startups with the right knowledge and mentorship to drive app and game innovations for the world," said Jeet Vijay, CEO, MeitY Startup Hub. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/maruti-icici-bank-hdfc-bank-hero-motocorp-amongst-top-losers-today-as-russia-ukraine-conflict-continues-to-worsen/articleshow/89939475.cms">Russia-Ukraine war, dipping auto sales dampen market mood – Maruti, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Hero MotoCorp amongst top losers</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/vodafone-idea-reportedly-wants-the-government-to-release-15000-crore-bank-guarantees/articleshow/89937099.cms">Vodafone Idea reportedly wants the government to release ₹15,000 crore bank guarantees ahead of its fundraising plan</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/tata-steel-jindal-steel-hindalco-nalco-and-other-steel-and-metal-stocks-up-today-because-russias-supply-disrupted/articleshow/89939527.cms">Indian metal companies to benefit from Russia’s supply disruption due to war with Ukraine</a>

Google teams up with MeitY to help 100 Indian startups build global apps

It is World Youth Skills Day and <keyword id="6569577" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Skill-India">Skill India</keyword> is also celebrating its first anniversary on the occasion. Skill India is one of the pet campaigns by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is aiming at making India top country for providing workforce.

	India is inching towards providing vocational training to youth of the country, making them learn skills, which will also provide livelihood to them, especially in the rural sector.

	The year 2015-16 has been quite remarkable for India as over 1.04 crore youth were trained under various initiative of ‘Skill India’, marking 36.8% growth compared to the year before. 
	 
	Modi also regards skill development as a national priority and as per experts, through concentrated efforts and more awareness and centres, India can make this mission a roaring success.

	One of the best decisions taken in this regard was creating a separate ministry for Skills, which brought Skills, Vocational Training and Livelihoods as an important means of nation-building to the forefront.

	Apart from the government, many private institutions have been training the youth and imparting various skills. Many have also set up centres and colleges to generate employment and give trained youth jobs.

	There are many success stories that do the rounds in the corridors of such colleges, inspiring many others to participate in Skill India and improve the livelihood. 

	For instance, Skill India is very close to President Pranab Mukherjee’s heart and he has ensured that 1500 employees at the sprawling Rashtrapati Bhavan, get certified under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) component of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), across 18 job roles.

	The program has ensured that the people working at the President’s house get oriented to their job roles, are assessed on their existing skills and then certified basis the National Skills Qualification Framework.
 Apart from the President, ICICI and <keyword id="6354720" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ola">Ola</keyword>, top employers and companies in India, have also made sure to impart skills.
 <keyword id="3206069" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ICICI-Academy">ICICI Academy</keyword>, a nation-wide skill building initiative, has been improving the employment prospects of India’s youth.

	In fiscal 2016, ICICI opened 11 new centres and more than 25,000 youth were trained at the with representation of women at 41%.

	Now, ICICI Academy for Skills has 22 centres, including 10 centres exclusively for women.

	There are various skills imparted here such as tractor mechanic, lab assistant at diagnostic centres, two &amp; three wheeler service technician and retail sales, communication, etiquette &amp; grooming and financial literacy, etc.

	Meanwhile, Ola has signed several MoUs with different governments to train youth. They have so far committed to training 3.2 lakh youth across these states.

	The taxi aggregator has partnered with the National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation to support entrepreneurship, skill development training and self-defence courses for Safai Karamcharis and Scavengers.- May 2016.

	It also inked an MoU with Andhra Pradesh government and commited investments of Rs 150 crore in the next three years to train youth and provide safe travel. Ola will provide skill development training to 50,000 driver entrepreneurs over the next 3 years.

