🏫 Acquisition Strategy | Nxtwave Institute of Advanced Technologies

🏫

Acquisition Strategy | Nxtwave Institute of Advanced Technologies

Challenge is big, but the opportunity is bigger

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Elevator Pitch:

India’s engineering education market is very big and scattered. No EdTech has truly cracked pan-India code for B.Tech penetration. With AI advancing rapidly, the next generation must be equipped not just with degrees, but with practical, industry-relevant skills. NIAT has demonstrated strong product-market fit in South India through its B.Tech programs that offer real-world tech training in regional languages. The same model holds significant potential in North India by tapping into local mindsets, building brand and regional trust with right channels of reaching to them.

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NIAT’s Product Stage:

NIAT appears to be in an EARLY GROWTH STAGE rather than fully mature. Founded by IIT/IIIT alumni, NIAT has rapidly expanded. The company is partnered with UGC recognised Universities and now operates 10+ campuses across India. The product is ready for acquisition for to its new-age B.Tech program curriculum, national placement ecosystem, and strong outcomes such as Integrated Internships for its early batches.

NIAT's Current Presence:

South(Strong presence): Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Mangalore, Vijayawada, Tirupati and Pondicherry
North(Developing presence): Jaipur, Delhi NCR, Pune.

Core Value Proposition : 🧲 Learn. Build. Get Hired

🔍 Core Proposition	💬 What It Means
🌐 Vernacular-First Learning	Learn in your native language (Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil etc.) to break barriers and boost clarity
💼 18-Month Integrated Internship	Gain hands-on experience while studying. Real-world experience embedded into the program to ensure job readiness
🤝 2,000+ Hiring Partners	1700+ hiring partners including Google, Amazon, Deloitte, Nvidia, and more
💸 Smart Investment	₹8–14L fee with strong ROI through skill-based, career-driven education
📈 Outcomes-Driven Approach	Focus on skill mastery, projects, and portfolios rather than rote academics
🧠 Industry-Aligned Curriculum	Covers AI, ML, Data Science, and Full Stack built with current job market needs in mind

USER RESEARCH AND IDENTIFICATION OF ICP:

🎯 OBJECTIVE	💬 USER QUESTIONS
College decision drivers & mindset	“What are the most important factors you and your family consider — placements, brand, or location?”
Interest in modern, job-ready education	“How important is it for you that a college offers courses in AI, ML, or Data Science — and do you think this influences your choice more than traditional degrees?”
Trust & readiness perception	“Would you trust a newer, tech-focused college with strong placements over an older, traditional one, and why?”
Language & communication preferences	“Do you feel more confident learning and understanding in English, Hindi, or your regional language, Especially when it comes to technical subjects?”
Information channels & influence sources	“Where do you usually get trusted information about colleges — and who plays the biggest role in making the final decision in your family?”

IDEAL CUSTOMER PROFILE (ICP):

Spoke to 7 Students and 3 Parents from across the Tier 2/3 in India and below is the conclusive ICP segment:

