Latest news with #AjayGupta
Time Business News
4 days ago
- Business
- Time Business News
Why This Play School Franchise Has India's Best Preschool
As early childhood education gains national focus, Bachpan Play School has positioned itself as a significant player in both the education and franchise sectors. Over the last two decades, this leading preschool chain has grown steadily across India, introducing a franchise model that appeals to aspiring entrepreneurs. What differentiates its model from others in the growing preschool franchise space? 'The idea was never just to expand,' says Ajay Gupta, CEO of Bachpan. 'It was to empower and build a system that supports local business owners in delivering early education to both urban and local areas, that's both accessible and consistent.' Mr. Ajay Gupta, Founder and CEO of Bachpan Play Schools with teachers and students of Bachpan Play School. The franchise structure is designed to keep initial costs manageable, with some franchisees reporting faster ROI cycles compared to other education-based ventures. Its operational model spans Tier I to Tier III cities, where demand for preschool education varies widely. For local entrepreneurs, this might be an opportunity to lead as a head, with full support and guidance from the franchise model of their central team. While for others, this model has become a pathway into the education space, particularly in regions where branded preschools are still emerging. Post-pandemic, the world saw a huge shift in the market industry, which started focusing attention towards businesses that are more flexible and meaningful. Recent investments in branding and digital upgrades have aligned with a large number of opportunists and entrepreneurs. The release of NEP 2020 brought renewed attention to foundational learning — a space where Bachpan has seen notable growth. A strong emphasis on foundational learning and early childhood care amplified public interest in private preschool education. Bachpan's widespread presence across urban and rural markets with over 1,200 branches, has helped establish a structured system that includes assistance with setup, staffing, and training. Franchisees benefit from their ongoing teacher development programs and curriculum support, designed to maintain consistency and quality across centers. The integration of educational technology such as robotics kits, smart books, and AI-based learning tools, reflects the brand's push toward innovation. In a country where early education continues to evolve, models like Bachpan offer insight into how private players are contributing to structured preschool access across diverse regions. With a mix of entrepreneurial opportunity and institutional support, such models are becoming a significant part of the broader educational landscape. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Time Business News
24-06-2025
- Business
- Time Business News
Ajay Gupta Shares His Business Journey And Success Secrets
In conversation with the Founder and CEO of Bachpan Play Schools and Academic Heights Public Schools (AHPS), we dug deep into his business journey and success secrets. Ajay Gupta is a prominent figure in the education field in India. He is also the Co-Founder of the first social-impact university in India, Rishihood University, which is well-regarded for providing equal access and opportunities to neurotypical individuals and persons with disabilities (PwDs). This interview contains various lessons every entrepreneur should know. Mr. Ajay Gupta, Founder and CEO of Bachpan Play Schools and Academic Heights Public Schools (AHPS) Business runs in my family and also in my veins. Therefore, I believe that I was always destined to become an entrepreneur. What's more, attending a great lecture on business in the 11th grade inclined me more towards this area. At the age of sixteen, I started my first business, marking the beginning of my journey. I faced numerous setbacks before finally discovering my calling in the education sector in India; however, entrepreneurship for me has never been about giving up at the first sight of failure. Magic only happens when we persevere like a passionate 'madman', as I also mentioned in my book 'Decoding Business Minds'. In 2004, we founded our first Bachpan Play School on the franchise model in Ambala, Haryana. The franchise model is one of the most important strategies that helped us scale Bachpan from one center to another until it became a nationally recognized brand within a short period. Having said that, let me tell you that the franchise model by itself does not guarantee success. You have to be transparent, credible, and innovative in your approach to what you are doing. Most of all, you need to be dependable to your franchise partners, whose growth is what becomes your brand expansion, ultimately. Apart from that, continuous R&D helped enhance our adaptability and flexibility for our franchise partners who came from different regions and