| |19 August 2019HIGHERReviewcontineo.in COMPANIES IN INDIA - 2019RTOP 10 P OMISINGHIGHER EDUCATIONReviewEDUTECHThe GenesisThrough the winter of 2010, the team at contineo was deliberating the next move for their fledgling company. Of the options on the table, one looked particularly exciting. A government policy-driven transformation was underway in the education sector in India with the rapid movement towards academic autonomy and outcome-based education. Outcome-based education was important because it was pre-requisite for membership to the Washington accord - which would ensure the portability of the Indian engineering degree across the 17 (then) member nations.Our University-affiliated education system (a legacy from the British era) was creating em-ployability gaps and through a Central policy and incentives, the government was imparting serious thrust to academic autonomy spawn-ing off autonomous colleges and Deemed and Private Universities.The founder, Sudhindra Mokhasi who was earlier heading Global Technology Solutions at MphasiS, was struck by the absolute lack of suitable IT products for the administration of academic autonomy and outcome-based education. ERP led solutions seemed to be the norm and where the core business of the institutions - education - was dealt with superficially and almost as an afterthought.So, while the business opportunity seemed to be present, what cemented the decision was the fact that the company could bring to bear the international IT engineering experience of the founders to the Indian market and attempt to make a positive lasting impact on an underserved industry.Creating a new product category is fraught with risks and contineo recognized three factors as key to success - Have investors buy into the vision, having that first special customer who (L-R) Balaji C.R., President, Aparna Mokhasi, Co-Founder and COO & Sudhindra Mokhasi, Founder and CEO
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