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As India’s demand for industry-ready talent has evolved over the years, Aptech has remained at the forefront of skill development and vocational education. What began in 1986 as a computer training and education company has grown into a global skilling enterprise with a presence in more than 40 countries. Through brands such as Arena Animation, MAAC, and Lakmē Academy Powered by Aptech, the company has expanded into diverse sectors including Animation, VFX, Gaming & Comics (AVGC), beauty and wellness, aviation, hospitality, and enterprise learning, continually aligning its offerings with emerging industry requirements.
In this interview, Sandip Weling, Whole-time Director & Chief Business Officer, Global Retail, Aptech Ltd., discusses the company’s growth journey, key milestones, emerging trends in skilling, and its vision for the future of workforce development in an AI-driven world.
Aptech has evolved from a pioneering vocational training institute into a global skilling brand. What key milestones have shaped this journey?
Aptech's journey is closely intertwined with the evolution of India's knowledge economy. As we complete 40 years in the skilling and vocational education industry, our focus has remained constant, equipping learners with industry-relevant skills that enhance employability and career growth. When we started in 1986, vocational education and training was still an emerging concept, and technology adoption was at a nascent stage. What began as a computer training & education company has evolved into a diversified global skilling enterprise with a significant global presence.
A defining aspect of our growth has been our ability to anticipate industry shifts. We expanded our training portfolio through our flagship brands - Arena Animation, Maya Academy of Advanced Creativity (MAAC), Lakmē Academy Powered by Aptech and others, diversified into new areas of skilling in emerging industries such as Animation, VFX, Gaming & Comics (AVGC), digital content creation, virtual production, beauty and wellness, aviation, hospitality, and enterprise learning, and built a scalable franchise-led model that democratized access to quality training & education.
Over four decades, we have successfully navigated multiple waves of transformation, from the IT revolution to today's AI-driven economy. Our ability to continuously reinvent our curriculum and align with emerging industry needs has been central to our success and sustained relevance.
The education and skilling industry has evolved significantly over the last four decades. What were some of the key challenges Aptech faced during its initial years, and how do these compare with the opportunities and challenges the company encounters today?
In the early years, the biggest challenge was awareness. Traditional degree-based career courses dominated career aspirations, and vocational learning was often viewed as an alternative rather than a mainstream pathway. We invested significant effort in demonstrating how industry-focused training could enhance employability and create meaningful career opportunities.
Today, the environment has transformed considerably. Skills have become central to workforce development, and employers increasingly value practical capabilities alongside academic qualifications. However, the challenge today is different. We are operating in an era where technology is evolving at an unprecedented pace. Emerging technologies such as Generative AI, immersive media, automation, and digital collaboration tools are continuously reshaping job roles and industry requirements.
This rapid evolution presents both challenges and opportunities. Educational & training institutions must update curricula more frequently, foster adaptability, and encourage lifelong learning. At the same time, India's demographic advantage, digital transformation journey, and increasing focus on skilling create a powerful opportunity to equip millions of learners with future-ready capabilities. The challenge is no longer convincing people about the importance of skills; it is ensuring they acquire the right skills for a future that is constantly evolving.
Aptech has successfully built a diverse portfolio spanning IT education, creative arts, beauty and wellness, aviation, hospitality, and enterprise training. What has been the company's core differentiator or USP that has helped establish and sustain its leadership position in the vocational training sector?
Our core differentiator has always been our unwavering focus on industry relevance. Skills training & vocational education creates value only when it translates into real-world opportunities, and that philosophy has shaped every aspect of our business.
Rather than operating as a conventional skilling & training provider, we have consistently positioned ourselves as a bridge between industry and learners. Our curriculum development process is deeply influenced by market requirements, technological advancements, and employer expectations. This ensures that learners acquire practical skills that are immediately applicable in professional environments.
