In the ever-evolving analytics market, AnalytixLabs helps clients and corporates stay ahead of the curve

It is one of the pioneers in data science education, established in early 2011 and now Gurgaon-based AnalytixLabs has kick-started operations in Bengaluru, in view of the high demand of its sought-after data science courses.  Co-founded by Sumeet Bansal and Madhur Yadav, today it is led by Sumeet Bansal, Chandra Mouli and Ankita Gupta. AnalytixLabs has built a strong reputation of delivering industry-relevant training programs, deeply valued in the business context. “Given our team’s experience in the field of analytics, we planned a more practical and job-oriented pedagogy and courses through real business issues that we experienced during our career,” explained Bansal, adding how analytics education is not only about acquiring skills but knowing how to solve critical business issues. With six successful years of operation, Analytics India Magazine catches up with  Sumeet Bansal, CEO & Co-founder, AnalytixLabs who talks about his vision to become a global knowledge hub for advanced analytics and cementing ties with the ecosystem -- clients and corporates. Bansal also points out how the institute has evolved over the years to become a heavyweight in the analytics education market and has helped corporates keep pace with the ever-changing analytics environment and help companies adopt analytics practices.

AnalytixLabs – a heavyweight in analytics education market  

Over the years, AnalytixLabs has built a strong base in a) retail training; b) specialized corporate technical training c) curated industry-specific training program for non-technical roles. Not only that, the institute is also expanding onto foreign shores. Recently, the institute inked a successful collaboration with two Malaysian partners -- Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation and Asean Data Analytics Exchange. Last year, AnalytixLabs collaborated with Malaysian Ministry of Human Resources to offer training in HR analytics certification combined with easy to use DIY tools. The certification equips learners with strong domain knowledge with additional technical skills. The tool, developed by AnalytixLabs, is helping learners to upgrade phenomenally. The institute also added another first to its name, with the launch of ALabs Services, the consulting arm of AnalytixLabs. Selected projects from key clients are shipped to ALabs Services and students get to work on real-world case studies alongside in-house experts and trainers. The rising popularity of open source software like Python and Hadoop has spurred many leading organizations to upskill their teams and keep pace with the changes in the analytics landscape.  “For corporate organizations, we are taking a forward-looking view and helping companies prepare for changes and advancement in analytics, to serve their project requirements better,” said Bansal.

Let’s have a look at professional training services provided by AnalytixLabs

• Most in-demand certified courses are Data Science, Business Analytics, Big Data Analytics, Data Visualization and Analytics using SAS, R & Python offered across corporate and individual batches
• Today, the institute works with leading organizations to build analytics capabilities and upskills teams in the rapidly changing environment. The institute works on year long training calendars for various analytics tools and techniques training
• The corporate training footprint covers India, US and South-East Asia market
• In addition to specialized technical training, AnalytixLabs curates industry-specific training programs, for non-technical job roles. Case in point – the institute is working with a major analytics service provider to provide regular knowledge sessions on different domains
• For employees with client-facing roles, there are specific workshops on how to switch from an analytical mindset to analytics consulting mindset

Bengaluru centre caters to a mature market

Well, it has a burgeoning analytics market and a high demand for classroom training. When you look at the analytics market across India, Bangalore has the most mature analytics industry, opines Bansal. To bridge the learning gap, AnalytixLabs launched classroom training in the city helmed by experienced trainers. “ This market requires advanced analytics courses and more experienced trainers. Our industry focused approach is our strength and that makes the course more relevant and attractive,” he shared. And while learners prefer online training, a lot of preference is still given to traditional classroom training. Many students in Bengaluru have chosen the comfort of classroom training during the first few batches for both basic and advanced level courses, revealed Bansal. Training will be provided in all three formats – live online, live classroom & video based programs.  

Understanding the AnalytixLabs advantage

One of the biggest advantages of AnalytixLabs is that the institute identifies a unique journey for each prospective candidate, based on the profile and domain experience and targeted industry of the candidate. “In today’s world, analytics and data has gained a lot of traction, but not many understand exactly what it is. As a result, we are approached by many prospects who want to move into the “hot” field, but not many understand what it entails,” explained Bansal, adding the need for a counselling approach rather than a transactional approach. Just an understanding of tools and techniques is only half the job done, explains Bansal.  “What is more important for students is to understand why the technique is being used, what is the business situation at hand and how will the analytics add value to the company. This is extremely important for analytics professionals, especially as they want to move up the career ladder,” he shared.   A case-study driven teaching approach gives learners a hands-on experience on how to apply techniques such as Logistic Regression and how it differs for a Banking sector and e-commerce industry.

Keeping pace with corporate demand

Over the last five years, the industry’s requirements have evolved in terms of analytics talent. Organizations require candidates with specialized analytics skills in terms of technology, statistical and domain understanding. This also leads to leadership roles in analytics, that are less technical and geared towards change management, Bansal points out. “There was a time when analytics used to be predominantly BI and reporting function, now we see a wider adoption of data science and big data technologies across all types of industries and all scales of organizations. And this has spawned the need for specialized talent,” he added. AnalytixLabs has kept pace with the evolving needs of industry and delivers customized corporate training that is contextual. As more organizations build data-driven cultures, the reliance on data analytics has increased manifold, thus requiring specialized talent. This has also introduced a lot of new analytics roles in the market that are not readily available and easy to recruit. It’s here that the institute fills the gap with customized corporate programs.

Up next on the anvil

The founders are casting a wider net and wish to explore upcoming technology trends – AI & IoT with leading technology companies. “We would like to work on practical projects along with industry experts to co-innovate in Artificial Intelligence and IoT,” said Bansal. And in the fast-changing analytics world, AnalytixLabs will add more niche and tailored courses. Customized courses are regularly updated, with content being reviewed periodically to ensure it is aligned with the latest industry requirements.

Expert Advice on how to transition to data science

For those looking to transition into this hot field, hear it from the expert. Bansal outlines key technical and non-technical requirement to make it big in this field. Today, the need of the job is about solving a business issue and improving outcome. A tool training is of little value without its application. It is important to understand what is suited with respect to an individual’s profile and aspiration. Analytics roles are more nuanced today. For example, a Big Data Analyst requires strong technical background with high data mining skills and mandatory working knowledge of platforms like Hadoop, MapReduce, Pig and Hive. While a data scientist is expected to have high degree of analytical skills and proficiency in using analytical languages like SAS/R/ Python as well as working knowledge of Hadoop. Hence, whenever a candidate decides to start his journey in analytics he should be very clear what he aims to achieve in reference to his own unique profile and interest.