Hero Group launches education technology venture, Hero Vired for working professionals in India

New Delhi: The Hero Group, on Tuesday, launched Hero Vired - a premium EdTech company for working professionals and higher education aspirants in India, the group said in a statement.

The Group has committed over USD 10 million (around Rs 75 crore) for the new EdTech venture. The platform will offer an end-to-end learning ecosystem, which will upskill and reskill the professional community in the country and strengthen the talent pool with industry-ready employees.

According to the statement, the company aims to amplify the government's vision of a self-reliant India by training professionals for Industry with full time and part-time programmes ranging from finance and related technologies, integrated programmes in data science, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, full-stack development, game design, and entrepreneurial thinking and innovation.

The programmes will be conducted in collaboration with leading global universities including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Singularity University, and Codecademy.

Commenting on the new venture, Hero Vired Founder and CEO Akshay Munjal said it has been aimed at addressing the problem of employability in India and the skill gaps that exist in the industry at present.

Munjal said Hero Vired will target three segments of students - those who passed class XII and seeking quality education; fresh college graduates who are unable to get meaningful jobs; and working professionals with 0-10 years of experience, who are looking to upskill to enhance career growth.

The EdTech startup will offer two programmes - a six months full-time programme followed by three to four months of internship and a part-time programme of over 11 months, with classes over weekends.

"Fee ranges from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh depending on the programme," Munjal said adding the first session will begin in July this year for two programmes and others to be added gradually with the number of students capped at 100 students per batch per programme.

Initially the programmes will be offered online but once COVID-19 settles, there will be hybrid options also, he said adding select programs will offer an academic bank of credits as proposed in the National Education Policy for learners to access future learning

The new platform aims to make learning impactful via gamification, interactive support, peer to peer communication, high-quality content and high-engagement-driven online instructor-led classes.

(with inputs from agencies)