World Youth Skills Day: Starting from the President, everyone is doing their bit

Technology is transforming banking at an unprecedented pace. It’s impacting every part of the business including customer expectations, products, processes, and people. We believe, in 2017 disruption of the Indian banking industry will be led by five technologies. Following the success of the Jan Dhan program, the Government has asked banks to step it up by enrolling all customers in mobile banking by 31st March. While it may actually take much longer than that, there is little doubt that mobility will continue to be at the forefront of a changing banking landscape. Next, open banking, riding on initiatives such as Unified Payments Interface (<keyword id="6358921" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="UPI">UPI</keyword>), will make it extremely simple for customers to engage with providers of the best, most contextual experience, regardless of where they have their bank accounts. With a number of data centers springing up in the country, including the ones by leading global providers, Indian banks now have more avenues to run their systems from the cloud. If banking is to become a platform business, such as Uber or Airbnb, involving open collaboration with an ecosystem of providers, there is no option but to run it on the cloud. The fourth technology to disrupt banking is clearly Artificial Intelligence. Early signs of AI are visible in <keyword id="6653" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="ICICI-bank">ICICI Bank</keyword>, which has used Robotic Process Automation on 200 processes or more, and in HDFC Bank, which has deployed a robot in its branch. But this is just the beginning. Banks will follow with AI investments across functions spanning the front, middle and back office. Last but not least is blockchain, where once again, ICICI Bank has taken the lead by setting up a pilot network with Emirates NBD for trade finance and remittance transactions. Blockchain has also attracted the attention of the regulators; <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/rbi-arm-tests-tech-behind-bitcoin/articleshow/56575335.cms">recently</a> RBI’s research arm, IDRBT, completed an end-to-end test on blockchain in a trade application that had multiple financial institutions, banks, clearing houses, and regulators involved. These technologies will not just change things at the front end; they will transform business models. And that will obviously create an impact on the workforce as well. For instance, just one technology – AI– could automate several processes and help banks achieve scale without adding new resources. <a href="https://www.icicibank.com/aboutus/article.page?identifier=news-icici-bank-introduces-software-robotics-to-power-banking-operations-20160809103646464">ICICI Bank</a> strongly believes that automation will enable their employees to focus on more value-added services while having better work-life balance. Our view is that while new digital technologies will automate a number of routine, repetitive jobs, they will also create a sizeable demand for new skills such as experience design, data scientists, among others. The point to note is that unlike static jobs of the past, these roles will constantly shift and change; some will go away in a few years and others will be added. This will pose a tricky workforce management challenge for Indian banks, who until now have trained people for specialized positions and lifelong careers. Going forward, they will have to nurture a versatile and flexible workforce that can slip in and out of different roles, not once, but several times in a career. An important part of that is to have employees who can work at the intersection of banking, technology, and value – people with reasonable knowledge of both the business and technology domains – given that the lines between various functions within an organization are rapidly blurring. A good example is an initiative by <keyword id="6355975" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Axis-Bank">Axis Bank</keyword> called <a href="http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/business-wire/axis-bank-launches-axis-academies-twin-tracking-capabilities-for-the-future/article9461215.ece">Academies</a>, to build the proficiency of its workforce partnering with institutions such as INSEAD, CRISIL, INSOFE. The bank is enabling its employees to become future ready as digital bankers, while selecting an area of specialization. The bank calls it “Twin-Tracking”. Rotation policies will assume great significance in this scenario. Banks must shift personnel around to challenge them to adapt to new roles, acquire new capabilities, and be more creative in whatever they do. ICICI Bank credits its innovativeness to a policy that says any project must go live in 90 days. The Bank says that the only way it can meet such a demanding target is by assigning each project to a specially assembled cross-functional team, which works exclusively on it for that period. The future belongs to banks that are “truly digital”. Among other things, such banks are highly empathetic to customers. If a bank has to be empathetic as a whole, all its people, and not just customer-facing staff, need to walk the talk. For that, all p<a name="_GoBack"></a>ersonnel must be sensitized to customer needs, and trained to think “customer first” regardless of whether they serve in the front or back office. A good example here is DBS Bank, <a href="http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/digital-mckinsey/our-insights/the-digital-reinvention-of-an-asian-bank">which won the Digital Bank Award</a> from Euromoney recently. The bank has a big focus on getting their company technology literate with a slew of initiatives for enabling their employees, changing the culture of their organization and embracing digital more pervasively. Can our banks turn these changes around overnight? Clearly not. People-related change is the hardest kind; hence banks need to approach it thoughtfully. It will also take them several years to reskill the workforce at so many levels. In the short-term, to make the most of opportunities which will not wait, banks can look at partnering with fintech companies and other startups to partly bridge their skill gaps. In the long-term, however, they would have to do it the hard way by establishing a culture of lifelong learning. (The article is authored by Mahesh Dutt Kolar, Vice President &amp; Head - APAC, Infosys Finacle)

