Gaurav Gupta tells SHAlINI SAKSENA that it is important to craft students in such a manner that they emerge as sought-after professionals on completion of their course
Tell us about the academyIJ
The academy has the core mandate of bringing together motivated professionals and interesting career opportunities onto a single platform. Knowing our mission, we have designed all career programmes in harmony with the present industry demands. We offer both short and long term courses, structured to train and mould student as a media or management professional.
How did it all startIJ
Though our group has been in existence for more than 30 decades, our academy started in 2009. We wanted to ensure that students not only attain a substantial grounding in basic theoretical aspects; but also hands-on experience through working with latest technologies, bolstered by actual participation in programme production while studying.
How has the journey been so farIJ
So far, it has been a fantastic journey. We are considered to be one the top institutes imparting not just theoretical but also hands on training to our students. We started small but today we have more than 1200 students doing various courses. We are known in the industry to get placement for all our students. This is because we have our own channel. This makes it easy for us to give the industry experience to the students.
What are some of the challenges that institutes are facingIJ
One of the most important aspects is that the industry wants students who are ready to get down to work from day one. N o one wants to sit with the freshers and teach them the nuances. Despite almost all institutes offering practical training, it is not enough. We need a perfect balance of theory and practical which we are yet to achieve.
There is a lot of talk on skilling India. How prepared are the institutes to impart itIJ
I would say all institutes in the country are in a position to impart skills to the students. Where the problem lies is to ensure that they are industry ready. There is a big difference in just skilling the youth and getting them ready so that they can get placed.
You have recently added sound engineering as a course. Tell us about that.
Not many people in India know about the importance of sound engineering. However, in foreign institutes, it is an emerging field and many students are wanting to study this field with music becoming such an integral part of our lives. Also, channels need professionals from this field. So, it has a lot of scope and opportunities. In India, though sound engineering is in its nascent stage, we wanted to introduce this course, so that students are industry ready three years down the line.
What are some of the things that a student should look for before choosing a collegeIJ
Besides looking at things like infrastructure, facilities, library, faculty and placement, an important thing to keep in mind is whether a particular institute suits your requirements or not. It has been seen that almost everyone goes to a particular college because their friend has applied there. What may be good for one, may not be so for the other. Don’t join an institute because your friend is there, join because it is the right place to get proper knowledge and learning experience.
There are so many media institutes. How do you do to stand outIJ
With state-of-the-art infrastructure, a highly qualified and experienced faculty coupled with professional expertise from the industry, we offer the best of both worlds, spanning the entire value — chain from core theory to industry practice. So we are quite sure that the time and money the student invests, united with what we have to offer, will craft them into a highly sought-after professional on completion of the course.