KOCHI: The foundation stone for Gems Modern Academy was laid at Smart City, Kochi, by Sunny Varkey, founder and group chairman of GEMS Education, on Friday. Though GEMS Education took birth in foreign soil its roots can be traced to India. The school which began functioning as ‘Our Own English High School’ founded by expats KS and Mariamma Varkey was later on taken over by their son Sunny Varkey.
He expanded the business to over a 100 countries. GEMS Education is said to be the world’s largest provider of education from Kindergarten to Class 12.
Sunny Varkey said at a press conference,“I am from Kerala and have been waiting to open a school in my home state for long. India is one of the key destinations where we already lead several educational initiatives, including 17 schools in major cities. We plan to own and manage over 100 schools in India over the next few years.”
GEMS Education was given the building permit by the state government’s single-window clearance system and is one of the major co-developments in Smart City, Kochi.
“GEMS Modern Academy is the first major initiative of GEMS Education in Kerala. The approval for the project in Smart City comes at a time when GEMS Modern Academy has successfully begun operations in Gurgaon,” said C N Radhakrishnan, senior executive director, Varkey group.Amitabh Jhingan, CEO, GEMS Education India, stated that their mission was to transform education landscape in India. “We understand the needs of the learners and put them at the centre of everything we do,” he said. Baju George, MD, Smart City, India and Gigo Joseph, CEO Smart City, also spoke.
The school set up on eight acres promises to offer top notch infrastructure, international standards and facilities and is set to function from 2016.