Innovating Education: Zamit's Future-Ready Approach with Aarul Malaviya

StartupTalky presents Recap'23, a series of in-depth interviews where we engage with founders and industry leaders to explore their growth in 2023 and their predictions for the future.

EdTech, or education technology, is booming. Thanks to the pandemic, companies are creating cool tools like online courses, fun learning games, and AI tutors. It's making education more personalized, breaking down distance barriers, and making learning super interesting.

The EdTech industry is projected to experience phenomenal growth in the coming years, with estimates suggesting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.2%, potentially reaching a market size of over $605 billion by 2027 (Research and Markets).

In our recent interview for Recap'23, we connected with Aarul Malaviya, Founder of Zamit. We talked about how Zamit is making waves in the EdTech industry. We covered challenges, strategies for reaching customers, future plans, and more.

StartupTalky: What service does Zamit provide? What was the motivation/vision with which you started?

Aarul Malaviya: We help students prepare for tomorrow today! Zamit, a UK-based organisation, specialises in Skills and Knowledge Integrated Learning for students and Teaching Excellence and Relevance Management for Teachers. Using its unique Measure, Improve, and Monitor model, it offers AI-driven Learner Analytics and an impactful 'iSKiL' program for students, nurturing over 70 important skills for academic success. The company’s innovative 'ZQ' (Zamit Quotient), the world’s first AI-driven, measurable indexing system, replaces traditional standardised tests to focus on the future readiness of students. Our 'iTERM' program supports teachers with Continuing Professional Development on over 80 skills, including classroom resources and CPD programs. Furthermore, Zamit collaborates with various schools to deliver customised iSKiL and iTERM programmes and offers international certifications in line with UK standards through Qualifications and Assessments International in the UK, providing educational content of world standards.

StartupTalky: What new services have been added in the past year? What is/are the USP/s of Zamit?

Aarul Malaviya: Zamit stands out in the industry by providing unique programmes to guide teachers and students towards greater success, including portfolio-building services, English language assessment, internships, scholarships, and research grants. Moreover, our services align with India's National Education Policy 2020. For schools, alongside ZQ assessments, Zamit offers teacher development resources, safe recruitment solutions, a marketplace, news, webinars, curated content, ambassador programs, promotions, and awards. We recently added programs such as ‘iTERM' for teachers and 'iSKiL' for students; both programmes are aligned to the Common International Framework of Reference for Future Readiness or CIFR, a gold standard.

StartupTalky: How has the Edtech industry changed in recent years, and how has Zamit adapted to these changes?

Aarul Malaviya: Recently, the EdTech industry has undergone a significant transformation fuelled by the latest technological improvements and evolving academic methodologies. This shift has led to the emergence of online platforms that offer flexible learning, personalised education through AI, immersive learning with the integration of Virtual Reality tools, and a renewed emphasis on practical, real-world skills. In response to these developments, Zamit has overhauled its platform to prioritise user-friendliness. The company is now leveraging adaptive technology for personalised learning experiences, integrating Artificial Intelligence algorithms to actively engage students, using machine learning software to analyze data, and assisting teachers and institutions in integrating the required technology. The need to adapt is now crucial for success in the rapidly changing world of education and technology.

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StartupTalky: How do you stay up-to-date on the latest trends and developments in the Edtech industry?

Aarul Malaviya: Keeping up with the rapid changes in the educational market requires proactive involvement in industry events like conferences and seminars to directly engage and witness emerging trends and insights. Additionally, our research team consistently dives deep into newly released credible publications and research papers, extracting invaluable data from expert case studies. Moreover, cultivating partnerships with academic experts and international and national educationists provides Zamit with access to relevant and current innovations in the field.

StartupTalky: What key metrics do you track to check Zamit's growth and performance?

Aarul Malaviya: For a startup, monitoring key metrics is essential to gauge overall growth. In EdTech, user engagement and retention rates gauge Zamit’s impact on students' long-term learning. Conversion rates and acquisition costs reflect the efficiency of our marketing campaigns while assessing student assessments and completion rates to evaluate content effectiveness. Analysing user feedback through data analytics guides us in making anticipated platform improvements for sustainable company growth.

StartupTalky: What were the most significant challenges Zamit faced in the past year, and how did you overcome them?

Aarul Malaviya: This year, the EdTech world encountered major hurdles amid swift changes in the global academic sphere. While many companies scrambled to adjust to remote learning needs, Zamit made required enhancements to accommodate more users, boosting server capacity and upgrading internet capacity to ensure a seamless experience. Adapting to new-age requirements of teachers and students alike are as important in education as they are involved the rapid development of interactive and compelling digital content. Moreover, improvements in customer support and tutorials aided the transition to remote learning, enabling us to uphold our dedication to delivering high-quality education.

