The Hindu Business Line : Inlingua plans expansion

THE $300-million Inlingua, a Switzerland-based language training company, has given the mandate to its sole licensee Mr Vikram Bajaj of Amrit Foundation of Learning Ltd (AFLL), to roll out a proactive campaign for more licensees in India's top 50 towns.

Having forayed into India a few months ago, through its licensee AFLL, Inlingua's first centre in New Delhi offers language courses in English, French and German. The school offers multi-level courses that give students the flexibility to start their own level and learn how to speak languages comfortably as they progress from basic to advanced ability. AFLL is part of the Amrit Group, whose flagship company is the Rs 600-crore Amrit Banaspati Co Ltd (ABCL).

With demand for training in spoken English being high in the country, Inlingua - that has over 300 centres in 29 countries and over half-a-million clients annually - would like to put India on its map and double its clientele.

"In the next five years, Delhi alone should yield 25,000 students per annum, which would by then be 10 per cent of the gross market. However, in the quality language education market we would be the dominant players and ideally India could provide Inlingua half its global market,'' says Mr Bajaj as he projects a Rs 15-crore turnover from the Delhi operations in five years.

The institute is cashing in on the fact that though students in the country study English at school, large majorities are not very confident when conversing in the language. With English being the international language of business and the ability to speak well being a basic requirement for jobs and success at work, Inlingua hopes to bridge the "need gap'' with Inlingua's patented language teaching formula.

The Inlingua method has been developed with over 35 years of practical experience in language training across countries. The method centres around `10 principles', including conducting lessons in the language being taught and concentrating on the spoken form.

Targeted at young adults, between 18 and 25 years, expatriates, the corporate sector, potential migrants and job seekers — Inlingua in India may eventually develop cheaper learning kits to drive the market by making courses more affordable for the middle class. The initial investment of the Amrit group has been just a crore and a half. However, in the next two years they hope to open 10 centres in the Capital, each requiring an investment of 50 lakhs. Apart from flagship ABCL, the group has a presence in several sectors, including food, agro industry and trading.

Uncle Chips was its brand before it sold it to PepsiCo two years ago. The Amrit Foundation of Learning Ltd is its first foray into the education sector. "We find that the service sector is the growth area of the future. We chose education and language training as our focus," says Mr Bajaj, Director of Inlingua, Delhi.

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