TalentSprint to train 50,000 banking aspirants

Hyderabad-based TalentSprint, a National Skill Development Corporation partner company, is aiming to train around 50,000 banking aspirants by 2015.

Towards this, it has acquired Deccan Career Point, a city-based bank exam coaching outfit, and has launched 'Bankers Choice', a comprehensive exam preparation programme for the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection recruitment in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

K Sridhar, senior vice-president, TalentSprint, said, “We are planning to roll out this programme across the southern states as an enabling platform for banking aspirants.”

Andhra Pradesh, at present, has around 370,000 banking aspirants, Karnataka 100,000, Tamil Nadu 140,000 and Kerala around 200,000. However, only 2 per cent these aspirants are able to clear the recruitment exams, he added.

MC Jacob, senior adviser to TalentSprint and former chief general manager of State Bank of Travancore, said, “The Indian banking sector urgently needs significant infusion of new talent due to high demand for banking services, financial inclusion imperatives, and large-scale retirement. It is estimated that around 750,000 new jobs will be created in the banking sector over the next five years.”

TalentSprint has assembled a team of banking and financial services professionals for training and mentoring these aspirants. The ‘Bankers Choice’ programme is offered in multiple formats through classroom and online channels.

NSDC has extended a Rs 10-crore ‘venture debt’, to be released in three tranches with the last being Rs 3 crore in 2013, to TalentSprint to build iPEARL (Interactive Platform for Remote Employability and Learning remote classroom initiative). The interest rate is 6 per cent with a repayment period of 7 years starting 2013.

The skill development and training company had raised Rs 20 crore from Nexus Venture Partners in April this year to support its expansion.