Attribute	ICP 1: Smart Student	ICP 2: ROI Parent	ICP 3: Small-Town Dreamer	ICP 4: Hands-On Learner	ICP 5: JEE-Miss Aspirant
Who are they?	12th grade MPC student in Tier 1/2 city	Parent of Class 12 student from upper-middle class	Bright student from Tier 2/3 city with limited access	Self-motivated learner active in tech communities	Student who didnot crack IIT/NIT but still wants top B.Tech
Age	16 - 18 years	35-50 years	16-18	16-18	16-18
Location	Tier 1/2 North India	Urban/Semi-Urban North India	Tier 2/3/4 towns in UP, Bihar, MP, Rajasthan	Across Tier 1/2/3 North India	Tier 1/2 cities + coaching hubs
Academic Background	12th Pass (MPC)	Graduate/Postgraduate	12th Pass (MPC)	School/College-going, self-taught coder	12th Pass + attempted JEE
Interests	Tech careers, coding, internships, peer pressure	Placement stats, salary data, financial ROI	Job stability, mobility, practical education	GitHub, hackathons, AI/ML content	Engineering, placements, career alternatives
Challenges	Confused by options, missed JEE	In favor of private colleges, compares placement ROI	Low exposure, budget constraints, lacks guidance	Unaware of options, seeks applied learning	Unclear about backup options, social pressure
Occupation	Student	Salaried/Business owner	Student	Student	Student
Income	N/A	8-20 LPA	N/A	N/A	N/A
Primary Concerns	Wants job-ready degree & brand value	Wants safety, ROI, credibility	Wants quality education with job access	Wants tech-heavy, project-based B.Tech	Wants credible, placement-oriented alternative
Buying Role	Influencer	Final decision-maker	Influencer	Influencer	Influencer
Language Comfort	Hinglish/English	Hindi/English	Hindi	English/Hindi	Hinglish/Hindi
Behavioral Traits	FOMO-driven, follows peers/seniors online	Researches a lot, risk-conscious	Aspirational but cautious	Practical, portfolio-driven, curious	Comparative, brand-aware
Key Insight	Needs clarity + credibility in options	Wants reliable, outcome-backed investment	Wants affordable path to success	Looks for real skills, not just theory	Looking for best next to IIT/NIT

ICP SEGMENTATION:

ICP	Value to User	Ease of Adoption	Frequency	Appetite to Pay	CAC
ICP 1: Smart Student	Very High	High	Very High	Medium	Low
ICP 2: ROI Parent	High	Low	Low	High	High
ICP 3: Small-Town Dreamer	Very High	Medium	High	Medium	Medium
ICP 4: Hands-On Learner	Very High	Medium	Medium	Low	Medium
ICP 5: JEE-Miss Aspirant	High	High	High	Medium	Medium

✅ Top ICPs to Prioritise:

ICP 1: Smart Student with High intent, high adoption, low CAC

ICP 5: JEE-Miss Aspirant with Strong motivation, high adoption, and reasonable CAC

Note: These two segments combine high urgency with relatively efficient acquisition. While students are our primary users with high intent and low CAC, they aren’t the final decision-makers. Parents, though high-paying, engage less often and need more trust. So, we bring students in first, then help parents make the final decision through clear and convincing information, ROI calculators, placement proof, webinars and direct calls.

UNDERSTANDING THE MARKET:

📊 Market Size

🎓 Engineering Capacity (AICTE, 2023–24)

Total B.Tech seats: ~15 lakh across ~5,900+ colleges
Key States – Seat Share

North India	TAM	South India	TAM
Uttar Pradesh	1,43,144	Tamil Nadu	3,08,686
Maharashtra	1,42,947	Andhra Pradesh	1,83,532
Madhya Pradesh	79,479	Telangana	1,45,557
Gujarat	72,759	Karnataka	1,32,309
Rajasthan	49,467	Kerala	52,808
West Bengal	48,426	Total	~8,00,000
Haryana	43,657
Punjab	39,535
Chhattisgarh	32,679
Bihar	20,204
Jharkhand	18,558
Delhi	15,328
Uttarakhand	12,739
Total	~7,00,000

✅ North India holds ~7L seats, but with fewer quality private tech-focused institutions.

📊 Market Segmentation by Fee Tier

Tier	Fee Range	Examples	Estimated Colleges
Lower Tier	< ₹4L	State govt colleges, older NITs with subsidy	~4,500
Middle Tier	₹4–10L	Most private universities, NITs, IIITs	~1,000–1,500
Upper Tier	₹10–20L+	IITs, BITS, SRM, VIT	Few hundred

🌍 Regional Disparity – North vs. South

Region	Upper-Tier Institutes	Mid-Tier count (est.)
South India	IIT Madras, IIIT Hyderabad, VIT, SRM	~500–800
North India	IIT Delhi, Kanpur, Roorkee, BITS Pilani	~300–500

South India dominates with premium tech institutes and mid-tier volume.

