Bengaluru-based Ashish Gupta is founder-director of Bambinos Learning Solutions Pvt. Ltd (BLS, estb.2020, headcount: 20), a digital learning academy offering 40 specially curated extracurricular programmes ranging from teachings of the Bhagawad Gita, learning musical instruments to robotics and coding. These programmes focus on the “physical, mental, spiritual and intellectual development” of children in the 4-15 years age group through small, live interactive online classes.

Newspeg. Encouraged by enthusiastic public response to this edtech company’s eclectic menu, last December, Gupta launched operations in Singapore, Canada, South Korea and Japan. Short of its first anniversary, the company claims to have signed up 70 educators and more than 15,000 student subscribers from ten countries.

History. An engineering and business management postgrad of Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh and IIM-Calcutta, Gupta accumulated valuable professional experience over 12 years rising to leadership positions in blue-chip companies including Amazon and Cure.Fit before deciding go solo. “Last January (2020), I invested my personal savings of Rs.40 lakh to promote Bambinos and in June, our online Bambinos.live academy began operations,” he says.

Direct talk. “When my daughter turned three, I wanted her to have a broader education beyond acquiring mere academic competencies. I believe that all human beings need to learn vital life skills including inter-personal, communication, problem solving, critical and creative thinking. Children best learn these skills through extra and co-curricular activities. BLS is the outcome of these reflections conceptualised to integrate extra-curricular subjects into mainstream education and prepare children to make aptitudinally suitable career choices. Therefore in BLS, we offer a wide choice of courses for children to explore and experiment with. We believe it takes experimentation with at least four co-curricular/extra-curricular activities before they can focus on any one,” says Gupta.

Business model. Subscriptions for an unlimited courses package range from Rs.15,999 per quarter to Rs.59,999 per year.

Future plans. Encouraged by enthusiastic public response to Bambinos’ enriching online co-curricular and extra-curricular menu in India and abroad, Gupta has drawn up ambitious expansion plans. “My team has recently finalised a blueprint to take 500 educators on board and offer more than 50 extra-curricular learning programmes,” he says.

Wind beneath your wings!

Paromita Sengupta (Bengaluru)