Chennai, Tamil Nadu: Babilou, Europe’s largest childcare group, announced today the acquisition of a majority stake in Amelio Early Education, a Chennai-based chain of early education centres. Babilou and Amelio will thus develop an unprecedented educational partnership.
Amelio is a leading provider in early childhood care in the Indian region of Chennai currently operating 14 centres, with 220 employees and serving the needs of 1200 parents. Thanks to this investment, Babilou’s ambition is to establish a long-term presence and to rapidly increase its footprint in India through full expansion.
Founded in 2003 by Rodolphe and Edouard Carle, Babilou, a leading European childcare provider, now represents a network of more than 500 childcare centres. Present in 8 countries including Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the United Arab Emirates, this new partnership is a new step for Babilou in its pedagogical and international development.
In India the preschool & childcare market, which is pegged to grow at 23% through 2022, is facing strong demand. The partnership concluded between Babilou and Amelio will offer greater opportunities for Indian families, thanks to a high quality educational nursery offer.
Babilou and Amelio share the same entrepreneurial values and a common desire to offer a welcoming environment and quality education to the greatest number. Mindful of the new expectations of families in India, they share a common vision of a nursery being an educational place offering children a fun and learning environment to develop their curiosity. They also share a common desire to stimulate children’s creativity, natural curiosity, and build their self-esteem and respect for others.
“We are very proud of this collaboration. This partnership helps validate our long-standing commitment to provide high-quality childcare to the Indian market. We will use the knowledge and scale of Babilou’s international experience to further expand the market and enhance our offering.” explained Sridevi Raghavan, Founder and CEO, Amelio.
“At a time when India enjoys all the media attention in France with the visit of Emmanuel Macron, our presence in India illustrates the Indo-French entrepreneurial dynamism in this region of the world, in full growth. For Babilou, this partnership is a new opportunity to transmit our “savoir-faire” while enriching us with new educational practices. We have been very impressed by the high-quality standards offered by Amelio’s programs and teams and our very excited about our plans for India” added Rodolphe Carle, co-founder of Babilou Group.