Here’s how technology is driving future of the banking workforce

<ul><li>Two mompreneurs started <keyword id="3893684" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="dabble" source="Orion">Dabble</keyword>, which produces child-friendly, toxin-free and development-friendly products for art and play. </li><li>It was incubated at NSRCEL, IIM Bangalore’s flagship business incubator. </li><li>Despite low sales, the founders’ vision and quality of products left the sharks impressed.</li></ul>When it comes to creating safe and fun products for children, moms really do know best. At least, that was the case when mompreneurs Neha Bajaj and Karen Saldanha appeared on <keyword id="11924074" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="shark-tank-india" source="Orion">Shark Tank India</keyword> S2 to pitch their startup Dabble. Dabble produces child-friendly, toxin-free and development-friendly products for art and play, which are made from natural and safe ingredients like organic beeswax, natural waxes, coconut oil, etc. Founded in 2017, the Bangalore-based startup was incubated at NSRCEL, IIM Bangalore’s flagship business incubator. “When we parents try to inspire creativity in our children, we buy art products for them. But when children try to become creative, we act like the traffic police. Why? For the safety of our children,” shared Saldanha on the show. Impressed by their product and vision, Shaadi.com founder Anupam Mittal offered to come on board as a third partner. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Cooking more than just food!" comment="subhead2" text="Cooking more than just food!">Cooking more than just food!</cmsannotation> Bajaj and Saldanha are both moms of children aged below 10. Saldanha holds an MBA degree in management and finance from the School of Communication and Management Studies, Cochin. She has worked with ICICI Prudential Life Insurance and PlatinumOne Learning Solutions in the past. Bajaj, on the other hand, is a photographer who has worked with publications like Lonely Planet, Travel &amp; Leisure, and others. She graduated with a degree in journalism from Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru, before pursuing a Master’s in photography from Light &amp; Life Academy, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu. Bajaj and Saldanha <a href="https://yourstory.com/2021/04/the-turning-point-art-startup-dabble">met </a>at an expressive art therapy course in Bengaluru and became friends. Inspired by their own search for locally available safe art products, the two started Dabble in Bajaj’s kitchen - experimenting with various organic and natural materials. The experimentation continued with the duo commissioning a food technologist and cosmetologist to develop the formulations. Ultimately, in 2019, Dabble sold its first product. Dabble, which started with crayons and finger paints, currently has 10 products for children aged 1 and above - art accessories like glue, canvas board, etc. along with art &amp; craft kits and combo sets. The products are available on the company website and marketplaces like Amazon and FirstCry. The paint brushes are ergonomically designed to make them easier for children to hold and use. Apart from regular crayons, Dabble also produces crayons in different shapes that are fun to play with. The products are designed keeping in mind the emotional and mental needs of children and are safe enough to cause no harm, even if children accidentally ingest them, claimed the founders. “We are the first company in India to have printed the entire list of our ingredients on our packaging…We decided to take this step as mothers, to build transparency,” shared Saldanha on the show. Dabble achieved sales of ₹17 lakh in FY20, ₹14 lakh in FY21, and ₹47.5 lakh in FY22. Its year-to-date FY23 sales stood at ₹33 lakh. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Products that should be flying off the shelves" comment="subhead2" text="Products that should be flying off the shelves">Products that should be flying off the shelves</cmsannotation> Though impressed by the product, packaging, and vision, the Shark Tank India panel was concerned about the low sales, prompting sharks <keyword id="824423" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="peyush-bansal" source="Orion">Peyush Bansal</keyword>, co-founder of Lenskart and Namita Thapar, executive director at Emcure Pharmaceuticals, to back out. “A product like yours should have been flying off the shelves. Sales are not strong, so I’m out. But I think you have a great product,” remarked Thapar. However, Shaadi.com founder Anupam Mittal made an offer to go on board as a third partner, and not just as an investor. He thus offered ₹50 lakh for 33.33% equity in the company. This valued the company at ₹1.5 crore. “I can give you ₹50 lakh but I'll come in as the one-third part. I’m not at all giving a valuation to the company. I want to be somebody who can come in as a business partner and help your business move in the right direction, and subsequently, scale up,” remarked Mittal. While Sugar Cosmetics co-founder Vineeta Singh also backed out, boAt co-founder Aman Gupta offered an equity-and-debt deal – ₹15 lakh investment for 10% equity with ₹35 lakh debt at 0% interest. This also valued the company at ₹1.5 crore. “I can’t be your co-founder where I want one-third of your share. I don’t want to run your company,” shared Gupta. Both Gupta and Mittal tried convincing the founders on which deal was better. Ultimately though, the founders agreed to Gupta’s offer - an investment of ₹15 lakh for 10% equity with ₹35 lakh debt at no interest. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/adani-enterprises-fpo-subscription-details-stock-price/articleshow/97476824.cms">Adani Group stocks continue to witness volatility: Adani Enterprises FPO subscribed 20% so far</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/hero-xoom-with-a-sporty-design-launched-in-india-price-specs-and-more/slidelist/97479369.cms">Hero Xoom with a sporty design launched in India – price, specs and more</a>

