The Indian preschool sector is experiencing rapid growth. A study by Ernst and Young estimated the market to cross $1 billion in 2012, with a growth rate of 35%[i]. As per the latest report by Mint in Jan 2015, the education market in India, which is presently worth around Rs 5.9 trillion ($92.98 billion), is poised for some major growth by 2020.

Preschool Franchise Opportunities

Considering the rapid growth of preschools in Tier III and Tier IV cities, the preschool education sector is expected to expand. In urban areas especially, a preschool is now considered a necessity by most parents. Preschools, popularly known as playschools, cater to children aged between two to four and seem to be a lucrative investment for franchisees and investors. With the entry of a number of reputed chains, national as well as international, this sector is witnessing immense growth and development.  With many of them opting for the franchise route to scale up their presence, the concept of franchising among interested and start-up entrepreneurs, has caught on fast in the last few years.

The best part about franchising is that the investment can be made in an already established business format, which enjoys its own brand value in the market. The preschool franchise model offers several advantages for a potential franchisee. Not only does it reduce the risk and gestation period associated with a business, it also provides an easy transfer of technical knowledge and the well-structured procedures and policies laid out by the franchiser. The advantage of partnering with a known brand helps in outreach and attracting more parents towards the school.  A franchisee doesn’t have to worry about research and development of curriculum as a set preschool curriculum developed by experts is provided by franchisors. The franchisee receives all the training materials, equipments, supplies, instruction manuals needed for running the preschool from franchiser. This also helps the franchisor in maintaining the standard of quality across centres. Another important thing to note is that it is quite simple and easy to obtain a loan for educational franchise business. From the franchisor’s perspective, the preschool business is not only rewarding; but also helps them quickly build up their presence in targeted geographical locations. The franchisor not only shares the brand image, but also their knowledge, experience, and technical expertise.

Many preschool brands in India are expanding its network through the franchising model which has led to a high growth rate in the industry. Sesame Street Preschool, from the family of the renowned Sesame Street- the world’s largest preschool educator is an early childhood education centre that is set to change the way children engage and learn. Sesame Street Preschool was set up with the aim to change the paradigm of preschool education in India – by offering high-quality educational resources and facilities to children across the country. It is setting a new standard for early childhood education through its unique preschool and afterschool programmes.  It is a learning experience brought to life by the fun and furry characters of Sesame Street and its Indian adaptation Galli Galli Sim Sim, India’s first educational programme just for children. Its unique approach to age-appropriate education puts kids at the centre of everything, from playful project-based activities to an environment made for rampant imagination. Its programmes introduce concepts not as stand-alone subjects but as a wealth of interconnected knowledge. When different streams of learning are taught together, children make more connections—multiplying the benefits to their education. With this interdisciplinary foundation, children grasp advanced concepts faster at the school level.

Sesame Schoolhouse’s Vice President, Ms. Mona Singh shares, “The franchise model allows us to continue to focus on our core competencies like content development, teacher training or adherence to standards of excellence. It also enables us to expand faster, especially to tier II cities where the need for high-quality education is great. We are continuously seeking franchisees that are aligned with our vision of providing superior educational experiences to children.”

Although the preschool sector offers tremendous opportunities for growth, franchisees do face certain challenges to achieve the desired objectives. Presently, preschools are primarily an urban phenomenon and rural areas are still to catch up on this trend. Also, due to lack of a proper regulatory mechanism and any guidelines or checks by the Government, unorganized players are mushrooming in this sector.

To overcome these challenges, franchisees should aim at satisfactory and fulfilling partnerships with established, credible preschool brands. They should, nevertheless, conduct a proper background research and discuss the terms and conditions carefully before formalizing the contract or partnerships in order to get the maximum benefits from this growing educational venture. A successful franchise relationship is based on constant and timely support and service, bringing benefits of visibility and optimised costs to the network that individual franchisees cannot do on their own. In conclusion, educational franchising is a rewarding opportunity for someone who wants to jet starts their business.

“Preschool Education in India”, Childology: Understanding Children, www.childology.in [accessed on 20 July 2015]

Pre primary schools in Pune, Play schools in Hyderabad, Pre schools in Hyderabad, Preschools in Hyderabad

The Indian preschool sector is experiencing rapid growth. As per a report by CLSA Asia Pacific Markets, the preschool education segment in India was estimated to touch $ 3,426 million by the end of 2012. Another study by Ernst and Young estimated the market to cross $1 billion in 2012, with a growth rate of 35%. As per the latest report on the education market by the Mint in Jan 2015, the education market in India, which is presently worth around Rs 5.9 trillion ($92.98 billion), is poised for some major growth by 2020. The organized sector is expected to rise considering the rapid growth of preschools in Tier III and Tier IV cities. 

In urban areas especially, a preschool is now considered a necessity by most parents. Preschools, popularly known as Playschools, cater to children aged between two to four, and seem to be a lucrative investment for educational franchise and investors. With the entry of a number of reputed chains, national as well as international, this sector is witnessing immense growth and development.  With many of them opting for the preschool franchise opportunities route to scale up their presence, the concept of international school franchise opportunity among interested and start-up entrepreneurs, has caught on fast in the last few years.

A number of factors have accelerated the growth of the preschool and primary school franchise in India. A growing number of nuclear families and working parents is one of the leading reasons for the growth of the preschool sector in India. Over time, the perception of preschool education has also changed from just being nutrition centers to an institute where the child is prepared for getting into formal education using innovative learning approaches adopted by educators which makes learning fun for children. The low investment required in running and maintaining preschools make it a lucrative business opportunity.

The preschool franchise model offers several advantages for a potential franchisee. It reduces the risk and gestation period associated with a business and provides an easy transfer of technical knowledge and the well structured procedures and policies laid out by the franchisor. The advantage of partnering with a known brand helps in outreach and attracting more parents towards the school.  A franchisee doesn’t have to worry about research and development of curriculum as a set preschool curriculum developed by experts is provided by franchisors.

In addition, franchisees looking to collaborate with a recognized preschool brand can explore several locations and operational options as some leading preschool chains are looking to expand their outreach to Tier I and Tier II Indian cities or even international expansion. From the franchisor’s perspective, the preschool business is not only lucrative; but also helps them quickly build up their presence in targeted geographical locations. The franchisor not only shares the brand image, but also their knowledge, experience, and technical expertise.

Among the preschool chains operating in India, the more prominent ones are Sesame Schoolhouse, EuroKids, Shemrock Schools, Kangaroo Kids, Sanfort, Kidzee, Serra International, Podar Jumbo Kids, Hello Kids, and Sunshine among others. Among these, Sesame Street is leading the way by revolutionizing the way children learn. Sesame Street Preschool is a venture of Sesame Schoolhouse, the latest educational initiative from Sesame Workshop, one of the largest non-profit informal educational organizations in the world who also produce the  world acclaimed children’s educational television show, Sesame Street. Sesame Schoolhouse is setting a new standard for early childhood education through their unique preschool and afterschool program: Sesame Street Preschool for pre-primary learners aged 2 to 5, and after school to reinforce science and math concepts for children ages 6 to 8. It’s a learning experience brought to life by the fun and furry characters of Galli Galli Sim Sim, India’s first educational TV program for children. Their unique brand of age-appropriate education puts kids at the center of everything, from playful project-based activities to an environment made for rampant imagination.

In conclusion, one can sum up by saying that that as the preschool industry is a sector with a huge potential that needs to be tapped, a kids school franchise can look at satisfactory and fulfilling partnerships with established, credible preschool brands as a viable option to fulfil their entrepreneurial aspirations. 

“Geeee… I don’t like this vegetable!” “I don’t want to eat breakfast!” “This is not my favorite food!”

All parents would be familiar with these phrases. These are commonly heard on the dining table as kids crib about food. Parents are often concerned about their kids’ eating habits. They sometimes are unaware of or are unable to entice the child enough to eat a balanced diet. While there is no assured formula to ensure that your preschooler eats healthy food, but there are definitely ways to motivate them towards developing healthy eating habits. Encouraging your child to build healthy eating habits now can help him stay strong and active for life.

Take kids shopping for healthy food

Involve your kids in grocery shopping. Make the grocery store a play school franchise in India ground for them to choose healthy foods. You may give your child a small list of items to look for and check off as he finds them. You can also talk to your child about where healthy foods come from (i.e., a farm, a garden, the sea). Once in a while plan a trip to the farm or a kitchen garden to explain to children the source of food. Explain to them that healthy food usually comes from farms, sea, garden and other natural resources. While, foods available in cans, plastic covers and wrappers may not be as healthy as it doesn’t come from the natural resources and is processed in factories. 

Explain them about anytime vs sometime foods

Try talking to your child about different types of food as being either “anytime” foods or “sometime” foods. An “anytime” food means something we can eat every day, such as fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean meats, low-fat dairy, and water. “Sometime” foods are high in sugar, fat, or salt that we should only eat once in awhile. To bring home the idea of “anytime” foods, talk with your child about other activities he does every day to stay healthy, such as brushing his teeth or washing his hands. You can show him Cookie Monster’s video called “Cookie is a sometime food” available on www.sesamestreet.org which can explain him the difference between sometime and anytime food. There are many similar videos of Galli Galli Sim Sim also available on www.galligallisimsim.comwhich can teach kids about nutritious food.

Meal time = Fun time

Parents should aim to make meal time fun for kids. Simply by making the regular sandwiches in different shapes or doing an art on the plate with fruits and vegetables can attract your child’s attention. You can also encourage your child to participate in cooking healthy food. Simple salads and yogurts can be prepared by them. Dishes that they prepare remain close to their heart and they tend to enjoy eating them after the hard-work.

Be a role model

Children often imitate what they see at home, simply because they feel that what their elders do must be what they should do too. Hence, it is important to let your child see you order a fresh salad rather a pizza or burger. Try and eat with your child and model positive behaviors, show them how you enjoy healthy anytime food like poha, idli, dalia, milk, cereal, fruits, pulses, vegetables,  etc., how a healthy colorful food keeps you healthy and fit.  Educators at school franchise in India also encourage the habit of healthy eating among children. By instructing parents to pack nutritious food in Tiffin and by engaging kids in buying healthy food items at the Health Café set up at all Sesame Street Preschools, educators help children understand the significance of healthy eating. 

If bad eating habits reign during childhood, they can be hard to change once children have become comfortable with their routines. Hence, it is important to work on your child’s eating habits now rather than waiting for these to change later.

If you are looking for a play school franchise in India or preschool franchise opportunities, the author of this article recommends sesame street preschools - the world largest preschool educator’s approach toward education that has helped kids grow smarter, stronger and kinder.