backgrounds. It also established Bachpan Play School as one of India's best preschool franchises nationwide, encouraging more and more entrepreneurs to associate with us. In my experience, any scalable business model is one that is able to grow its customer base, operations, and revenue without incurring increased costs. A strong team and culture, streamlined processes, and a wise integration of technology can greatly help make such a business model sustainable. The role played by innovation in the growth of my education ventures, particularly Bachpan Play School and Academic Heights Public School (AHPS), has been immense. You must have heard about our Speak-O-Pen, which makes use of nanotechnology to foster learning for kids at home. It is still a favorite among our students even after so many years. We have kept innovating it. And more recently, we have also launched our SPROUT Curriculum for kids at both Bachpan and AHPS. It is the first curriculum in India that is aligned with NEP 2020 and is very robust. Its innovative SILK activities are so popular that we are even aiming at D2C expansion. I would like to say that my leadership style is still in the making after so many years of leadership. I am always learning from the best, and more specifically, I am humbly and consciously working on my leadership style to match the style of Ratan Tata Ji. He was my role model and also one of the best leaders in the world. His leadership style is described as visionary, ethical, and people-centric, and so is my aspiration. I hope I am getting closer. One of the top qualities of an entrepreneur, at least in my eyes, is that they think about the country, too, when they think about the long-term and short-term goals for their startup. So, I would genuinely appreciate it if our aspiring and budding entrepreneurs in India develop this patriotic quality and do their bit for society while making it big for themselves. Right now, we are streamlining all our efforts at D2C and global expansion. There is so much to do in the education sector even now, especially with emerging fields and technologies such as AI (artificial intelligence), that ideas for entering new sectors and industries are just in the pipeline, and when the right time comes, we will surely let you know. To be honest, I will do everything all over again. I would repeat every mistake I made, face every setback I faced, and achieve everything once again that I set my sights on. On a personal level, I think I would have tried harder to spend more time with my family, but in my business journey, I don't think I will do anything differently, as everything that I did made me who I am today. I would urge aspiring entrepreneurs in today's competitive landscape to be patient and persevering. It sometimes takes years of effort to get where you want to be, so you cannot leave your path midway. You can pivot, but you cannot surrender, just too easily. And once again, I would like to repeat that national progress comes before personal profits. If a day comes when you have to choose between the two, your ethics should incline more towards the collective than towards the personal. We hope that this conversation with one of the best business leaders in India gave you much to learn from. As we reach its end, let's reflect on those learnings as well as Ajay Gupta's ethical leadership, which makes him a distinguished figure in the education sector. He is often recognised as the Franchise Man of India, owing to his prestigious network of 1200+ Bachpan Play Schools and 120+ AHPS schools. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Time Business News
20-06-2025
- Business
- Time Business News
Transforming Education in India for a $30 Trillion Economy
India aims to become a $30 trillion economy by 2047 through the Viksit Bharat initiative. As part of this national vision, leaders across sectors are voicing their perspectives. According to Ajay Gupta, Founder of Bachpan Play Schools and Academic Heights Public Schools, India must position its education system as a global benchmark by 2047. A Vision Beyond Borders The Urgency to Rethink India's Education System Leading edupreneur Ajay Gupta, in his Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, called for a rethinking of India's school education system. He asserted, 'To become a global powerhouse, India must not only adopt global standards but also set more of them for others to adopt.' While efforts have long aimed at imparting world-class education, Mr. Gupta emphasizes that we should aim so high that the term 'world-class education' naturally comes to be associated with India's education system on the world stage. What Is Vision 2047? The year 2047 will mark India's 100th Year of Independence. 