Q. What inspired you to return to India after the Boston University MBA?
A. My plan had always been returning to India. I had started Experts’ Global as an online GMAT prep and MBA Admissions consulting firm even before I started my MBA. Thus, while I focused on the learning of the MBA, I never made my resume. Instead, I used the time spent by my peers in employment planning and internships to further develop and grow Experts’ Global. I wanted to prepare a solid foundation for my firm before my return to India. God has been kind, the plan worked out well.
Q. But wasn’t there a temptation to stay back and get the due ROI on a US MBA?
A. I pursued my MBA from Boston University with 100% scholarship. Moreover, by the time I graduated, Experts’ Global was up and profitable. Hence, I completed my MBA debt-free and with savings to give my firm the boost that it needed. Honestly, I was more impelled to return to India and grow my venture than by the paycheck and I was also getting good results with Experts’ Global.
Q. What was your inspiration behind starting Experts’ Global?
A. I wanted to solve a problem. While I was preparing for my GMAT and preparing the MBA applications, I recognized a significant lack in available resources, for both GMAT prep and guidance and MBA admissions consulting. As I had enjoyed the process, I realized that I could help similarly motivated students. Moreover, a significant part of my professional years included training, and thus, the dots were connected.
Q. Why EdTech?
A. EdTech allows me to reach the perfect amalgam of my skills and my interest. I have a bachelor’s degree in engineering that has given me a strong grounding in technology. Furthermore, my work experience together with a natural bent for analytical matter gave me a solid academic bent. I have always believed that education is the most potent source of growth and excellence. Besides, I have been always interested in the idea of enterprising and building an organization. However, when I started Experts’ Global, EdTech was only in the nascent stage and the term was also not even recognized as such, but I could see potential in employing technology to impart stellar education.
Q. Tell us a bit about the success achieved by Experts’ Global since its inception.
A. Experts’ Global started in 2008 as a one-person company. But since then, the firm has grown with a robust team of highly efficient and experienced professionals who are passionate about mentoring. Every year, the GMAT program is used by over 1000s of GMAT applicants and the admission consulting service is accessed by students from over 10 countries. Statistically speaking, since 2014, every 10th Indian in the US top 50 b-schools has been our admission consulting student.
Q. How is the GMAT online preparation course by Experts’ Global different from other EdTech companies?
A. It is different because it is factually the most complete, comprehensive GMAT prep program delivered at the lowest fee. This package includes over 100 concept videos, 4000 practice questions, 15 full-length practice tests, 200 short videos for revising important concepts, some great software features, and exhaustive analytics. It even includes an AI-based software that reads a student’s performance to identify his/her’s specific weaknesses and provides personalized suggestions to improve upon the same.
Q. That’s interesting. Why have you priced such a powerful tool so low?
A. I want to make this tool available to a larger spectrum of GMAT aspirants and make it the undisputed default GMAT prep tool. I believe a well-structured prep program, complete with exhaustive resources of the top-quality, delivered at an affordable rate will help a larger number of GMAT aspirants. Rather than having a small fraction of test-takers use the software at a high price, I will be much happier to see all students use it at a low price. With such scale, the low price would be fair.
Q. What are the next plans for Experts’ Global?
A. We want to penetrate the GMAT prep market deeper and wider, globally. In admissions consulting, we will continue with our boutique consulting approach, taking in a pre-decided, limited number of students, each year, while maintaining close to 100% results.
