Make a fortune in animation business

Passionate about Indian classical music, cricket, Senior Vice President & Head of Maya Academy of Advance Cinematics (MAAC), Ram Warrier carries a vision to take the animation industry to new-fangled heights. He spoke to us on the future of animation and visual effects industry and prospects for investors.

Tell us about your professional journey

I have close to three decades of rich experience at senior positions across industries. After completing Masters in Marketing Management from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies in 1991, I worked with leading companies such as The Times of India Group, Raymond, MRF, TTK Group, Aptech Ltd, Maxwell Industries and Bombay Dyeing. This cross-functional exposure across varied segments such as marketing management, brand building, product management, sales operations, franchisee management and brand communication domain helped me grow a lot.

Brief us on the foundation and concept of your brand

Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC) was established in 2001, when the animation and visual effects industry was at a very nascent stage. With a vision that this industry will hit a sky rocketing growth and the intention of supplying quality manpower to the Industry, MAAC was established. With over a decade of experience, MAAC is one of the leading animation, visual effects and multimedia training institutes in the country.

What kind of training and support do you provide to your franchisees?

MAAC has a robust support system for franchisees in order to ensure smooth management and operations.

• Start to end, set-up assistance – Location finalisation and infrastructure set-up.
• Training and induction is provided to business partners and their staff.
• System support – lead management system and data management.
• Marketing and advertising support.

Are there any benefits for the franchisees by associating with your brand?

MAAC offers tailor-made courses that meet industry requirements, best in-class infrastructure and best placements. A set of carefully planned and judiciously implemented measures give MAAC a consistent edge over competition. MAAC’s specialised, hands-on approach ensures that students benefit from the finest quality of learning.

Subject Matter Experts: A team of experts from various industries help construct an up-to-date industry relevant curriculum. Every subject matter expert is experienced, well-read and researched in his focus area.

Train the Trainers: keeping abreast with the latest innovations and softwares in the industry, MAAC ensures that the faculty across all centres is coached at a centralised training unit through this programme. The intensive three-month training is conducted by industry experts and the research and development team.

Industry Integration: 24 FPS International Animation Awards and National Students Meet are two of the biggest and most exciting events at MAAC conceptualised to enhance the skills of the students, fuel their passion and acquaint them to the professional world. With all this and more, MAAC proves to be the leading Institute in this space.

What all parameters do you follow before opening your centre at a particular location?

The location must be of the specified minimum 1200 sq. ft carpet area, should have easy access, preferably on the main road with good branding options. Visibility of the location should be good. It should be a student friendly area.

Kindly share the brand’s further expansion plans in India and other countries?

Our West and North regions will see more centres in tier III. Our penetration in South and East regions is to be increased substantially. Aptech, the parent company has a world-wide footprint, MAAC to explore opportunities in these locations.

How many outlets do you plan to open in 2015 and where?

We would like to reach 100 centres and open them in more unrepresented areas in tier II and III cities.

Franchise facts: