Bangalore startup aims to improve spoken English for better employment opportunities in India

As India expands its market across the globe, enhancing its capabilities in tech and adopting technologies from some of the most advanced nations, employment still struggles from a language barrier.

One startup aims to turn the situation around by improving the standard on spoken English.

Kings Learning, a startup based in Bangalore and founded in 2014, focuses on enhancing its students’ business communication in English, with the main aim of improving employment chances.

The company’s interactive approach to learning has gained it $2.5 million in funding from Michael & Susan Dell Foundation.

“We are excited to partner our investors as we move into the next phase of growth which will primarily be focused on scaling up our offerings like Enguru, strengthening technology and analytics engine and expanding the Kings Learning team,” said Arshan Vakil Kings Learning Co-Founder and CEO.

Vakil, holder of a dual degree from the University of Pennsylvania, with a BSc in Economics from the Wharton School and BSc in System Science Engineering from the School of Engineering and Applied Science –  founded Kings Learning after being inspired by Project Vahana, a mentorship initiative which helps underserved young adults reach their true career potential.

“There are a number of people in India who have strong academic skills but find themselves disadvantaged while applying for work due to their lack of English language skills,” said Andrew Hutchinson, director of Kings Education to Economic Times.

The company mainly focuses on its 2 flagship programs dubbed Career Kickstart and Enguru. Career Kickstart is the company’s “signature program, designed by Oxford University Press and Kings Colleges, which enhances your employability through effective Business communication and workplace skills,” according to its page.

Enguru is a smart English-language-learning app that adapts to its user’s learning curve and focuses on the areas where the user needs improvement. What separates the app from competition, like Duolingo – is that it offers mentorship in all native Indian languages, making it a nationwide success.

Besides providing official textbooks by Oxford University Press to its students, a complimentary placement test is conducted upon completing courses to identify areas where students could improve.