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THE CHAT ROOMS
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'A career in IT is promising even today''IT industry grew at around 30% last year. Which other industry has shown higher growth? Now a job in any industry requires knowledge of IT. The career of a software professional remains bright,' says Pramod Khera. Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Hi. I am Pramod here. Awaiting your questions.lucy : do you think youngsters like me shld still continue pursuing computers now that the boom has gone away? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Hi! IT is something that is going to grow for the next decade or so. All over the world governments and the industry are investing heavily in IT. This will require trained manpower in the IT industry and all other industries. Hence, a career in IT definitely is promising even today. nitin : Do you think after the slow down students will continue to throng IT education classes? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : In India, the IT industry grew at around 30% last year. Which other industry has shown higher growth? IT still offers lucrative careers to students. Not only that, a job in any industry requires knowledge of IT. Hence, students are still coming to computer institutes for training. dinu : mr khera, tell us more about ur vision for aptech? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Aptech Training Ltd. today is the largest pure IT Training Organisation in the country and also is World's No. 1 as it is present in the largest no. of countries (52). We have a vision of building Aptech into a Global Corporation and a World-class Organisation. ss : Hello Mr Khera Which specific course/technology will help a fresh graduate to pursue his career in IT? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : there are good opportunities in Networking, Web Services like .Net, J2EE, EAI, Multimedia and Animation. google : Hello, Mr.Khera, how is Aptech doing? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Aptech, last year has posted profits last year (very few IT Training cos. have done so). Also, Aptech has improved its market share vis-a-vis competition and today has the largest market share in India. All this has happened in a year of slow-down because we have been focussing on our fundamentals and improving our service to the students. Aashish : we'll Mr Khera what do you think about China, is it a Threat to Indian IT Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : China is definitely athreat, though India has a head-start in IT over China. To combat this threat, India needs to increase its domestic spend in IT so that we build a strong domestic industry. Also our IT services companies need to move up the value chain so that we retain a competitive edge over other countries. tinku : why is aptech doing so badly in the North East in education sector Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : This is not true. We are doing very well in the North East and we have centres in all the states there and a lot of studnets are studying in these centres. siva : how was the opportunities for ERP, is Aptech is providing any special kind of training in ERP Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : ERP is a growing field and there are opportunities in this field. We do not provide specific training on any ERP packages. rajeshkumar : r u from iim bangalore? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : yes rogersnap : Pramod wouldn't you agree that the Aptech Balance Sheet & P&L contains tremendous amount of window dressing and in reality Aptech is really gasping for oxygen ? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : This is not true. The balance sheet and the P & L reflect the true financial position. aaaa_akhil : Mr Khera there is a huge problem for physically handicap people like me to find a job even though i know many software languages. Please guide me as to where i can work considering the fact that i am on wheel chair Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : There are a lot of organisations, esp. public sector that give priority for physically challenged people for employment. investor : r u foraying in to BPO segment?? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Yes. But only related to training. We have started with IT-Enabled services courses like a course for call-centre training and plan to introduce courses in other areas of ITES and BPO. sat : do you have a suitable job for an engineer working in a steel co. in marketing Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : You can apply to our HRD dept. Hitesh : Mr Pramod what do u think abt the future of IT industry and Software professionals. Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : As I said, the IT industry will grow in the future and the career of a software professional is bright. vipul : what is the flagship product of Aptech??? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : In Aptech, we have the ACCP program. In Arena we have the Triple Certificate. In Asset we have the ADSET program. jrtaylor : I am doing my masters in international busines, i would like to know whether future IT trends would require more business grads with IT education as a plus? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Definitely Yes. IT is becoming an integral part of all businesses and no industry will be able to survive without having an integrated IT strategy in place. ravikiran : sir i had joined asset international course but because of misconductance i couldnt complete the course...and no one at aptech helped me out.. Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Please send your details to customercare@aptech.ac.in and we will sort out your issues. Mehboob : i think mr.khera is answering only what he would like to say and not solving the query of the people.so lets stop asking him bad questions. he just answers only good stuff of aptech Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Tell me your bad questions vipul : Where does Aptech see itself 3 Years from Now? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : As a Global leader and a world-class organisation Nirav : Dear Mr. Khera, is it true that Aptech is being bought over by NIIT ? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Definitely not. We are looking for companies to acquire so that we can improve opur reach in unrepresented areas globally. eroych : hows the software business of Aptech doing? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Will not be able to answer as I handle only the training business. Shaju : Mr.Khera Is Aptech starting any courses in Embedded Systems. Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Not immediately dev : hello Mr.Pramod : Is it true that u have lost the no.2 position in the IT training sector to SSI Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : As on last quarter - Oct-Dec, 2001, we were No.1 in India in terms of revenue. Mehboob : well mr.khera i have already posted my queries regarding ur B.tech and BCA prorame Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Our OUBC students are doing their courses and many have successfully completed the same and got good jobs.Similarly students who have enrolled for BCA course are undergoing the course. Bhaskar : Mr Khera,do you agree that there should be some Government Authority like the UGC for e.g.,that would enforce the provision of quality IT education by private IT education providers like Aptech? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : That will be very difficult. But there can be system of voluntary disclosures by all private institutes. harip : Is Aptech listed company? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Yes. blue : How is Arena doing? Is it advisable to invest in Arena Multimedia now Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Arena is doing well. There are a lot of job opportunites for students who have multimedia qualifications. ilyas : what is your revenue model. do u plan to make money by development or by imparting training?? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : We are a pure training company. siva : Is there any plans for Aptech to start full fledged software development and consulting. Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : We have a separate software company. newpers : What is Aptech's niche area in the current it slowdown? Is it corporate training or individual students training? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Both. We are also doing a lot of training for Government employees. Kaushik : waiting for answers Mr. Khera. If you are going to avoid tough ones, we might as well call it off. Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Can you repeat the tough question? Infosys : you always projected that so many jobs are there in IT (in lacs), but you never gave clear picture that all these positions require high caliber people, which Aptech can't give them Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : there are all types of jobs - High level jobs for technically sound and low level jobs for people who have not done very intensive training programs. sreeji : Good Afternoon Mr. Khera, this is sreeji. i am working as a business executive in one of the data connectivity providing company. i would like to know what according to you is the best line to choose in IT with reference to the present scenario Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : A lot of professionals are required for Enterprise Application integration. If youu have multiple skills in the areas of Networking, Web Services and Enterprise wide computing, you can get good jobs these days. ig : what global u are talking.. u are only spread in africa.. in between fights.. and u are also not paying ur staff properly.. what kind of policy you have Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : We are there in 52 countries incuding China, Vietnam, Columbia, Middle East etc. Can you be more specific on staff not being paid properly? chronicle : during this slowdown the people who lost their jobs are mostly those people who did some sort of course in aptech or NIIt....why so? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : People who have lost jobs are people who have skills in one technology only. These are typically students who have done short courses and cannot adapt to changing technologies. Students who have done career courses at Aptech and have solid foundation in IT are doing well. Preet : why u not telling me sir i like to ask is aptech provide some courses in networking/hardware? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : We have courses on Networking. Our Asset centres are offering these. Not in hardware. abhilakh : how do u view future of IT in coming days? is there chance of boom again as in the last few years? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : IT will grow. The hype that was there in the past will not come back. But serious career seekers will have good opportunities in IT. sivahyd : Yaar I have done course through Aptech but there is no qualified professional in that... even the management wont take care once they have taken the fee Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : If you give specific detilas, we can address the problem. You can mail it at customercare@aptech.ac.in AptechSucks : Dear sir, You are good at telling lies. Aptech is not No 1. It never was and it probably will never be, As far as we know, it is barely making ends meet and struggling to srvive the downtrend. Comments Please Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : I gave you faCTs. You can check out who had largest revnues in the quarter Oct-Dec 2001. sanjay : don't u think too much franchising deteriorates the quality of education Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Not necessary. Proper control of the franchsie systems ensures quality. Many franchise centres have excellent quality at their centres. madarasi : what are the prospects of IT Training Industry in Global scenario sir? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : The world today recognises that the IT industry in India and the Training industry is one of the best in the world. Hence, there is good potential for IT Training in the world for companies from India. vedkakat : Sir, I have been a student of NIIT but have seen the curriculum and the teaching of Aptech which existed earlier and it was really very good. But for some time now I find the curriculum and the performance of Aptech has changed and the students are not satisfied as they used to be? Why has this happened? It feels so bad coming from an Institution like Aptech. Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Our curriculum is the best. If there are cases of improper teaching, please bring it to our notice and we will correct the same. ram : but mr.pramod u say u r the no 1 in revenues but nowdays i hardly see aptech posters/banners anywher in India... are u operating any cenetrs in Planet MARS Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Most of students come through word-of mouth from satisfied students. unlike our competitors, we do not spend too much on advertising. NIIT : HELLO PRAMOD JEE CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME IF U HAVE SOME COURSE FOR KERNEL PROGRAMMING ? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : no abhilakh : what interventions u propose to seek from govt for revival of industry Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Spending on IT in the domestic market and government organisations. maya3d_animator : Sir, how do compare the education in graphics in india with others? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : It is growing in India. Arena Multimedia offers some real world-class training programs. madhubala : Is APTECH gone bankrupt? In Hyderabad they closed all the centeres Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : All centres in Hyderabad are functional and doing well. Preet : Dear sir which certificatrion is use full now adays, CCNA,MCSE ,LINUX etc please tell me i m waiting. Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : CCNA, MCSE are useful. Bharat_Ravuri : Is APTECH confined only to training or does it plan to expand into Knowledge Management Systems ala NIIT? Global expansion plans of APTECH seems to be on low these days. Where do u see APTECH 3 years from now? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Aptech Training Ltd. if focussing only on Training. INternational growth is happening as per plans. AptechSucks : Once upon a time there was a boom in the software industry. Graduates without a computer science degree flocked to institutes like Aptech and NIIT. The party is over. No more jobs for gradutes with "Computer Courses". Fooling innocent students and extraxting hard earned money of their parents won't work any more now. So institutes like Aptech either have to diverify int services, it-enabled etc or close shop and be history. What do u say?? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Trained manpower is still required by the IT industry and also the non-IT industry. Organisations like APtech have been able to train large number of studnets and fill the gap. This will be required in the future also. Bhaskar : Mr Khera, Considering the highly competitive IT market,with supply far exceeding demand (for e.g. in india,only 25% of fresh graduates from private software institutions get jobs: source gallup polls)would you agree that a rigorous IT education oriented only towards the achievement of an IT Certification from a software provider is a prerequisite for success?.(90% of certified Graduates are placed within 6 months of graduation)I would like you to answer my question in the light of the (verifiable) statistics I have provided. Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : There definitely is good demand for certified professionals, But we are also talking about jobs in the non-IT industries that emply a lot of graduates from Aptech. gaurang : Mr. Pramod Khera what r u doing to make Aptech function better ? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Emphasis on quality, performance and student satisfaction. Plus an emphasis to find jobs for our studnets. manindra : There were rumours that Aptech Training is up for sale? is it correct? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Absolutely not. Parag : Mr.Khera, We hear that Aptech is doing good work in China. Dont' you think that a time will come when China will take over the training and education market globally? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : The fact that ther countries like China are welcoming Aptech and accepting qualifications for jobs in their countries spaeaks volumes about our commitment to quality education. I think India is too strong to be overcome by threats from other countries in the field of IT and IT Training. byte : do you think institutes like Aptech and NIIT are doing the right thing by training chinese s/w professionals ??? isnt china supposed to be a competition for us in an already competitive and slow IT market ? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : If we do not do the trainnig, some other country will do it and earn foreign exchange for their country. Instead of trying to run away from competition, we shiould build our IT industry stronger so that we can beat China internationally. Buban : Why the working atmosphere has changed after Mr. Ganesh left, This is my third quiestion to you , I would like have at least one liner Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : The working atmosphere at Aptech is friendly, fun and professional. We are constantly working to improvbe the working atmosphere at Aptech. Kushi : When IT Companies are looking for BE Candidates how do u justify the course in Aptech? Do u really think u give what u promise in ur advertisments? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : If India has to succeed in the Global IT market, it has to set up large software factoroes which employ thousands of programmers. these programmers do not have to be engineers. Engineers should be amployed for higher level jobs like Software engineering. Graduates with courses from Aptech etc, can be the programmers so that the IT companies can retain the cost advantage. gv : What is that you are going to provide which will attract students towards Aptech which is not given by other institutions?? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : A good education. A sound career. A well -researched course with latest technology and global placement assisatnce. Parag : Has Aptech closed down its Corporate Training Division ? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : No. the Corporate Training Divisin is doing well. manindra : Are students ready to pay for long term courses with fee tags in excess of Rs.35000 per year when outlook is so hazy? why do you say that long term courses are doing better than the short term ones? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Because long term course offers a solid foundation in concepts so that you will never become obsolete and lose your job when the technology changes. PANKAJ_STUDENT : SIR, ARE U HAPPY WITH THE PRESENT PERFORMANCE OF THE CONPANY Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : We have done well in a year of slowdown when other companies have closed down or performed worse that Aptech hemal : Is Aptech looking at the call center industry? and if so do they paln to have a training course for the same Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : We have a course called Call-Tech for call-centre training. nia : Mr. Pramod what do you forsee in the IT education market will online education take over. Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : On-line training is integrated into class-room tyrainnig. Pure on-line training will not replace it. javed : mr Khera have you thought of bio information education through your chain of education outlets and do you have expertise to relate lifesciences with IT Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : bio informatics is a growing filed. There are not many job opportunities yet, unless one is qualified in medical sciences. Once the industry achieves a critical mass, we may introduce courses for the same. BODAS : WHY APTECH SHARES ARE NOT TRADED Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Because of demerger, the shares have stopped trading so that the shareholders list can be finalised. Nirav : PRAMOD.... ARE YOU REGRETTING BEING THE MD OF APTECH ??? Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Never. It is a challegning job, with excellent employees and very dedicated students. there could not be a better job! Pramod Khera, Managing Director, Aptech Training Limited : Hi all! The chat timimg is coming to an end. It has been wonderful doing the chat. The unanswered questions can be answered and we will request Rediff to put them up on the site for your reference. Bye to all and wish you all the best in your careers. Pramod | |