North India lags in quality supply despite high demand → White space for NIAT.

🏁 NIAT Competitor Analysis – North India

Competitor	Strengths	Gaps NIAT Can Leverage
Amity University	Strong infra, brand visibility	Generic curriculum, higher fees, lower skill-focus
GGSIPU Colleges (Delhi)	Affordable, state reputation	Overcrowded, outdated syllabus, weak industry connect
Manav Rachna / Sharda	Broad network, legacy trust	Limited tech focus, less hands-on training
BITS Pilani (North Campus)	Premier brand, strong alumni	Expensive, tough entry, no vernacular flexibility
State Govt. Colleges (e.g., JMI, PTU)	Low fees, public trust	Weak placement ecosystem, limited innovation
Local Private Colleges	Easy access, lower competition	Poor quality control, low placement track record

TAM, SAM & SOM:

Segment	Estimate	Description
TAM	~15,00,000	All AICTE-approved undergraduate engineering seats in India
SAM	~7,00,000	Seats across North India (NIAT’s expansion focus zone)
SOM	To be validated	Early traction & presence in North via Delhi NCR, Jaipur, and Pune, but exact intake data not publicly available

output (1).png Hence, SOM remains unquantified but full of potential.

ACQUISITION CHANNELS:

Channel Name	Cost	Effort	Impact	Lead Time	Scale	Flexibility
Friends & Family Referrals	Low	Low	High	Low	High	High
School/Coaching Workshops	Medium	High	Very High	High	Medium	Low
Google Ads (Targeting Parents)	High	Medium	High	Low	Low	Low
Facebook & Instagram Ads (Parents, Alumni)	Medium	High	High	Medium	High	Medium
YouTube Video Content (Career Insights)	Medium	Medium	High	Medium	High	High
Influencer Marketing (Education/Career Creators)	High	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium
Local PR / Media Outreach	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium
WhatsApp Campaigns (Post-lead)	Low	Low	High	Low	High	High
Career Webinars (Post-JEE Guidance)	Medium	Medium	High	Medium	Medium	High
SEO + Blog Content (Career Outcomes)	High	Medium	High	Low	Very High	High
Regional Counseling Partners	Medium	High	High	High	Medium	Low

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🎯 Validated Channel Insight:

After extensive user conversations, School & Coaching Center Workshops emerged as the most high-impact acquisition channel.
Seminars, career talks, and collaborations with local educators drive trust, access, and credibility, especially crucial for decision-makers in North India.

✅ Top Acquisition Channels to Go Forward With

Based on user research, market constraints, and channel performance mapping, the most effective acquisition channels for NIAT’s North India expansion are:

School/Coaching Workshops – Highest impact channel to build trust, credibility, and access at scale; critical for <18 audience.
WhatsApp Campaigns (Post-Lead) – Low-cost, high-engagement follow-up tool that works well with both students and parents.
Friends & Family Referrals – Leverages NIAT’s alumni/student network for authentic word-of-mouth conversions.
Career Webinars (Post-JEE) – Timely intervention channel with high conversion for aspirants who missed IIT/NIT cutoffs.
SEO + Blog Content – Evergreen, scalable engine to educate, nurture and rank for key discovery keywords like “B.Tech with placements.”