To not ‘police’ children’s creativity, moms create child-friendly art products & find investors on Shark Tank India

<ul><li><keyword id="6251606" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="classplus" source="Orion">Classplus</keyword> is among the highest valued Indian <keyword id="2989202" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="edtech-startups" source="Orion">edtech startups</keyword> outside of the unicorn club.</li><li>The edtech startup on Tuesday announced its $70 million funding round co-led by Alpha Wave Global and Tiger Global.</li><li>It is a mobile-first SaaS platform that allows educators and content creators to build their online presence.</li><li>The company claims to have more than 100,000 educators and content creators from over 3,000 towns and cities.</li></ul>Classplus — a company that helps educators and content creators launch online classes — is now valued at $600 million. The edtech startup on Tuesday announced its $70 million funding round co-led by Alpha Wave Global and Tiger Global. With this, Classplus is among the highest valued Indian edtech startups outside of the unicorn club. A unicorn is a private company valued at or over a billion dollars. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Companies </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Valuation </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Backers </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Scaler Academy </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$710 million </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Tiger Global, Sequoia India </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Classplus </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$600 million </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Alpha Wave Global, Tiger Global </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">BrightChamps </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$500 million </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Premji Invest, Flipkart’s Binny Bansal </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Teachmint </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$500 million </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Lightspeed, Better Capital </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table>Source: Company Announcements Abu Dhabi-based Chimera Ventures also joined Classplus’ Series D round, along with existing investor RTP Global. The company plans to use this capital to enhance its product and further expand its global presence. “We’ll be deploying the freshly infused funds to take our product up by notches and expand our presence globally. Going forward, we’ll also be investing in new acquisitions and partnerships that will enable us to continue delivering best-in-class experience to the educators and helping them create an impact in the education system by building bigger and stronger businesses,” Mukul Rustagi, chief executive officer (CEO) and cofounder of Classplus, said. Classplus was founded in 2018 by Bhaswat Agarwal and Mukul Rustagi. It is a mobile-first software-as--a-service (SaaS) platform that allows educators and content creators to build their online presence, digitise their offline tuition centres and sell their courses online. It focuses on both academic and non-academic courses like fitness and lifestyle, personal finance, language training and more. The company claims to have more than 100,000 educators and content creators from over 3,000 towns and cities. Classplus <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/teachmint-has-acquired-3-startups-airlearn-teachmore-and-teachee-this-month/articleshow/88560790.cms">competes with Teachmint</a> and Zoho’s<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/zoho-is-selling-its-video-calling-app-in-as-many-ways-as-possible/articleshow/88137006.cms"> latest offering TainerCentral</a>. Devendra Agrawal, founder and CEO of Dexter Capital Advisors, in a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/india-now-has-four-edtech-unicorns-byju-unacademy-eruditis-upgrad/articleshow/85300757.cms">previous conversation </a>with Business Insider highlighted that players like Teachmint and Classplus have the potential to be India’s next unicorns. SEE ALSO <a class="tout-title-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/tata-power-icici-bank-aurobindo-pharma-among-stocks-to-watch-out-for-on-march-29/slidelist/90507868.cms">Tata Power, ICICI Bank, Aurobindo Pharma among stocks to watch out for on March 29</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/personal-finance/news/link-pan-with-aadhaar-before-march-31-to-avoid-any-penalty-or-other-consequences/articleshow/90510078.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Three days left to link PAN with Aadhaar to avoid any penalty or other consequences</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/india-might-be-building-a-super-app-for-its-farmers-combining-weather-market-updates-advisories-and-more-in-one-app/articleshow/90509756.cms">India might be building a super app for its farmers, combining weather, market updates, advisories and more in one app</a>