Another key factor has been our ability to identify emerging opportunities ahead of the curve. Whether it was IT education in the late 1980s, animation and visual effects in the early 2000s, or today's opportunities in AI, AVGC-XR, orange economy, and the creator economy, we have continuously evolved our portfolio to align with future workforce needs.
Combined with strong industry partnerships, faculty development initiatives, and a robust global presence, this approach enables us to offer learners more than education, it provides them with a pathway to meaningful careers. Our commitment to innovation, employability, and learner outcomes has been the cornerstone of our sustained leadership.
With over 800 centres worldwide, Aptech's asset-light franchise model has been central to its expansion strategy. Could you elaborate on your current expansion plans, particularly across Tier-II and Tier-III markets, and the key growth opportunities you foresee in India and internationally?
India's next phase of skilling growth is increasingly being driven by aspirations emerging from Tier-II and Tier-III cities. These markets are witnessing stronger digital adoption, greater awareness of career-focused training education, and increasing demand for industry-relevant skills. Importantly, talent today is not confined to metropolitan centres, and learners from smaller towns are actively seeking opportunities in high-growth sectors.
Our franchise-led model enables us to bring quality training & education closer to these learners while leveraging the entrepreneurial strengths of local partners who understand regional market dynamics. Going forward, we will continue expanding our presence across emerging cities and high-potential markets where access to quality skilling remains a priority.
Internationally, opportunities remain strong across emerging economies where employability, workforce development, and digital transformation are key priorities. As industries become more specialized, institutions capable of delivering practical, outcome-oriented education at scale will play an increasingly important role. We believe Aptech's combination of academic expertise, operational excellence, and local adaptability positions us strongly for sustained growth both in India and overseas.
For prospective franchise partners interested in joining the Aptech ecosystem, what are the essential prerequisites in terms of investment, infrastructure requirements, manpower capabilities, and operational expectations? What qualities do you seek in an ideal partner?
While investment capability, infrastructure, and operational readiness are important considerations, successful franchise partnerships are ultimately built on shared values and a commitment to learner success.
The ideal Aptech partner is someone who views training & education not merely as a business opportunity but as a platform to create meaningful impact within their community. We look for entrepreneurial individuals with strong business acumen, local market understanding, and the ability to build and nurture high-performing teams.
We provide comprehensive support across curriculum, faculty training, technology platforms, marketing, and operational processes. However, the most successful partners are those who actively embrace innovation, prioritize quality, and remain focused on delivering positive learner outcomes.
Our objective is not simply to expand our network but to create sustainable centres of excellence that contribute to skill development and employability within their respective regions.
The Union Budget's recognition of the creator economy and the rapid growth of India's AVGC-XR sector have elevated creative careers into the mainstream. How is MAAC aligning its training approach to address changing perceptions among students and parents regarding the long-term viability of careers in creative technologies?
The creator economy and the AVGC-XR sector are fundamentally transforming career opportunities for young people. Creative professionals today contribute across gaming, entertainment, advertising, e-commerce, education, architecture, healthcare, and immersive technology ecosystems. As a result, creative careers have evolved from niche aspirations to mainstream professional pathways.
At MAAC, our focus extends beyond teaching software and production techniques. We actively help students and parents understand the scale of opportunities, industry demand, and long-term career potential within these sectors. Through industry interactions, alumni success stories, and employer engagement, we showcase the diverse opportunities available across animation, VFX, gaming, virtual production, and digital content creation.
Our curriculum increasingly reflects real-world production environments by integrating AI-assisted workflows, immersive technologies, gaming tools, and contemporary content creation practices. At the same time, we continue to emphasize foundational creative skills such as storytelling, design thinking, and visual communication. This balanced approach ensures learners are prepared not only for today's opportunities but also for the future evolution of creative industries.
MAAC has recently introduced initiatives such as Creator X and Career X. Could you share how these programmes are designed to bridge the growing talent gap in animation, VFX, gaming, and digital content creation while enhancing employability and entrepreneurial opportunities for learners?
