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Oct, 08 2018

GROOMING INDIA’S TOMORROW

It is the school of thought that matters. At Iris Florets, The idea is to compassionately facilitate the learning process with essential inputs for child’s holistic development.By Payal Gulati

GROOMING INDIA’S TOMORROW

Education is not just about helping children learn, but to make them realize their true potential which lets the best out of them.It is an axiom that Sirish Turlapati, CMD, Iris Floret, strongly believes in. With such a clear perspective and a mission to change the way preschools are perceived and operated, Turlapati started Iris Florets in year 2015 by launching first preschool in Hyderabad. Since then there was no looking back, “We had about 10 centresin the first year and 60 centres by the end of the second year and 110 centres by the end of the third year. At present, Iris has 125+ preschools across India and Nepal,” he shares.

India has a birth rate of 34 children per minute, 2,000 children in an hour; approximately around 14% of the Indian population is children aged between 0-6 years. The preschool industry has a growth ratio of almost 23.83% per year. According to a report byCRISIL, the organized market share of branded preschools is expected to escalate from 21% to 34% in the next five years. The preschool industry in India is under-penetrated as it is less than 8% of the total market share. In urban areas, only 12% of children from 2-5 years go to preschools. Education is the second-highest expenditure after food and groceries. Rise in disposable income, increasing working mothers and nuclear families, demand for high-quality preschool education and the importance of early childhood education are the growth drivers.

THE USP

Iris Florets is designed with an earnest effort to create a world of happiness not just for children but also for the parents. “We have different USPs like leading edge curriculum, aesthetic ambience and infrastructure, innovative learning centres, international collaborations like Premier Sports and Waterford, etc. which creates a happy space, conducive environment and celebrate learning in all of its forms,” shares Radhika Turlapati, Director-Academics, Iris Florets. “Every child is unique and has different style of learning. So, we have designed the curriculum with a perfect blend of pedagogies i.e. Reggio Emilio, multiple intelligence, Montessori and project-based approach,” she adds.
“We emphasize on enhancing their core competencies with hands-on learning and learning with all senses. The learning environment is structured in a way which works with different learning style of children. Upgradation is not just important but imperative, To match up with the learning needs of children today, we have also incorporated technology by introducing the ‘Innovative Talking Pen’ which facilitates vocabulary enhancement and pronunciation of language as well as the ‘Robotic Interactive Talking Tree’ that is developed based on artificial intelligence,” she adds.

FRANCHISE PUSH

For any business, it takes a clear vision and proper guidance to flourish and to expand it has to move ahead in the most sustainable way. “Innovation and upgradation is the need of the hour for any business, the best way to incorporate these is through Franchise only,” believes Rahul Appani, Director-Operations, Iris Florets. “We at Iris have explored and tested multiple models, after the careful deliberation and due diligence, we created a most sustainable and franchisee friendly model, which will not just help thefranchisee to reach their ROI quicker but also makes it viable for us. With this model we decided to expand and penetrate across the sub-continent, creating equal opportunities for them as well as establishing ourselves,” he adds. Talking about the pre requisite for a potential franchisee, he says, “Like-minded and committed individuals with a strong passion to nurture and make a difference in a child’s life and contribute to the society at large” is what we look for while associating with a franchisee. We especially believe in creating opportunities for ambitious women who want to be successful edupreneurs.”

WAY FORWARD

The brand now plans to penetrate across all cities, towns and further expansion through franchise model. “The future growth in education space lies more in Tier II and III cities and obviously across Asia,” Turlapati says. After a successful entry in Nepal now the company is also planning to expand globally. “We would be venturing into Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, South Africa and the UAE very soon,” he shares.

FRANCHISE FACTS

Year of establishment - 2015
Total centers - 125
Investment - Rs 5-12 lakhs
Area - 1500-4000 sq ft

INTERVIEW:

In an exclusive interaction, Sirish Turlapati, CMD, Iris Florets shares his views about the education industry and his plans to take the brand forward. “Iris has always believed in upgrading itself”

How is the preschool scenario changing in India? What are new-age schools expected to deliver?

Importance of early childhood education, Awareness about learning potential of child, Increasing number of nuclear families, Desire in parents to equip children with vital skills and learnings at an early age coupled with increase in disposable income are the driving factors of the Indian preschool market. Today, parents look for aspects such as approach, technology along with safety and curriculum for a holistic development of a child in the age group of 0-6 years. Innovative, new-age preschools will bring a genuine change in society. The new-age schools also bring in a different perspective to the way children can reach their true potential. They are expected to deliver something more to education like PSE (personal, social and emotional) development, physical and motor development, cognitive skills, language, and creative development. Also, learning how to live in society, how to be a better citizen, how to be self-reliant, etc. have become essential elements of education.

What innovations have you brought in the Indian education sector?

Our core idea of education is to focus more on their competency skills like confidence and communication. To execute this We have introduced innovative learning centres, including an amphitheater which instill confidence in children and enhance their public speaking and communication skills, the ‘Little Picasso Corner’ which brings out creativity, 3D audiovisual room which makes stories and rhymes come alive and increases retention power, a thematic ball arena and multi-activity gym for physical development and organic farming to keep children closer to mother earth.

What support do you offer the franchisees?

For us, our franchisee is a part of our family, we believe in providing a hassle-free experience of starting a business. Handholding happens from day one, right from identifying the right location, setting up the infrastructure, recruitment, Customized marketing plan, admission assistance, Training and software like ERP, Support Management and Mobile app for parents. Franchise partner training and sharing of technical know-how of the business is a crucial step. We have a combination of highly experienced edupreneurs, eminent academicians, trainers and professionals with expertise in handling early childhood education. We offer complete support to our franchisees by providing on-going support post the launch, and constant monitoring of overall centre operations including marketing, academics and
execution to ensure a successful business.

What’s your advice for aspiring entrepreneurs planning to enter the education business?
There is a huge potential for branded preschools and formal schools in India. For that matter, not only the education segment but any industry will offer scope to excel. Don’t worry about the competition. There is always room for quality players. Identify your passion, chase your dream with sincere and honest efforts, update yourself with the latest trends and strategies and you are bound to succeed.

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