When newcomers initially enter a field, they frequently look up to the legends who have already accomplished the feat. For instance, a budding fashion designer would admire Masaba Gupta and want to follow in her successful footsteps.
In the past, it was difficult to learn from the greats, but technology has changed all of that, with social media bringing us closer than ever to our heroes.
Additionally, upgrading your skills is now simpler than ever. In 2020, Samarth Bajaj, Aadesh Nahar, Vishal Bajaj, and Preetam Saikia launched The Designer’s Class (TDC), an online education platform with the goal of bringing students and specialists closer together.
The three invested Rs 3 crore in total—from their own pockets and the pockets of friends and family—to make TDC a reality. Potential students may now access lessons in fashion, jewelry, interior design, photography, and beauty and cosmetics through this website.
Including the celebrity component
A group of seasoned professionals and subject matter experts worked close to 6–8 months conceptualizing the courses on TDC.
In addition, it relies heavily on its celebrity endorsements. This is a list of 18 well-known designers who have created courses and taught them, including Gauri Khan, Masaba, Rhea Kapoor, Abu Jani, and Sandeep Khosla.
“Everyone has carefully crafted the course material to ensure that it is pertinent, thorough, and useful. According to Bajaj, their contributions are crucial for offering insightful industry viewpoints and effectively articulating their creative ideas. “They’re [celebrities] also willing to share the perspective of the industry and what they’ve learned along the way.”
The master’s and celebrity seminars are pre-recorded, while the faculty teaches the live sessions in a hybrid format. It exists as an internet platform right now.TDC is evaluating an offline model for the third quarter of 2023, when the student-to-teacher ratio will be 22:1.
Courses cost 2999–20,000 rupees. Each course lasts 30–600 hours.
The platform now has 17,000 users. It made 3.5 crore rupees in FY22.
The revenue-sharing model for celebrity designers operates at a maximum of 20%, with celebrities receiving a cut of net enrollments as compensation.
Students are also qualified for celebrity internships after finishing the course. “We offer internships only to students who complete the entire course, specifically the full bundled programme, and achieve a minimum of 70% marks. Internships are not provided for single courses or mini bundles,” Bajaj asserts.
Approximately 60% of candidates have been shortlisted or have obtained internships or jobs.
The final evaluation is conducted by AI with no human intervention unless an appeal is made.
While talking about competition, Bajaj cited that there are two brackets for identifying competitors. The bigger bracket includes Edtech platforms, including Unacademy, BYJU’S, and others, although it considers MasterClass, Udemy as rivals.
While the edtech market is currently facing upheavals and a number of challenges, the overall market in India was valued at $700–800 million in 2021 and is expected to reach $30 billion by 2031, growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20%, as per a study by KPMG.
Having raised $1 million (Rs 7.9 crore) in July last year from angel investors, it now plans to turn The Designer Class into a primary and secondary supplemental education provider in accordance with National Skill Qualification Framework standards.
Conclusion
In 2020, Samarth Bajaj, Aadesh Nahar, Vishal Bajaj, and Preetam Saikia launched The Designer’s Class (TDC), an online education platform aimed at connecting students and specialists in various fields.Fashion, jewelry, interior design, photography, and beauty and cosmetics are taught at TDC. The platform’s master’s and celebrity seminars are pre-recorded, and the faculty teaches live sessions in a hybrid format. TDC has around 17,000 active users and a revenue-sharing model for celebrity designers, with a maximum of 20% compensation.
Students are also qualified for celebrity internships after completing the course, with 60% of candidates shortlisted or obtaining internships or jobs. The platform’s final evaluation is conducted by AI without human intervention. The edtech market in India is valued at $700-800 million in 2021 and is expected to reach $30 billion by 2031, growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 20%.
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