Bharti Aribam

Incorporation and Founding
HillslandEduVenture Private Limited, incorporated on March 16, 2020, and initially registered as a proprietorship on August 14, 2019, is an innovative educational technology company focused on developing personalized learning programs for K-12 students. The company was founded by Sunder Sharma and Bharti Aribam and is headquartered in Imphal, Manipur.

Flagship Product
The company’s flagship product, the “iTtute Learning App”, is a pioneering online learning application in North-East India. This app serves a largely ignored user base and addresses the needs of the lower pyramid of society, providing quality education in vernacular languages. This focus on vernacular medium learning fills a significant gap for students who have been deprived of quality education due to the lack of good resources in languages they are comfortable with.

Mission and Vision
iTtute Learning App aims to bridge educational gaps by providing a customized e-learning facility for BOSEM (Board of Secondary Education Manipur) and COHSEM (Council of Higher Secondary Education Manipur) students. Collaborating with eminent teachers and principals from top schools in Manipur, the app aims to cover the syllabuses of Classes V to XII of all State Boards in North-East India. The app also plans to include content for mainstream boards like CBSE and ICSE in the future.

Unique Selling Points
The iTtute Learning App stands out in the market with its focus on:

  • State Boards
  • Vernacular languages
  • Curated content

Features of the iTtute Learning App

  • Animated video content: Engaging animated video lessons covering class syllabuses.
  • Study Materials: Comprehensive study materials available in soft copy format.
  • Online Test Series: Self-assessment tools to gauge knowledge and understanding.
  • Question Bank: A repository of previous years’ questions and important questions.
  • Doubt Clearing Sessions: Sessions to clarify doubts and enhance understanding.

Addressing Key Problems
The iTtute Learning App effectively addresses several key challenges faced by students:

  1. Lack of good teachers
  2. Inadequate infrastructure
  3. Language barriers (English)
  4. Expensive private tuitions/coaching
  5. Incomplete syllabuses
  6. Limited access to State Board learning content
  7. Need for alternate learning options

Startup Journey:

The Startup Journey of iTtute

Inception and Founding
The journey of iTtute began with the vision of Sunder Sharma and Bharti Aribam, who identified a critical gap in the educational resources available to students in North-East India. On August 14, 2019, they registered HillslandEduVenture as a proprietorship with a mission to provide quality education to under served communities through personalized learning programs. This vision led to the incorporation of HillslandEduVenture Private Limited on March 16, 2020, marking the formal beginning of their educational technology venture.

Identifying the Need
Sunder and Bharti observed that students in North-East India, especially those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, faced significant barriers to quality education. These included the absence of good teachers, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of educational content in vernacular languages. Recognizing the potential to address these challenges through technology, they conceptualized iTtute Learning App—a mobile application designed to offer personalized, vernacular-based learning resources.

Product Development and Launch
The development phase of iTtute was marked by intensive research and collaboration. Sunder and Bharti partnered with over 30 teachers to curate educational content tailored to the needs of K-12 students. They focused on creating a comprehensive and engaging learning experience, incorporating features like video tutorials, study materials, online test series, question banks, and doubt-clearing sessions.

After months of dedicated effort, the iTtute Learning App was ready for launch. The app was introduced to the market as the first-of-its-kind online learning application in North-East India, catering to students from various state boards, particularly BOSEM (Board of Secondary Education Manipur) and COHSEM (Council of Higher Secondary Education Manipur).

Early Challenges and Achievements
The initial phase of the startup journey was not without challenges. Promoting an educational app in a region with limited digital penetration and convincing parents and students of its value required persistent efforts. However, the founders’ commitment and the app’s unique features gradually gained traction.

Within months of its launch, the iTtute Learning App achieved significant milestones:

  • Over 15,647 downloads on the Android Playstore
  • 727 paid subscribers
  • Average daily usage time of 26.40 minutes per student

The app’s success was also reflected in its revenue generation, with 10 lakhs earned in the first 11 months. These achievements validated the founders’ belief in the app’s potential and reinforced their commitment to expanding its reach.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the app served the state with maximum effort. However, the market soon became flooded with video content, and students grew bored of online education.

Facing the post-pandemic market scenario was a huge challenge for the company. To address this, the company had to produce innovative content to keep students engaged. After extensive brainstorming, the company decided to replace the content with more engaging and sophisticated animated content. Despite the challenges of creating animation videos in a state like Manipur, it took more than a year to complete the content for three classes, which was launched in January 2023.

Unfortunately, just a few months after the launch, the internet in the state was completely shut down due to the ongoing law and order situation in Manipur. This was very depressing for the team and the founders of the company. However, the company had to find a way to survive, so they launched two new services: “iTute Graphic” and “iTute Home Tutor.”

iTute Graphic deals with group class photos of students, which are sold to individual students. iTute Home Tutor provides home tutoring services to students.

Currently, the products of HillslandEduventure Private Limited are:

  1. iTute Learning
  2. App iTute Graphic
  3. iTute Home Tutor

So far, challenges have only brought out the best in the company. The company’s message to future entrepreneurs is: “Accept and face every challenge, as it will only bring the best out of you.”

Team and Operations
To support the growing user base and ensure seamless operations, Sunder and Bharti assembled a dedicated team of six trained staff members. This team handled various aspects of the business, including sales, marketing, and design. Their collective efforts helped in refining the app, enhancing user experience, and expanding its features.

Expansion and Future Plans
Building on the initial success, HillslandEduVenture set ambitious goals for the future. The company aimed to expand its sales network and product range across Northeast India. Plans were made to include content for competitive exams like JEE, NEET, CAT, and IAS, necessitating the hiring of new talent and investment in research and development.

The vision for iTtute extended beyond immediate geographical and academic boundaries. The app aimed to cover syllabuses for Classes V to XII of all State Boards in North-East India and subsequently include mainstream boards like CBSE and ICSE. By collaborating with eminent teachers and principals from top schools, iTtute aspired to provide comprehensive, high-quality educational content accessible to all.

Achievements and Milestones

  1. Selected in the start up scheme of Govt. of Manipur,with a grant allotment of Rs.3 lakhs.
  2. Winner of pitch competition organised by imphal angel with cash prize of Rs.1 lakh.
  3. Winner of NERES 1.0 organised by Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship, Guwahati with a grant of Rs.5 lakhs.
  4. Winner of NRL ideation organised by NRL (Numaligarh refinery limited, Guwahati) with a grant of Rs.15 lakhs.
  5. Winner of STPI OCTANe 2.0 with a equity funding of Rs.25 lakhs.
  6. Awarded the Most fundable edutech in Northeast India by North east fund fest organised by CULTUS.
  7. Seed capital of Rs.50.00 lakhs funded by NVCL.
  8. The company was selected among the startups in India to exhibit in DUBAI EXPO.
  9. The company was selected NEEDP incubation programme and incubated at IIMCP.
  10.  The founder of the company was conferred appreciation certificate by Ministry of skill development ,Govt. India for her achievement and works in the field of education.
  11. The founder of the company was conferred appreciation certificate by Dept. of planning ,Govt. of Manipur for her work and achievement in the field of education sector.