The creative economy is expanding at a pace that requires education models to evolve beyond traditional frameworks. Creator X and Career X were introduced to address this changing landscape and create pathways aligned with both industry employment and entrepreneurial aspirations.
Career X focuses on enhancing employability through deeper specialization, industry mentorship, portfolio development, and exposure to contemporary production workflows. The objective is to create professionals who can contribute effectively from the very beginning of their careers.
Creator X, on the other hand, recognizes the rise of the creator economy and the growing number of individuals seeking to build independent careers. The programme equips learners with capabilities that extend beyond content creation to include audience engagement, personal branding, monetization strategies, AI-powered creative workflows, and intellectual property awareness.
Together, these initiatives reflect our belief that future-ready education must prepare learners for multiple career pathways, whether they choose employment, freelancing, entrepreneurship, or content creation.
Emerging technologies such as Generative AI, AR, VR, and XR are transforming creative workflows and creating entirely new career pathways. How is Aptech ensuring that its curriculum remains future-ready while balancing technological adoption with strong foundational skills and creative thinking?
Technology will continue to evolve, but creativity remains a uniquely human capability. Our approach is to view technology as an enabler that enhances human potential rather than replaces it.
We are actively integrating Generative AI, virtual production, immersive technologies, and real-time content engines into our curriculum so that learners gain exposure to the tools shaping modern industries. However, we are equally committed to developing foundational competencies such as storytelling, design principles, critical thinking, artistic expression, and problem-solving.
The future workforce will require professionals who can combine creativity with technological fluency. While AI can automate certain processes, it cannot replace imagination, empathy, originality, and human-centric thinking. Our objective is therefore to create adaptable professionals who can leverage emerging technologies while continuing to innovate and create meaningful experiences.
As India's skilling ecosystem receives increasing policy support through initiatives aimed at boosting the AVGC-XR sector and creator economy, what role do you see private education providers like Aptech playing in developing industry-ready talent and supporting the country's ambition of becoming a global creative powerhouse?
India stands at a pivotal moment in its creative and digital transformation journey. The convergence of policy support, technological innovation, entrepreneurial energy, and a young talent pool creates a unique opportunity for the country to emerge as a global leader in animation, gaming, visual effects, immersive media, and digital content creation.
Private education providers have a critical role to play because they can respond quickly to changing industry requirements and emerging technologies. We operate at the intersection of talent development and industry demand, enabling us to create learning experiences that are both relevant and future focused.
Beyond classroom learning, institutions must contribute to ecosystem development through industry collaborations, faculty upskilling, innovation, research, and talent pipeline creation. The objective is not simply to produce skilled learners but to nurture creators, innovators, entrepreneurs, and problem-solvers who can compete globally. India's ambitions in the AVGC-XR and creator economy sectors will be realized through stronger collaboration between industry, academia, and policymakers.
Looking ahead, what is your vision for Aptech and MAAC over the next three to five years? What growth targets, innovations, and strategic priorities will shape the next phase of the company's journey in both traditional skilling segments and emerging creative industries?
The future of education will be shaped by personalization, industry integration, technological adaptability, and lifelong learning. Aptech aims to be at the forefront of this transformation while continuing to expand access to quality, career-focused education across India and international markets.
Over the next three to five years, we will continue strengthening our leadership across both established skilling domains and emerging sectors such as AI, AVGC-XR, gaming, immersive technologies, and the creator economy. We see significant opportunities in expanding industry partnerships, enhancing employability frameworks, integrating advanced technologies into learning experiences, and creating more flexible learning pathways for learners.
For MAAC, the focus will be on nurturing the next generation of creative professionals through deeper engagement with studios, technology companies, content platforms, and global creative ecosystems. Initiatives such as Creator X and Career X are examples of how we are evolving to meet the needs of future learners and industries.
Ultimately, our aspiration is to empower individuals with the skills, confidence, and adaptability needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world while contributing meaningfully to India's emergence as a global knowledge and creative economy.
