Professional education company Imarticus Learning has acquired Singapore-based BELLS Institute of Higher Learning in its first international acquisition, marking a significant step in its strategy to expand across Southeast Asia. The transaction establishes Singapore as the company’s regional hub and strengthens its presence in the fast-growing professional education and workforce development market.
The acquisition combines two institutions focused on outcome-driven education and skills development. Imarticus Learning, which has trained more than one million learners in India, will now integrate BELLS’ network of over 150,000 alumni, seven training centres across Singapore and its long-standing collaborations with SkillsFuture Singapore, government agencies and enterprise partners.
Following the acquisition, the combined entity will have more than 1,100 employees and operate from over 25 offices across India and Singapore, making it one of Asia’s largest outcome-driven professional education companies.
The move is expected to strengthen Imarticus Learning’s capabilities in enterprise learning, artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, technology education and workforce development. BELLS also brings established relationships with Singapore’s public and private sector ecosystem, providing the Indian education company with a strategic platform to expand its presence across ASEAN markets.
Singapore’s position as a global business and innovation hub, coupled with its strong focus on lifelong learning through the SkillsFuture ecosystem, is expected to support Imarticus Learning’s regional growth ambitions. The combined organisation aims to develop industry-aligned programmes, enhance enterprise learning solutions and address the evolving workforce requirements of employers across Asia.
Speaking on the acquisition, Nikhil Barshikar, Group CEO of the combined entity, said the partnership marks the beginning of the company’s next phase of growth.
“Over the past 14 years, we have built a professional education ecosystem in India with a focus on learner outcomes. Partnering with BELLS gives us a presence in Asian workforce development ecosystems and serves as a foundation for expansion across Southeast Asia. Together, we are bringing complementary strengths in curriculum, technology systems and enterprise partnerships to build a career engine that prepares learners in India and Singapore for the evolving needs of employers,” he said.
Adrian Ang, CEO of BELLS Institute of Higher Learning, said the partnership would combine BELLS’ expertise in Singapore’s skills ecosystem with Imarticus Learning’s technology platform and industry partnerships to create greater value for learners, enterprises and the broader workforce across the region.
As part of the integration, the organisations have announced plans to establish the BELLS School of AI, an institute focused on applied artificial intelligence education and workforce development. The proposed school will offer programmes for working professionals, recent graduates and enterprise teams covering AI literacy, applied machine learning, AI for finance and fintech, and AI-enabled business transformation.
The programmes will be developed in collaboration with industry partners and aligned with employer demand across Singapore, India and the ASEAN region. In Singapore, eligible programmes are expected to be offered under relevant SkillsFuture Singapore, Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) and Institute of Banking and Finance (IBF) frameworks, enabling learners to access government-supported training.
The acquisition is also expected to broaden opportunities for learners in both countries. Indian learners will gain access to internationally benchmarked education, Singapore exchange programmes and ASEAN career pathways, while learners in Singapore will benefit from Imarticus Learning’s industry-focused offerings in finance, analytics, technology and data science.
Founded in 2012 by Nikhil Barshikar and Sonya Hooja, Imarticus Learning has emerged as one of India’s leading professional education companies, offering programmes across finance, technology, analytics, marketing and management. The Mumbai-headquartered company has impacted over one million learners, facilitated more than 75,000 placements through a network of over 3,500 hiring partners, and collaborates with leading academic institutions and global organisations.
The acquisition reflects the increasing international expansion of Indian education technology companies as they seek to address the growing demand for industry-relevant professional education, digital skills and workforce development across Asia.
By: Sanya Sharma
