Building brains

Aloha India is dedicated to the field of Abacus Education. In an interview, K Kumaran, Chairman and MD, Aloha India shares the success story of his company.

Ramanjit Kaur (RK): Could you please shed some light on the inception of Aloha India?

K Kumaran (KK): We established Aloha India in August 2002 in Chennai. It is the subsidiary of Aloha International, Malaysia, a global leader in Advanced Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Programmes designed especially for children between four to 13 years of age. It is affiliated to MAMAA (Malaysian Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Association). Since its inception, the organisation has spread out to a broad spectrum of 20 countries that includes China, Taiwan, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Oman, Egypt, Spain, Nigeria, Bangladesh, USA and Mexico.

RK: What is Aloha India all about?

KK: Aloha India is about imparting education to the children towards their mental development process. We teach children from two to 18 years. Our objectives are:

• To build the mental ability of the child.
• To train and sharpen child’s mental power especially the right brain
• To promote patience, efficiency and concentration
• To train the child to attain good habits and positive attitude
• To train and develop child’s observation power
• To increase child’s creativity
• To improve child’s memory power

RK: When did the company start franchising? What inspired the company to take the franchise route?

KK: We started franchising in 2003. We found franchising as the most successful way to expand the presence of our brand.

RK: What is the USP of Aloha India? How it is different from other educational centres?

KK: Our USP lies in our:

• Curriculum
• Methodology
• Strong support systems
• Implementing new ideas

RK: What are the eligibility criteria of selecting the franchisees?

KK: We are looking for people who really have the passion for child education and also possess legal, moral and ethical values. A prospective franchisee has to invest an amount that ranges from two lakh to 12 lakh rupees in running the franchise business.

RK: What kind of support and training does a franchisee gets when partnering with you?

KK: In technical aspect, we offer our franchisees with:

• Teachers’ training
• Training on counseling
• Business operations
• Customer service
• Sales and marketing

RK: How many centres does the company presently have?

KK: We have around four company owned and company operated centres and we support 1, 273 franchised centres across India.

RK: What are the future plans of the company in terms of expansion through franchising?

KK: We are planning to enter Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Orissa, which are still untapped.