A private sector pioneer in the provision of high-quality professional (engineering, medical, business management, pharmacopeial, nursing etc) education, and perhaps India’s sole higher education multinational with campuses in Nepal, Malaysia, Dubai and Antigua (West Indies), the Bangalore and Manipal-based Manipal Education Group (MEG) has taken a great leap forward in new technologies-enabled distributed, aka distance learning. On May 12 Steve Ballmer, chief executive of the US-based Microsoft Inc — the world’s largest computer software development corporation (sales revenue: $60.42 billion or Rs.296,058 crore), formally launched EduNxt, a new IT-infused learning system developed by MEG.

EduNxt is the brand name under which engineering, vocational and corporate study programmes, as also testing and assessment packages are delivered via satellite technology to 610 fully-wired MEG learning centres countrywide. In these learning, centres registered students receive lectures and interactive instruction beamed from specially-equipped studios of the Sikkim-Manipal University, Gangtok.

To deliver this high-potential initiative efficaciously, MEG has roped in Microsoft, the public sector BSNL (India’s largest landline and mobile telecom company) and Netbook OEM as partners. Together, they will provide high-quality professional study — including vocational — programmes enabled by computer access and connectivity in simulated classroom environments across the country. “Currently of the 100 million Indian youth in the age group 17-24, only 11 million are able to access higher education. Therefore the only way to reach acceptable quality, job-oriented education to the remaining 89 million under-served youth of the country is through distance education. Given that India has a long-established tradition of learning in classroom environments, distance education is best delivered in the hybrid mode, which combines the reach of new communication technologies with classroom-style learning. I believe our EduNxt system is the best answer to the education needs of India’s under-served youth,” says Anand Sudarshan chief executive of MEG.

An alumnus of REC, Trichy and IIM-Calcutta, Sudarshan who signed up with MEG in 2006 is well-qualified to mastermind the group’s ambitious, capital intensive EduNxt initiative. Prior to taking charge at MEG (estimated annual revenue: Rs.1,000 crore), he served with NELCO and Computer Point (1984-89), before co-founding Microland Ltd which he served for a long stint (1989-2002). Thereafter he played a short inning as CEO of the Bangalore-based Netkraft Adea.

With the reputation of the Manipal brand (which is highly respected in India and abroad) at stake, all the stops have been pulled out to ensure that the 71,000 students, who have already registered with MEG’s 610 learning centres countrywide for IT, hospitality, healthcare, business management and 40 other vocational programmes, experience enriching study environments at affordable prices (average price: Rs.11,000 per semester). This pioneer professional education group has invested Rs.30 crore in the project, which will result in degrees and/or certification awarded by the MEG-promoted Sikkim-Manipal University, Gangtok.

“EduNxt is truly transformational and has the potential to radically alter the profile of Indian higher education. It has the power to scale up and provide highly affordable quality education to students, even in remote locations around the country. In MEG we see this innovation providing significant impetus to enrolment and employability of graduates, and proving a very positive influence on the Indian economy,” says Sudarshan.

Chalk up another first for MEG!

Dilip Thakore (Bangalore)