Endowing IT education via franchising

Alma is one of the pioneers in this field of IT learning with over 10 years of experience. The brand offers computer courses that are part of international certification from Mauritius and Australia. In an interview Santosh Shukla, Managing Director, Alma Limited, shares the success story of the company.

Abha Garyali(AG): How has been your entrepreneurial journey? Kindly enlighten us on the inception, growth and success of Alma Limited?

Santosh Shukla(SS): Alma was started in 1999 bearing the single concept of how to promote computer education. It has grown with the spirit of team work of like-minded people.

AG: When and what inspired you to come up with Alma? Why did you opt for the franchise route for its expansion?

SS: Early in 1999, Alma coined through self motivation that inspired the whole thing into Alma Limited. To find the compatible people, franchise route became the stellar tool for its expansion.

AG: What is the USP of Alma Limited? How is it different from other educational and training institutes?

SS: The USP of Alma is its job-oriented computer courses. Quality course and motivating growth model makes it different from others.

AG: What strategies have you developed to face the competition in this sector?

SS: Mutual-Growth Model (MGM) has truly been strategic tool for expansion and to handle competition in this sector.

AG: How many franchise centres have you opened this year? What target have you set for the next one year?

SS: We have opened 300 franchise centres this year and 200 more set to open by the end of the year.

AG: What are your future plans in terms of expansion through franchising? Where do you see the company after five years?

SS: To expand Alma franchise centre in far-flung areas of the nation especially the tribal ones. After five years, Alma would like to be placed and recognised as truly Global Company.

AG: What according to you is the scope for aspiring franchisees in this business? Is the future bright in the years to come?

SS: According to me, the scope for aspiring franchisee is to get mutual business growth while promoting educational cause. The future of such business would, surely, be lucrative and stellar.

AG: What are the qualities and the criterion for the selection of your prospective franchisees? How much investment is required by them?

SS: Criterion for selection of franchisee is quite simple; willing to work with us and our Business-Model and should be financially sound to manage the business at his/her territory defined.

AG: What are the challenges that can be faced by a franchisee in this business? How can they overcome these challenges?

SS: Local challenges might be faced by the franchisee owing to their vernacular competitors on rooms of the fluctuations of fee-structure but that could be ‘superseded’ by geometrical progression of business.