StartupTalky: Good service is something everyone is talking about in the service industry. How does Zamit ensure that their clients are happy?

Aarul Malaviya: Delivering top-notch service and ensuring client satisfaction in any other industry. It means actively gathering feedback from principals, teachers, and students through surveys and direct interactions to understand their needs. These insights drive refinements that align with changing learning patterns, shaping the platform accordingly. Additionally, cultivating a community via online forums nurtures a collaborative environment for the whole industry.

StartupTalky: What are the different strategies you use for marketing? Tell us about any growth hack that you pulled off.

Aarul Malaviya: Zamit operates on a comprehensive marketing strategy using multiple communication channels. Content marketing, such as blogs and webinars, highlights our academic expertise, engaging both teachers and learners. Social media amplifies this by sharing informative content and success stories, fostering a robust community. Targeted ads on social platforms not only acquire users but also enhance our visibility through word-of-mouth.

StartupTalky: Foreign clients - this is what most of the service-based companies are looking for. What has been your experience?

Aarul Malaviya: Partnering with global institutions such as Qualifications and Assessments International, UK broadens Zamit's platform to cater to diverse learning needs, embracing cross-cultural exchanges for excellent and up-to-date academic content. Our international presence in UAE drives growth, motivating us to seek strong partnerships and aspire to become a top global educational tech provider.

StartupTalky: What are the important tools and software you use to run Zamit smoothly?

Aarul Malaviya: The combination of tools helps us take a comprehensive approach to managing both customer interactions and internal processes. Some of the important tools and software used to run our business smoothly include ZOHO for CRM, campaign management, social media management, ticketing, etc. In addition, we use Sales IQ, Knowlarity, WhatsApp, and Forms for customer interaction. Additional tools such as uKnowva and Asana are used for internal HRMS and project management. Other technical tools include Adobe, Invideo, StreamYard, etc. All these help us gather data and stay ahead of the market.

StartupTalky: What opportunities do you see for future growth in the Edtech industry in India and the world?

Aarul Malaviya: With a booming population and wider internet access in India, there is ample room to enhance the accessibility of education, especially in underserved regions. Therefore, online platforms offer flexibility to meet this academic gap. Additionally, AI and machine learning algorithms are poised to elevate student engagement experience. Worldwide, the move towards lifelong learning, driven by job market shifts, is propelling the growth of the EdTech industry.

StartupTalky: What kind of difference in market behaviour have you seen between India and the world?

Aarul Malaviya: The EdTech markets in India and globally showcase distinct behaviours. India sees a high demand for affordable coaching and skill development for competitive exams, driven by a large population that aspires to illustrious colleges and jobs. Globally, there's a wider emphasis on long-term skill-based learning, aligning with industry needs. At the same time, both embrace online learning platforms; global trends favour personalised, tech-driven experiential learning, while Indian students lean more towards fundamental content. Nonetheless, both markets are swiftly adopting digital learning avenues to address learning requirements.

StartupTalky: What lessons did your team learn in the past year, and how will these inform your future plans and strategies?

Aarul Malaviya: The company has been conducting extensive research to identify the gaps in the market regarding future readiness skills for students and teachers. Based on the information gathered, we identified a need for a framework that is standardised, measurable, personalised, and modern and that would guide students and teachers towards greater success. Basis this understanding, Zamit’s proprietary model of Measure-Improve-Monitor was developed. The Zamit programmes are founded on this M-I-M model.

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StartupTalky: How do you plan to expand the customers, service offerings, and team base in the future?

Aarul Malaviya: Our expansion plan revolves around customer outreach and diverse service offerings. Targeted marketing will help us penetrate new markets and fortify existing ones. Prioritising focused assessment and improvement programmes for emerging skills remains advantageous, alongside continuous improvements to our platform and user experience. Based on the encouraging response from the market, we have aggressively begun to expand our team in select cities across India and the UAE. We have a plethora of cloud-based solutions that will help us upscale in regard to technical assistance required for team management while keeping pace with expansion. Some of the tools include ZOHO CRM, Asana, and Odoo.

StartupTalky: One tip that you would like to share with another Service company founder?

Aarul Malaviya: Our advice to fellow founders is to always hone your adaptability skills. Education and tech are dynamic, so staying ahead of the curve is crucial in staying relevant. Be flexible in your strategies, be the first one to adopt the latest tech, and constantly keep improving your services based on user feedback, as these aspects will define your future success.

StartupTalky extends its gratitude to Mr. Aarul Malaviya for dedicating his valuable time and generously sharing his insights with all of us.

Explore more Recap'23 Interviews here.