'Viksit Bharat @2047', as it is officially named, is a national mission to make India a developed country through collective action at individual, sectoral, and national levels. The Viksit Bharat @2047 vision is also quite significant globally. It shapes the future of the country through inclusive economic growth, good governance, youth empowerment, social development, and alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Viksit Bharat @2047 vision focuses on global competence, inclusion, and innovation via skill development and tech-driven initiatives. Education is central, with the youth as both drivers and primary beneficiaries of change. Key Pillars of Gupta's Vision for Indian Education Educational leader Ajay Gupta also co-founded Rishihood University as India's first university focused on social impact. Creating an enduring impact from PG (Play Group) to PG (Post Graduate), he envisions India as a global role model in education and innovation. Ajay Gupta advocates bridging local values with global standards. His institutions, which consist of 1200+ Bachpan Play Schools, 120+ Academic Heights Public Schools (AHPS), and Rishihood University, work towards cultivating a deep appreciation for Indian values rooted in Panchakosha Shiksha, while preparing students for the future. Ajay Gupta's vision for Indian education is shaped by his role as an educationist and a proud Indian. As India's value-driven models like mindfulness gain global traction, he urges the country to change from a consumer to a major contributor on the world stage in 2047. Transforming the Indian Education Landscape India's education landscape needs an overhaul to attain the national vision of becoming a developed country. From preschool to higher education, a shift towards skill-based and value-based learning is now becoming increasingly imperative. Technology, curriculum, and infrastructure play a crucial role in shaping education. With AI rapidly integrating into daily life and work, the education system has to evolve at the same pace to stay relevant and future-ready. Empowering educators and school leaders is also vital to transforming the education system. Technology can become a powerful enabler in the hands of educators and school leaders under the right circumstances. Ajay Gupta's Vision 2047 and legacy in the Viksit Bharat context cannot be sidelined. Consistent effort and multi-sectoral collaboration towards education that inspires the world remain key points. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Time of India
14-06-2025
- Time of India
28-year-old killed as dumper hits motorcylist on Mumbai expressway
Mumbai: A 28-year-old motorcyclist was killed after being hit by a dumper on the Western Express Highway in Malad East on Friday. Ajay Gupta, the victim, was a salesman and used to ferry goods on his two-wheeler from Mira Road to shops in Jogeshwari. He lived with his uncle at Jogeshwari. On Friday, around 3.30 pm, his uncle was informed over a phone call that Gupta had been injured in a road crash. He rushed to the location on WEH near Times of India press flyover and found a dumper parked there. Bystanders told him that the dumper had hit Gupta's motorcycle from behind and an injured Gupta had been rushed to the Trauma Care Hospital at Jogeshwari. His uncle then went to the hospital where doctors told him that Gupta was no more. Kurar Police subsequently registered an FIR against the driver of the dumper. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
Hindustan Times
02-06-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Spl measles-rubella vax drive in UP to cover gaps below 95% mark
Uttar Pradesh has launched a focused measles-rubella (MR) vaccination campaign targeting 321 development blocks where vaccination coverage remains below 95%. The campaign aims to ensure every eligible child receives both doses of the MR vaccine, which protects against highly contagious viral diseases. State data shows the overall MR-I vaccination rate has reached 101.05%, while MR-II stands at 97.67%. However, 205 blocks across 12 districts have MR-I coverage under 95%, and 321 blocks in 25 districts report MR-II coverage below 95%. The campaign, which began on June 1, will continue through June 30, with special attention on these low-performing blocks, state government officials said. 'The focus remains equal for all districts with officials in 12 districts told to better network at ground level to ensure all left-out kids are given the due dose of MR vaccine,' said Dr Ajay Gupta, state immunisation officer. Districts with low vaccination (MR-I and MR-II) coverage include Lalitpur, Jalaun, Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur, Hamirpur, Shamli, Mathura, Azamgarh, Meerut, Aligarh, Banda, and Sonbhadra. The campaign targets around 53 lakh children for the first dose and 47 lakh for the second dose. In 2025, U.P. recorded a measles infection rate of 0.003% per lakh population, lower than Chhattisgarh (0.009%), Madhya Pradesh (0.006%), and Andhra Pradesh (0.005%). Notably, India aims to eliminate measles and rubella by 2026. The Universal Immunisation Programme offers two free MR vaccine doses to children between 9-12 months and 16-24 months of age.