Channel	User Journey	Metric to Track	Reason for Selection	Target Audience
School/Coaching Workshops	Student attends seminar, gets brochure, signs up on landing page or requests a call,receives follow-up call	Workshop leads captured, conversion %, counselor follow-up rate	Most trusted channel from user research, builds credibility with both students & parents	12th-grade students, school coordinators, coaching center managers
WhatsApp Campaigns (Post-Lead)	Student/parent fills lead form‚ gets added to WhatsApp broadcast, receives updates, reminders, success stories, joins counseling call	Open rate, click-through rate, lead-to-call conversion rate	Low-cost, direct communication, high flexibility and re-engagement value	Parents and students who have submitted interest forms
Friends & Family Referrals	Current user/alumni shares referral, referred student signs up ‚ lead nurtured via WhatsApp/email/call, conversion	Referral traffic, referral conversion %, number of referral shares	High trust factor, leverages existing NIAT student/alumni community	Current NIAT students/alumni and their peers or siblings
Career Webinars (Post-JEE)	Student/parent attends webinar after JEE ‚sees placement proof and program highlights,applies for NIAT	Webinar attendance rate, form fills, post-webinar application rate	Contextual timing (post-JEE), high urgency leads, low CAC	JEE aspirants and their families (especially non-qualifiers)
SEO + Blog Content	User searches for alternatives to IIT/NIT, finds NIAT blog ‚ clicks and lands on lead form, added to funnel	Organic traffic, bounce rate, CTA clicks, SEO lead conversion	Evergreen engine for discovery, supports long-term lead generation at scale	Students & parents searching online for B.Tech alternatives

CONTENT LOOP:

Here’s how NIAT can turn one video into a viral content loop. 🎯
From student success stories to interactive CTAs, every engagement fuels the next idea.
A self-sustaining engine for reach, relevance, and trust. 🔁✨

PARTNER PROGRAM:

🤝 NIAT Partner Program: Partners in shaping future
Partnering with school counselors, coaching centers, and education consultants to refer eligible students by offering them with incentives, exclusive resources, and early access briefings. With this, NIAT builds a local advocacy network that scales. 📈

Target: School principals, junior college coordinators, coaching center heads.

REFERRAL PROGRAM:

Step	Stage	What Happens	Why It Feels Easy
1	Referrer Signs Up	Existing NIAT student/alumni/parent visits a simple "Refer & Rise" portal to register and get a unique referral link	Takes <2 mins, no login hassle, mobile-optimized
2	Shares the Link	Referrer shares their unique link via WhatsApp, SMS, or email with eligible students	One-click copy/share button — simple & seamless
3	Lead Visits Website	Referred student clicks the link → lands on NIAT’s official page with the referral code auto-applied	Personalized experience, no need to enter any code
4	Applies & Registers	Student fills out a quick form and registers for a counseling session or career webinar	Receives a discount on admission fee
5	NIAT Connects	NIAT team reaches out for personalized guidance and admission counseling	Smooth hand-holding — no pressure, just value
6	Reward for Referrer	If the referred student enrolls, referrer receives their reward (voucher/cashback)	Updates shared via WhatsApp/email — no chasing needed

🌟 Why It’s Hassle-Free

No manual forms
WhatsApp/web integration
Auto-tracking through referral link
Transparent dashboard with reward progress
No spammy feel — targeted through trust circles only

PRODUCT INTEGRATION:

🤝 NIAT × CollegeDekho / Shiksha / Career360

(EdTech Discovery & Counseling Platforms)

🧩 Why This Integration Works

NIAT Gains	Partner Platform Gains
Visibility to millions of 12th-grade students actively exploring B.Tech options	Adds top-rated, vernacular-first B.Tech program to their listings
Boosts trust & conversions via 3rd-party authority	Higher student engagement, more program listings
Ability to tap into JEE-missed traffic	More value per lead → stronger monetization

📦 Integration Scope

Feature/Integration	What it looks like
🎓 Featured B.Tech Program	NIAT showcased as “Top Industry-Ready B.Tech Program with Vernacular Learning”
📍 Location Filters	Auto-show NIAT’s nearest campuses based on student’s location input
🤖 Lead Integration	Student signs up → lead is pushed into NIAT’s CRM via API/Webhook
🎥 Video Content Collab	Platform publishes alumni testimonials or "A Day at NIAT" features
🧭 Counselor Co-hosted Webinars	Joint webinars for career planning + NIAT pitch = more trusted entry funnel