Classplus is now among the highest valued edtech startups outside of the unicorn club

Tamil drama "<keyword id="10477675" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="koozhangal" source="Orion">Koozhangal</keyword>" ("Pebbles"), directed by filmmaker Vinothraj PS, has been selected as <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>'s official entry for the 94th Academy Awards. The movie follows an alcoholic abusive husband who, after his long-suffering wife runs off, sets out with his young son to find her and bring her back. It stars newcomers --Chellapandi and Karuththadaiyaan -- and is produced by <keyword id="2571616" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vignesh-shivan" source="Orion">Vignesh Shivan</keyword> and Nayanthara. "India's official entry for Oscars this year is 'Koozhangal'. It was picked by a 15-member jury, headed by filmmaker Shaji N Karun, in a unanimous decision," Supran Sen, Secretary General, Film Federation of India, told PTI. A total of 14 films, including Malayalam feature --"Nayattu", Tamil film "Mandela", filmmaker Shoojit Sircar's "Sardar Udham", Vidya Balan-starrer "Sherni", Farhan Akhtar's "Toofan", Captain <keyword id="188665" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vikram-batra" source="Orion">Vikram Batra</keyword> biopic "Shershaah" and Marathi film "Godavari", were in the race. Shivan also took to Twitter and shared the news that the film will represent India at the Oscar's best international feature category. "There's a chance to hear this! And the Oscars goes to... Two steps away from a dream come true moment in our lives... #Pebbles #Nayanthara @PsVinothraj @thisisysr @AmudhavanKar @Rowdy_Pictures Can't be prouder , happier &amp; content," he posted on the microblogging site. Vinothraj said he was grateful for all the love and support. "Could not be more happier to receive this news," he tweeted. "Koozhangal" had won the top honour, the Tiger Award for best film, at the 50th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), earlier this year. Following the announcement, filmmaker Hansal Mehta sent his best wishes to the team behind "Koozhangal". "All the best to this little gem! What is important is that this film's onward journey gets solid support both strategic and financial or else these selections only remain a local cause for celebration," he tweeted. Director Onir also congratulated the cast and crew and said he is looking forward to watch the film in theatre. "Congratulations@PsVinothraj@VigneshShivN@AmudhavanKar. Looking forward to watching #Peebles in the theatres . Have heard so much good things about the film. Best wishes," he wrote. The 94th Academy Awards are scheduled to take place on March 27, 2022 in Los Angeles. The nominations will be announced on February 8, 2022. No Indian film has ever won an Oscar. The last Indian film that made it to the final five in the best international feature category was Ashutosh Gowariker's Aamir Khan-starrer "Lagaan" in 2001. The other two Indian movies to have made it to the top five are "Mother India" (1958) and "<keyword id="488018" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="salaam-bombay" source="Orion">Salaam Bombay</keyword>" (1989). India's entry for the 2021 Oscars was Malayalam feature "Jallikattu", directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/icici-bank-net-profit-rises-25-on-lower-provisions-in-september-quarter/articleshow/87226034.cms">ICICI Bank net profit rises 25% on lower provisions in September quarter</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/apple-is-hiring-engineers-and-interns-for-their-tech-team-in-india/articleshow/87205763.cms">Apple is hiring engineers and interns for their tech team in India</a>

