According to IMARC Group, the Indian pre-school/childcare business was valued at $3,480 million in 2020. Looking ahead, the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of almost 12 percent between 2021 and 2026. Pre-schools are an important element of the education system because children develop the basic cognitive, physical, social, and emotional abilities that will prepare them for subsequent success in school and life during their first four years of life. The growth of the Indian pre-school/child care industry is largely driven by factors such as increased parent awareness of early childhood education and care, as well as the country's increasing proportion of nuclear families and working women.

Since both parents in the household are likely to be preoccupied with their jobs, pre-schools provide a dependable structure to guarantee that the child's development is not hampered by the absence of parents. This necessitates the creation of creative and cutting-edge infrastructure, as well as high-quality education programmes for preschools around the country.

In an exclusive interaction with Women Entrepreneur Magazine, Manaswini Bandi, Founder & Director at Mahara Prep and Daycare, walks us through her personal and professional traits along with her role in the company:

Give Us A Brief Overview Of Mahara Prep & Day Care.

Set up with a vision to invest in every child and allow them to create an ownership that is sustainable to their growth, Mahara has been one of the most trusted contributors in attaining their ambitions. As early childhood care and education entails more than just preparing a child for primary school, Mahara strives towards the holistic development of a child's social, emotional, cognitive, and physical requirements in order to lay a strong and comprehensive basis for lifetime learning and well-being. Mahara's curriculum is one-of-a-kind comprehensive programme that is meant to help youngsters cope with and flourish in the face of real-life obstacles. This will result in their overall evolution, as well as the development of mindfulness, respect, and appreciation, with the objective of achieving global sustainability and creating a healthy enabling environment. The mission of Mahara has always been towards bringing out independent, creative, flexible, and persistent children, rather than just giving them a route learning.

Mahara Schools was opened in June of 2021, wherein, the entire concept of Mahara was to increase openness among all stakeholders, including parents, school administration, instructors, and, most crucially, kids; thus aiding in the development of more self-sufficient and positive-thinking youngsters.

What Has Been Mahara's Approach In Maintaining Strict Quality Standards?

Mahara means mindfulness. At Mahara, we are mindful about what we believe, what we promise and what we deliver. Unlike the traditional teacher - centered education, Mahara believes in an education that focuses on inspiring children to drive their own learning. Children learn best by exploring and to enable experiential learning. Mahara spaces are thoughtfully designed to provide learning opportunities to stimulate young minds, nurturing their imagination and give children a sense of adventure. Having said that, Mahara believes in partnering with parents during the child's learning journey. Transparent communication ensures that parents and teachers have a common goal of providing the best educational experiences for children. When parents make the effort to build a strong relationship with their educators in their child's life, it is a clear demonstration of the high value placed on education.

Take Us Through Your Early Educational Journey And Prior Industry Experience That You Bring To The Table. What Motivated You To Establish A Child Centric Center And Preschool?

Before traveling to the United States to pursue my master's degree, I completed my B.Tech as an electrical engineer. Following that, I worked there for four years before returning to India as the lone daughter in 2018. Since my father had been in the real estate business for the previous 25-30 years, I began working alongside him, where I was in charge of the firm's administration. And it was in 2019 that I decided to concentrate on preschool. Preschools in the United States intrigued me because of their innovative and goal-oriented approach to education transmission. I wanted to start something similar in India so as to bring in the needed innovation in preschool learning.

I conducted significant study to build Mahara, visiting numerous schools to understand the environment and approaches that were being employed. That's when I understood the value of transparent learning, which not only helps children lead better lives but also educates parents on the importance of early childhood education. Despite the fact that there was a lot of competition, I pushed ahead and launched Mahara Schools. I, as an entrepreneur, have been managing both the real estate and the preschool. I always try to challenge my employees in bringing the best out of oneself. While, I have always been motivated by the urge of delivering something unique for the children to learn so that in future, they can be independent and lively.

What Are The Various Roles & Responsibilities That You Currently Shoulder At Mahara Prep & Day Care? What Are Some Of The Most Challenging Aspects Of Your Role As The Founder? How Do You Overcome Them?

As a founder and director, I am responsible for a variety of duties and responsibilities in the day-to-day administration. It is essentially every operation required to manage a school. In addition, I evaluate the curriculum, lesson preparation, resource management, and materials management, among other things. In addition, I work on matching a teacher's vision with that of Mahara; this substantially aids in the development of the school's ethical principles. We are a small group of seasoned individuals that have all contributed to Mahara's success.

“At mahara, we are mindful about what we believe, what we promise and what we deliver”

How Do You Keep Yourself Well Aligned With The Periodic Evolutions Occurring Within Your Respective Field Of Work?

I'm a member of the association for early childhood education & department which helps in staying abreast of the changing dynamics so as to bring  the needed innovation. I make sure to attend as many educational conferences as possible to learn about the new developments in the field and also regularly interact with industry experts to understand their ideas . Further, Mahara has a well experienced advisory board members. And in addition, I religiously follow a plethora of educational groups on LinkedIn in order to remain abreast of shifting market trends.

As A Successful Entrepreneur What Would Your Advice Be To Young Women And Girls Aspiring To Become Business Leaders And Entrepreneurs In The Future?

I would suggest that if you have aspirations, don't give up on them for any reason. Try to overcome the obstacles and continue to push yourself. I know it's not going to be an easy trek. Everyone should keep pushing themselves and attempt to discover one source of inspiration or one objective that they wish to accomplish on that given day. When it comes to entrepreneurship or starting a business, or simply going out and doing your own employment work ona daily basis, it may drain your energy when things aren't going well, or it can give you a huge boost when things are going well. Therefore, instead of seeing these challenges or joys from a bird's eye perspective, gain inspiration from completing little goals on a regular basis.

Manaswini Bandi,Founder & Director,Mahara Schools

Manaswini has master's degree in electrical engineering from the university of south florida in tampa, florida, and is now pursuing her mfab from the indian school of business in hyderabad. Her keen business sense and broad entrepreneurial approach were critical in making her idea a reality.