• Centum Learning’s foray into media and entertainment sector
• Offers Under Graduate and Post Graduate programmes

New Delhi, 09th March 2010: Centum Learning Limited, a Bharti associate company, today announced the launch of specialized programmes in creative arts and sciences in association with Whistling Woods International - an Institute for Film, TV Animation & Media Arts (WWI) promoted by Mukta Arts Limited and Filmcity Mumbai.

The programme, beginning this Fall, would build professional skills among students aspiring to join the booming Media and Entertainment sector in the country. While Centum Learning will develop the Curriculum for the Programmes in Media & Entertainment, the content shall be provided by Whistling Woods International. The certification for the programmes will be done jointly by Centum Learning Limited and Whistling Woods International. The programmes will include interaction of eminent professionals from the Media & Entertainment Industry with the students.

Speaking on the tie up, Sanjeev Duggal, CEO and Executive Director, Centum Learning Limited said “Our collaboration with Whistling Woods International is yet another step forward that endorses our commitment to world class quality in education. By partnering with Whistling Woods International, we are hoping to redefine the landscape of education and training that is offered in creative arts and sciences globally. Centum Learning’s expertise in the training and development combined with Whistling Woods International’s forte in media and entertainment space will create a very formidable alliance in the educational space”.

The programme aims at providing inputs to students relevant to the Media and Entertainment industry with a focus on overall personality development, so that they can function effectively and efficiently in the ever changing dynamics of the industry.

Centum Learning has launched both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the Creative Arts and Sciences genre. For both 3 years undergraduate programmes and 1 year post graduate programmes, students will be spending last 5 months of their programme at the Whistling Woods Campus in Mumbai and the rest of the programme would be conducted at the Centum Learning urban campuses. These last 5 months are envisaged to serve as an internship period to provide complete hands on exposure to the students in their chosen area of specialization. Students with 10+2 or a bachelors degree from a recognized university are eligible to apply for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes respectively.

Subhash Ghai, the noted filmmaker and Chairman, Mukta Arts added “Our partnership with Centum Learning is a significant step for us, as we continue to expand our footprint to ensure that we have the skills & talent to take charge of booming media & entertainment industry that’s growing over 12% annually and is likely to touch $20 billion by 2013. We are very excited about this tie up and look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship”

Ravi Gupta, Executive Director, Mukta Arts Limited added “Media & Entertainment industry is at the inflection point and India has a long way to go as far as its share in the world market is concerned. We produce the maximum number of movies in the world, but our share in global revenues is not even one third. We need people who are creative at the same time understand business. Our association with Centum Learning is a step to ensure we produce professional media managers and new innovations keep happening in the media space”.

Centum Learning has also launched other vertical specific programmes, in collaboration with reputed universities to build professional skills among students aspiring to join the service sector. The programmes offered include two year M.B.A. Business Applications, M.B.A. Communications, three year B.B.A. Business Applications, one year Diploma in Telecom, Diploma in Sales Management, Diploma in Insurance and Diploma in Banking and Finance. It is again a step in the direction of fulfilling goals of meaningful literacy and full employment in our country.

About Centum Learning Limited
Centum Learning, a Bharti Associate company, provides end-to-end learning and skill-building solutions for several leading corporates across the country. It provides solutions that impact business performance through enhanced employee productivity, customer profitability and effective talent transformation. Its solutions cover the entire spectrum ranging from Custom Content Development, Training through Blended Learning Programmes, Executive Coaching, Performance Coaching to Process Management and Certification besides building employability skills for the service sector at the entry level. In the skill- building domain, Centum Learning Limited has set up more than 130 Centum Learning Centres (earlier known as Bharti Resources Learning Centres) spread across India, to provide higher order employability skills and bridge the existing talent gap in the service sector. Apart from setting up Centum Learning Centres, it has launched vertical specific programmes targeted at meeting the requirements of skilled manpower in many sectors of the industry. It endeavors to create Centum Learning Certification as a national standard for employment in the services sector. Centum Learning has been adjudged as one of the ‘Top 15 Emerging Leaders in Training Outsourcing’ 2009 Worldwide and has received Excellence in Training Award, at the World HRD Congress 2010.

For more information, please visit www.centumlearning.com


About Whistling Woods International
Promoted by Subhash Ghai, Mukta Arts Limited & Filmcity Mumbai, Whistling Woods International is Asia’s largest Film, Television, Animation and Media Arts institute, providing world-class education in all technical and creative aspects of Film & Television, offering programmes that vary in duration from 10 months to 30 months, in the areas of Acting, Animation, Cinematography, Direction, Editing, Producing, Screenwriting and Sound. Whistling Woods International also offers, in association with Manipal University, India’s first MBA in Media & Entertainment.

The full-time faculty of Whistling Woods International is a body of academics and industry professionals with regular guest lectures by leading Indian & International filmmakers, actors & technicians like Rakeysh Mehra, Vishal Bharadwaj, Ashutosh Gowarikar, Farhan Akhtar, Ashok Amritraj, Shyam Benegal, Farah Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Ratna Pathak Shah, Danny Boyle, Rajkumar Hirani, Nagesh Kukunoor and several more.

Whistling Woods graduates are currently working with several leading media organisations like Balaji Telefilms, Channel 31 Australia, Dharma Productions, Excel Entertainment, 20th Century Fox India, Mukta Arts Limited, Paprikaas, Prana Studios, Red Chillies Entertainment, Spice Entertainment, Walkwater Films and several more.

Whistling Woods’ continues strongly on its path to be the institute of choice for media education globally.

For additional information, please visit www.whistlingwoods.net