Career Launcher plans new varsity

Career Launcher, a premier institute for Masters of Business Administration (MBA) test preparation, plans to set-up the Indus World University by 2010. The varsity will encompass a chain of around five specialised schools in areas like business, media and culinary skills.

“The university will focus on sunrise sectors from liberal arts to hard sciences with a special emphasis on entrepreunership and leadership,” Satya R Narayanan, Chairman and Founder, Career Launcher, told Business Standard.

The institute has committed funds worth Rs 150 crore for three years to launch the university and has come up with a campus in Greater Noida with a facility to house 2,000 students. The institute took the first step in this direction last year when it set-up the Indus World School of Business (IWSB). The first batch comprises 47 students. Career Launcher plans to double the intake of students for IWSB this year. “With five courses having programmes of two-three years duration along with executive education programmes, we will be able to accommodate all these students,” added Narayanan.

Career Launcher had opened five schools under the IWSB last year and plans to open over 100 schools across their various offerings in the primary education segment – playschools, Indus World schools and rural schools -- by 2012 More such schools will come up in Tier II and III cities. Also, there are plans of setting up test preparation centres in the Western and Southern parts of the country in next two years. Currently, the institute has a faculty strength of 17 people and as it expands its service offerings, Narayanan said, they will have the usual mix of new people, industry veterans and people from academia to teach.