Hello English – Language Learning for the Next Billion
Prologue
In Nashik, Maharashtra – India, during the lunch time workers in a factory hurry up with their lunch and sit to utilize the remaining time learning English through their mother tongue Marathi. In Rajasthan, a Rajasthan State Administrative Services officer smiles proudly at the just finished crossword on his mobile screen. Two friends in Gujarat look at their facebook page and hi five their new high score of perfect new words in English. A group of very busy tech gang in Bengaluru finish their afternoon lunch of curd rice and dosa scrutinizing the day’s newspaper in Spanish with as much ease as they would treat an English or Malayalam Newspaper. The young girl from China assures her mother in Kolkata that she is learning Mandarin fast along with her MBBS degree. Welcome to CultureAlley, a new tech start up based out of Jaipur, touching and transforming some 3 crore lives across the country and beyond, through their online language education platform...............
Genesis
Hello English, the fastest and most subscribed app of CultureAlley (that boasts of several apps facilitating learning several international and national languages) is the physical manifestation of entrepreneurial track treaded by two young technopreneurs, Pranshu and Nishant Patni, through its intuitive processes designed by linguists from across the world............
English in India
Throughout India, there is an extraordinary belief, among almost all castes and classes, in both rural and urban areas, in the transformative power of English. English is seen not just as a useful skill, but as a symbol of a better life, a pathway out of poverty and oppression. Aspiration of such magnitude is a heavy burden for any language, and for those who have responsibility for teaching it, to bear. The challenges of providing universal access to English are significant, and many are bound to feel frustrated at the speed of progress. But we cannot ignore the way that the English language has emerged as a powerful agent for change in India...........
Hello English
The startup Culture Alley launched “Hello English” (HE) (“Hello English: Learn English | Best English Speaking App”, 2017) in October 2014 as their flagship app which became India’s numero uno language learning app (Exhibit I). Within months of launch it was Asia’s most downloaded free language learning application (Exhibit II). Eight months down the timeline it was featuring as the number one App on Google Play Store. As of January 2017, it has attained the position of the third most rated educational app across the world. With more than 550,000 user reviews on Google Play Store and consistent average rating of 4.6............
Enabling Structures: Physical, Human Resource, Marketing and Financial
Going by more click and less brick, the Hello English is housed in a modest office located on a glass partitioned terrace of the founder’s own personal space facing the pristine picturesque white Birla Temple in Jaipur. About 25 Engineers, linguists and designers with their laptops and a vivid informal work ambience complete the picture of physical infrastructure.........
Epilogue: The Strategic Dilemma
It was a warm lazy Jaipur summer afternoon when Pranshu returned from the corner medicine shop next to their office and was eager to share with her now-life-and-venture partner Nishant about her experience with the pharmacy retailer who was innocently and enthusiastically talking about his Hello English experience to her, not knowing she was one of the idea initiators of the product. She found Nishant contemplative and busy with speed reading the report on his laptop...........
Assignment Questions
I. Analyse the external and Internal environment for language learning Industry.
II. Develop the Porters Model of competitive Advantage for Hello English.
III. ...........
Exhibits
Exhibit I: Features of Hello English
Exhibit II: Summarized Achievements of Hello English
Exhibit III: B2B Customers of Hello English for Enterprise
Exhibit IV: Press coverage of Hello English and CultureAlley