Tamil drama 'Koozhangal' is India's official entry for Oscars 2022

<ul><li>The United States, <keyword id="6361754" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="united-kingdom">United Kingdom</keyword> and Canada are among popular choices among most <keyword id="43976" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-students">Indian students</keyword>.</li><li>According to the data released by the <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/study/indians-studying-at-london-universities-register-astonishing-growth/articleshow/81589610.cms">Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) </a>cited by The Economic Times, 13,435 Indian students are enrolled currently in <keyword id="2519901" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="London-universities">London universities</keyword>.</li><li>A study by <keyword id="5956277" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Leverage-Edu">Leverage Edu</keyword> also revealed that 75% of the students registered on their platform are keen to pursue <keyword id="6375224" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="higher-education">higher education</keyword> in the UK.</li><li>A few prestigious scholarships available for Indian students who wish to pursue their studies in UK.</li></ul>When it comes to studying abroad, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada are popular choices among most Indian students. These three countries have a big majority of the world’s best ranked universities. “The reason behind choosing these three destinations is that the governments of respective countries are opening up their higher education and immigration policies and communicating in a far more welcoming manner for <keyword id="113647" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="International-students">international students</keyword>,” says Akshay Chaturvedi, founder and chief executive of Leverage Edu, an online <keyword id="68134" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="study-abroad">study abroad</keyword> and career counselling platform. According to the data released by the <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/study/indians-studying-at-london-universities-register-astonishing-growth/articleshow/81589610.cms">Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) </a>cited by The Economic Times, 13,435 Indian students are enrolled currently in London universities -- a growth of 87% this year as compared to last year. A study by Leverage Edu also revealed that 75% of the students registered on their platform are keen to pursue higher education in the UK. These are a few prestigious scholarships available for Indian students who wish to pursue their studies in UK — 1. Chevening Scholarships It is one of the most coveted scholarships available for international students to study in the UK that provides complete financial support for one-year postgraduate programmes in the country. It covers around more than 12,000 courses in almost 150 universities. The applications are open for students who wish to <a href="https://www.chevening.org/scholarship/india/">apply</a>. 2. Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships The governments of 53 Commonwealth Countries offer <keyword id="49588" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="scholarship">scholarship</keyword> rewards to students from Commonwealth nations. It covers a wide range of postgraduate and PhD courses in various big universities. Students who wish to study can apply <a href="https://cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/scholarships-results/?wpv-cscukscholarshipcountry=india&amp;wpv_filter_submit=search">here</a>. 3. The British Academy It offers various scholarships and funding assistance to international students for doctoral and research scholars in any discipline including humanities and social sciences. The last date for applying for this scholarship is September 29. Students can apply <a href="https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/knowledge-frontiers-international-interdisciplinary-research/">here</a>. 4. The Royal Society This scholarship is open for science students who are early career researchers. The candidate must have 3-8 years of research experience after completing their PhDs. The last date for applications is September 7, interested candidates can apply <a href="https://royalsociety.org/grants-schemes-awards/grants/university-research/">here</a>. 5. Gates Cambridge This scholarship programme was started by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge University and offers other discretionary funding as well. This is available only for postgraduate and PhD students. The application for next year will open in September. Students who wish to study can apply <a href="https://www.gatescambridge.org/apply/how-to-apply/">here</a>. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/education/news/these-are-some-of-the-universities-that-offer-free-education-for-international-students/slidelist/84463712.cms">Planning to study abroad? These are some of the universities that offer a free education for international students</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/banking-jobs-hdfc-axis-icici-and-other-banks-are-hiring-across-the-country/articleshow/84666214.cms">Banking jobs: HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank and more are hiring across the country for various roles</a>

Planning to study in the UK? These are a few scholarships available for international students

