Pramod Tripathi is the Indore-based founder and CEO of EnglishBug Educational Resources (EBER, estb. 2005), an education services company offering K-12 students, teachers and working professionals English communication, personality development, linguistics translation and localisation services. Started as a supplementary English language training provider for teachers and students in the Hindi heartland state of Madhya Pradesh, this proprietary firm struck it big when in 2008, it began providing translation services to IT behemoth Microsoft, and later Google and Facebook, translating their software, apps and websites into 40 Indian languages. Last June, the firm introduced its Automatic Reading Programme (ARP), a first-of-its-type “physio-sensual programme”, which enables learners to “pronounce unfamiliar words at a glance”. Currently, the firm has signed up 100 students for ARP. 

Newspeg. Earlier this month, EBER celebrated its 12th anniversary, marking the event with a two-day workshop in accent and voice grooming at Indore’s Vidvantage Institute.

History. Bitten by the English language learning bug since he was belatedly introduced to the subject in class VIII, Tripathi self-learned and mastered linguistics in high school and did not hesitate to share his knowledge with peers. In 1992, while still a class X student, Tripathi launched Saral English Tutorial, operating from his home with a first batch of seven students. Even while studying for a B.Com degree at the APS University, Rewa (Madhya Pradesh), Tripathi continued to take English classes and simultaneously engaged in linguistics research. In 2005, he promoted EnglishBug Educational Resources after infusing capital of Rs.6 lakh raised from family and friends.

Direct talk. “Given the limited impact of conventional phonetics on Indian children and adults and difficulties with pronunciation of alien English words, I did intensive linguistics research for an alternative. In 2005, I started researching physio-sensual phonics or common language sense and began piecing ARP together. I believe ARP will enable millions of Indians to overcome their English learning and communication difficulties. The programme is unique in that it reduces the mother tongue influence and clears diction,” claims Tripathi. 

Tuition fees: ARP — Rs.1,000-3,000 per month per capita.

Future plans. Tripathi is confident that ARP will be a big hit in Madhya Pradesh, where even English language teachers struggle to pronounce common everyday words and lapse into Hindi. “I intend to roll out a franchise model statewide in April 2018. This will be followed by a campaign targeting budget private and government school students countrywide, and an online ARP programme. Although the state government continues to deny it, pushing and promoting Hindi and vernacular languages, the demand for learning English in India is huge,” says Tripathi.

Odeal D’Souza (Bangalore)