Aptech Lines Up China Thrust

The Mumbai-based Aptech is planning to scale up its operations in China as part of its renewed thrust on emerging markets.

The company plans to increase its training centres in China to around 200 by the end of the year, said Pramod Khera, chief executive officer, training and education, Aptech.

"We have identified China as one of the fastest growing emerging markets based on our experience as well as the result of our market research. Accordingly we have decided to channelise our resources in tapping those segments in which we are not yet present." said Khera.

Aptech operates in China through Aptech Beida Jadebird IT company, its joint venture with Beijing University. Aptech has a 40 per cent stake in the venture.

Its revenues from China already account for about 15 per cent in training and education business and the percentage of this share could increase substantially if the demand is fully exploited, added Khera.

Aptech operates in China using two different types of models with respect to its training and education centres. The education centres are set up within vocational schools, while the training centres are based on the franchising model and operated in conjunction with individual entrepreneurs.

The Chinese operations of Aptech commenced in 2,000 with one centre in Beijing. Currently, the company has about 76 centres in China. Aptech Beida Jadebird has a student strength of over 10,000. Its operations are, at present, spread across 34 cities.

Aptech has its centres spread over 2,436 locations in 52 countries. Of these, 235 locations are outside India, while the rest are within the country.

Aptech has recently restructured its operations involving a demerger of its training and education business into a new company to be called Aptech Training by transferring its assets and liabilities of the training arm to the latter. Simultaneously, its unlisted sister concern Hexaware Technologies is to be merged into Aptech. The merged entity will be subsequently called Hexaware Technologies.