The £130 million transaction is to be completed in August 2021
Australian origin IDP will acquire 100% of British Council’s India IELTS business for £130 million on a debt free, cash free basis, helping more people in India in achieving global study, work and career ambitions.
All IELTS (International English Language Testing System) tests in India will be delivered by IDP which has been a partner of British Council for the world’s most popular high-stakes English language test.
The takeover terms also outline that British Council employees working on IELTS in India will become part of the IDP team. The transaction is subject to customary conditions with completion expected to occur in August.
IELTS is the world’s most popular English language test for study and migration and is trusted by more than 10,000 organisations around the world as a secure and reliable indicator of English language proficiency.
Announcing the deal on 2 July 2021 from New Delhi, Andrew Barkla, CEO of IDP, said, “This agreement marks the start of a new chapter for IELTS in India.
“By bringing together two expert teams, test takers can feel confident they are getting the best experience possible when taking their world-leading test.
“Our test takers can focus on preparing for their test as planned, and our team is here to make sure everything goes smoothly on test day,” he said.
“IELTS’ 30-year history and global partnership model means it has globally-standardised quality and integrity processes already built into every centre’s operations,” explained Barkla.
“This agreement will see us move forward with expert teams, a strong strategy and a large geographic footprint across India. Together, we are well-placed to help more people in India take the first step in achieving their global study, work and career ambitions.”
Kate Ewart-Biggs, Interim CEO of British Council, reiterated its commitment to its broader services in India.
“Distributing IELTS solely through IDP in India will simplify and improve the customer experience for IELTS test takers. As IDP already delivers IELTS in India, the high-quality service provided to IELTS customers will remain the same.”
“To ensure we could continue to deliver on our global cultural relations mission, we explored strategic options for the English examinations business with IDP in India in 2020. The proceeds of the sale will enable British Council to improve its financial position following the impact of COVID-19 on our finances,” Ewart-Biggs said.
“Our wider British Council work will continue in India. We remain committed to realising our goal of building trust and understanding between the United Kingdom and India through arts, education, assessment and the English language.”
“We would like to recognise the hard work of our staff across India who have worked tirelessly for many years and especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. It is our leading British Council IELTS teams in India, now transitioning to IDP, who put their heart and soul into delivering safe and trusted testing services year on year.”
British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. Last year, the council reached over 80 million people directly and 791 million people overall including online, broadcasts and publications. Founded in 1934 as a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body, it has received £179 million in grant funding from the UK government in 2021/22.
British Council has been present in India for 73 years, creating opportunities for young people to succeed in a global environment by:
• Supporting higher education, knowledge and research exchange.
• Accelerating student mobility between India and the UK.
• Enabling high quality education in schools with English language training for teachers, educators and students.
• Driving innovation and upskilling in the Arts and Culture sector.
• Providing secure access to a wide range of international examinations: professional exams, university exams and English Language tests.
IDP is a leader in global education services. As an Australian listed company, it has operations in more than 50 countries and websites that attract 100 million visits a year. #investment #education #skill #acquisition #banking /fiinews.com
