Q: Please state your name and profession.
A: My name is Umashankar Vishvanath and I’m an Education Consultant.
Q: You are one of the co-founders of AlagDesign. What do you think separates it from other apparel brands?
A: We are a casual wear brand that is focussing on a very specific niche in which all products we make incorporate unique designs and colours. Most other brands just slap on a logo or a franchise and count on that to sell products.
Q: What is your main role in AlagDesign?
A: I’m responsible for vendor identification and selection, getting the products made as per our specifications and ensuring quality and timely delivery.
Q: As an Education Consultant, what changes and improvements do you hope to see in the school system within the next 5 years?
A: With the roll out of the NEP 2020, things like experiential learning, project based learning, design thinking etc will change the way children learn. The use of technology in learning will also go up dramatically. The range of subjects that they can choose from and moving away from a one size fits all curriculum. Teachers are not conversant with the use of technology. They will have to become tech savvy. Children will also get life skills and employability skills training in schools and colleges. Companies won’t have to spend so much money training them when they join to make them job ready. Sports, music, arts and craft will have a more meaningful place in the curriculum.
Q: What are the biggest pros and cons of setting up schools?
A: The concept of neighbourhood schools is becoming more of a reality. Since parents don’t want to send their kids long distances, schools are coming up in suburbs and smaller communities. This gives us big opportunities to set up new schools and also to start schools with new age learning methodologies and technology. As far as cons are concerned, schools are being set up without proper planning or research into the market/community that they address. Therefore, the failure rate is pretty high in such schools. As a consultant, it is hard to see schools fail.
Q: Coming to your choice of clothes on a day to day basis, what do you wear?
A: I normally wear jeans and polos to work nowadays. If I’m going out for a meeting, I wear a formal shirt and trousers. I also wear semi formal half sleeved shirts to office.
Q: About 10 years back you regularly wore formal shirts and trousers to office. Why has that changed into something more casual?
A: Companies have relaxed their dress code to accommodate more semi formal / casual clothes. The younger generation chooses not to wear overly formal clothes as they provide more discomfort over longer periods of time and are more difficult to maintain.
Q: As your daughter, I know the number of different options you have to wear. How do you still continuously wear such disappointing combinations?
A: I’m gradually moving from the old grey/blue/white/black kind of combinations to more semi formal wear. At times it is difficult for me to figure out what goes with what. I also have a poor dress and colour sense.
