Ravinder Goyal
Director IACM SmartLearn Ltd
“Nothing is impossible” if you dare to dream and take feasible extraordinary actions towards achieving your dreams.
In 1981, I was shifted from our home town Bhiwani to Delhi after completing four years of schooling and enrolled in a public school in Kalkaji. The school was having infrastructure till 7th standard and was offering further education at other campus which was quite far. That made me to shift from this school to a government school in CR Park for my further education.
I scored 73.3% in board exams and left with little option to choose second rank colleges or to go to South side for an engineering course. My family decided and opted for the first one, and I enrolled for BSc-Maths in Deshbandhu College, where I felt that it is just for the sake of a degree for which students are enrolled without any specific interest in studies. Partying and missing classes was not my cup of tea. So I didn’t appear for first year exams and dropped out.
In between, after my 12th exams were over, I was sitting with my father in his office, when one of his friends, Col RG Malhotra, owner of ICS, a computer training company, just dropped in. When he asked me what I was doing after 12th, I just said “nothing” and also that I was not happy with the college life. He just told my father that he was taking me and will get me enrolled at the main training center of ICS for a two years course. Without any further discussion, I just followed him and enrolled for a computer course.
That’s was my first exposure to computers way back in 1989. Over a period of next five to six months, I felt that’s exactly what I was looking for. During these years, I kept running a small showroom of electronic goods, as my love for electronics was not completely over. During the last months of course with ICS, I decided to change from electronics to computer training and started ICT – ‘Institute of Computer Technology’ with just four PC XT 8088 machines with 640KN RAM. I remember my vendor’s words, he said “drive carefully, don’t jerk too much”. So I, with my brother, Rajesh Goyal, drove back home the PC like carrying a pregnant woman in the car. I would like to mention here that my borther and my father OP Goyal have been a source of constant moral support and have always stood by me in whatever decisions I have taken throughout my career. The first team at ICT was me, my brother, my friend from ICS, a teacher of my brother, who joined us on part time basis. That’s how I started my journey back in 1992 in a computer training era and still travelling. Apart from this I would like to sincerely mention here the names of Dr OP Sharam, Pradeep Chaturvedi and Dr Janardan Jha, who have been my mentors and have always extended their full guidance and support
whenever it was needed. During first five years, I explored software development, computer sales and even planned to setup a manufacturing assembly line for which I visited Taiwan back in 1994. Due to little exposure and lack of resources, our growth was quite slow, but I started dreaming abou having a nation-wide training company. My first task was to brand it. I closed down all the software development and sales business and remained idle for almost one year around my marriage in 1996. With a go getter attitude, I never allowed myself to drown in the lake of failures and closures.
So, I designed the SMART Learning teaching methodology, in which I focused on learner’s participation and making the classroom sessions more interactive; from teaching to explanation. IACM became the only training company in India to win the most coveted National Golden Peacock Innovative Product/Services Award in 2002 for its SMART Learning teaching methodology. Basically the tie-up with Manipal IT education in 2002 to develop the PG and Advanced Diploma courses in Hardware and Networking under Sikkim Manipal University and training of the trainers across 150+ centers in 11 cities across brought the confidence to start IACM franchise expansion. I also attended and certified myself on various certifications like MCSE, MCDBA, MCDST and CCNA during 2000-01 to gain deeper understanding of the certification requirements. In 2003, I was awarded with “Gem of India” award in recognition of outstanding services to society and excellence in education sector and also delivered a talk during 13th World Congress on Total Quality organised by Institute of Directors in Mumbai. In the course of progressions, I developed various sessions for training and developing the team and the business partners on selling, operations, leadership and HR.
In 2003, seeing increasing volumes of students opting for IACM’s training, I considered the use of technology in operations and started working on on-line management systems. I completed my graduation in management through distance education mode around this time. Today, IACM is almost working on a paper-less office concept and have build-up various portal for its day-to-day operations: cconnectnew.iacm-india.com (for centre operation); econnect.iacm-india.com (for students); placement.iacm-india.com (for recruiters); vijayeebhavo.iacm-india.com (for scholarship); faculty.iacm-india.com (for faculty testing); skillcertification.
iacm-india.com; and (for assisting companies to filter right candidate to avoid huge cost of interviewing and enabling non IACM students to show their expertise in 100+ skill area. Under beta testing. I received “Certificate of Approval” in 2009 by Constantinus Club and Austrian Professional Association of Management Consultancy and IT in “Constantinus International” category for our C-Connect Project. It was termed as the first non- European entry. This was our first international exposure in IACM. Today we have 60+ centers across India and are present in 14 states. The journey, I started in 1997 with a dream of a company
having its presence across India was fulfilled. The dreams never stopped. We are on our way to open our first International office very soon. Still dreaming…