<ul><li>The year 2020 pushed <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> to the top position in <keyword id="3836614" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mobile-game-downloads">mobile game downloads</keyword> with 7.3 billion installs.</li><li>From developing to designing games and programming, a job-seeker can craft his/her career by doing special courses available in this sector.</li><li>Here is a list of a few renowned colleges and institutions across India from where you can pursue <keyword id="8421297" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="gaming-courses">gaming courses</keyword>.</li><li>From animators to artists to producers — These are some of the career options for students who seek to build a career in the <keyword id="739806" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gaming-industry">gaming industry</keyword>.</li></ul>According to the <keyword id="69007" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Economic-Forum">World Economic Forum</keyword> (WEF), India's soaring gaming industry was valued at $930 million, last year. As per the data revealed by WEF, the year 2020 pushed India to the top position in mobile game downloads with 7.3 billion installs. As India’s gaming sector gained momentum, youngsters have spotted it as a serious career choice too. From developing to designing games and programming, a job-seeker can craft his/her career by doing special courses available in this sector. These are some of the renowned colleges and institutions across India from where you can pursue gaming courses — <ul><li>Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University — Pune The college offers Bachelor of Science (BSc) in animation and gaming. This course covers both the production and animation aspects. One can directly enter the industry after completing this course of three years. The fees for the course is close to ₹1,00,000 per year.</li></ul><ul><li>Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC) — Mumbai The institute offers a variety of short term diploma and certification courses in visual effects (VFX), gaming, multimedia, design and many more. The courses will cover all key aspects of gaming. The fees can range from ₹62,000 to ₹1,08,000 depending on the course.</li></ul><ul><li>Arena Animation The institute, which is located at various locations across the country, offers various short term diploma courses in gaming which covers all aspects of game design and development. The fee structure for gaming courses can vary between ₹50,000 to ₹4,00,000 depending upon the course.</li></ul><ul><li>Zee Institute of Creative Arts — Bengaluru The academy provides various 6-12 months professional courses in game designing and development. The fee structure could vary between ₹45,000 to ₹1,10,000 depending on the course and duration.</li></ul><ul><li>ICAT Design and Media college The college, spread across cities, offers a wide range of courses — bachelor’s, master’s and professional programmes in designing, developing, programming, visual effects and many more. The fees structure can vary from ₹30,000 to ₹1,00,000 depending upon the course.</li></ul> These are some career options for students who seek to build a career in the gaming industry, according to Leverage Edu, an online career counselling and study abroad platform — 1. Game Animators Game animators are professional multimedia artists who specialise in <keyword id="25195" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="video-games">video games</keyword>. The role of a game animator is to create interactive animated images using technology and art. According to Glassdoor, a game animator’s average salary is ₹18,000 per month. 2.Game Artists Game artists create 2D and 3D visual art of visual elements in a video game. They play a major role in making the storyboard a reality by giving expressions to the characters and backgrounds. A game artist can earn an average salary of ₹45,000 per month, according to Glassdoor. 3.Game Producers Game producers are basically owners of the project. The producers are responsible for coordinating with the designers, lead artists, lead programmers to work out characters and scenarios in the game. The average monthly salary of a game producer can be ₹51,000, according to Glassdoor. 4. Game Writers Game writing is an art of writing scripts and narratives for video games. The writer develops the plot and dialogues, and also works to design a storyline for the game. The average salary of game writers in India is ₹3,00,000 per annum, says Glassdoor. 5. Game Testers A tester sits for hours testing new games and locating bugs and flaws before the game is introduced in the market for customers. According to Linkedin, the average salary of a game tester is ₹16,000 per month. 6. Audio Engineers Audio engineers are responsible for adding realism to the video games with exotic sounds. Every game has its own unique sounds and music and the audio engineer needs to make it attractive for the customers. An audio engineer can earn nearly ₹6,00,000 per annum in India, according to Glassdoor. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/banking-jobs-hdfc-axis-icici-and-other-banks-are-hiring-across-the-country/articleshow/84666214.cms">Banking jobs: HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank and more are hiring across the country for various roles</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/education/news/these-are-some-of-the-universities-that-offer-free-education-for-international-students/slidelist/84463712.cms">Planning to study abroad? These are some of the universities that offer a free education for international student</a>

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Planning to study in the UK? These are a few scholarships available for international students

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