Trycle: An e-learning platform that offers courses in Malayalam

Trycle is a start-up platform that was started with the aim of setting up a video-centric online school in which the medium of instruction will be only Malayalam.

Launched at the Cyberpark in Kozhikode, the project provides various educational programmes through videos that don’t exceed eight minutes in length.

It aims to develop the skills of the students, improve their education and hone their artistic talents. The founders of Trycle have tried to involve experts from various fields to achieve this goal. For example, the modules on machine learning and data science courses are taught by an engineer who has more than 12 years of experience in this field.

The instruction given to those trying to become teachers on this platform illustrates the different approach taken by those behind the start-up — they should present a topic as if they are explaining the subject to their friends or siblings. That is, it should be presented in the form of a normal, casual conversation, avoiding the seriousness of a usual classroom.

The people behind Trycle believe that this will break down the walls between the educator and the recipient and create a more natural atmosphere for learning.

Trycle was started in January. A few courses are available for free. However, for some other courses, the fee ranges from Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,500. Certificates are also given to those who complete their studies.

The startup platform tries to teach a variety of subjects — from Android app development to courses that explain how to maintain a motorcycle and ride it responsibly.

The idea for Trycle was conceived by Arun Chandran from Wayanad and Sujatha Rajagopalan from Palakkad. Arun, who has been associated with technology for over 10 years, says the project started as an initiative to bridge the digital divide that was widening in society.

Even today, those who live in towns have more access to technology. Arun says the platform intends to deliver information to people in a language they understand and at an affordable cost.

Sujatha, on the other hand, has served as vice-president at Goldman Sachs.

The two were motivated by the belief that positive changes can be brought about in a community through education. As children, they found it difficult to obtain sufficient information about any subject. But that is not the case today. The concept for Trycle was born out of the realisation that knowledge can be imparted through new platforms.

Arun says he and Sujatha have experience in hiring and training young professionals.

At first, the two thought of starting a school. But that required a lot of money. In addition, many teachers were reluctant to travel to the place where they planned to set up the school. That's why they decided to start the venture in the virtual space. Arun says given the epidemic sweeping through Kerala and the country, that was the right decision.

Trycle founders are also presenting it as a platform for job seekers to hone their skills. They believe the knowledge gained will be beneficial for them in their area of work.

The startup also plans to teach art, photography, painting and UI / UX designing. While currently the courses are only in Malayalam, it intends to expand their activities to other languages also in future. It also aims to tailor courses to suit each individual with the help of artificial intelligence. Training for interviews will also be provided. They also intend to introduce more courses in subjects that interest young people.

After talking to many people who are involved in recruitment of candidates, one thing became obvious to the founders of the platform — that most Malayalee job-seekers lack many of the essential skills needed to progress in the corporate world. So Arun and his friends are presenting Trycle as also a platform for students to showcase their talents.

Trycle, set up as part of the Kerala Start-up Mission, intends to evolve into a platform where companies will be able to find candidates for their various requirements.

More than 2,000 people have registered for the programmes on Trycle. The company claims that 70,000 people are using the services of Trycle through the Trycleapp. Tens of thousands of WhatsApp users are also using the start-up’s services.

Those keen on teaching can also take advantage of Trycle. Interested candidates can get in touch with the entrepreneurs through the mail id hello@trycle.com. Teachers take classes by recording videos.

For more information visit: https://www.trycle.com.