Delhi-born Dilshad Hothi is a Rising Star of the British Business World
Entrepreneurs Dilshad and Barinder Hothi are on a mission to become “the Amazon” of the education world.
The Hothi’s story is a true tale of entrepreneurialism – with Dilshad arriving in the UK from India in 1999 at the tender age of 21, determined to make his fortune, Barinder is UK-born, of Indian heritage.
The young couple have been recognised as rising stars of the British business world.
They have scooped “The Sunday Times Fast Track Ones to Watch” award which is sponsored by Virgin. They will join legendary entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson at his UK home for the exclusive awards dinner on Wednesday June 29th.
The Hothis have created The Knowledge Academy, one of the biggest training companies in the world, and are on target for a £100 million turnover in 2018.
Based near Windsor in the UK, The Knowledge Academy operates 50,000 training courses in 200 countries, including India, supported by 300 staff, including 50 apprentices, with a predicted turnover of £35 million this year.
It also has offices in Punjab with over 50 staff, working in sales, IT and operations, who are helping to grow the business in Asia and globally.
The 10 companies UK-wide who won the “Ones to Watch” award did so for achieving strong sales growth in the last three financial years.
In addition to the Richard Branson award, the couple are nominated for “The Private Business Awards 2016” – for the third year in a row – and “The Lloyds Bank National Business Awards 2016”.
About The Knowledge Academy
The husband-and-wife team want to make learning affordable and accessible for all – no matter who you are, or where you live. Their motto is “to responsibly deliver knowledge to the world.”
Most courses offered by The Knowledge Academy are Business, Finance, Legal, IT, HR and Project Management related.
Their clientele includes the likes of: Rolls Royce, HSBC, British Airways, Coutts & Co, PwC, BAE Systems, Barclays, Vodaphone, Disney, the Ministry of Defence, the NHS – and even the House of Commons, as well as the self-employed and small businesses.
The Hothis want to make learning available anywhere at any time. Training is offered online, in classrooms, or on-site at a company’s premises, or a mixture of these. It includes live online sessions where learners can interact with tutors, walk-in clinics for face-to-face interaction with tutors, and discussion forums with other learners.
The Knowledge Academy guarantees the lowest course prices in your location. It challenges training industry norms to extend professional qualifications to learners across the world regardless of geographical, or financial position.
Many courses are linked to professional certifications and qualifications.
The Hothis
Dilshad is CEO and Barinder is MD of The Knowledge Academy, which they started with no capital, no funding, and has to this day had zero borrowing in the business.
Since the charismatic couple launched The Knowledge Academy in 2009, turnover has grown exponentially to £22M last year, with revenue targets of £35M this year and £100M by 2018.
The company has trained over 100,000 people globally to date – with an above industry pass rate of 97% in key subjects. Two thirds of delegates return for further courses.
Launching The Knowledge Academy at the height of the recession, they spotted a gap in the market for up skilling the UK workforce – both individuals and businesses of all sizes – who wanted to be more competitive in a difficult economic climate and regarded training as an essential component of this.
The Hothis quit well-paid corporate jobs to start out on their own. Together they have won numerous top business awards, including‘Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year Award’ for outstanding entrepreneurship at “The Private Business Awards 2014” sponsored by PwC.
Entrepreneur of Indian Origin Wins Richard Branson Award
