ICICI Prudential Life Insurance launches unique 'Paathshala'

The company goes to small town schools to teach students and inform parents about its product

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance recently launched a rural activation programme, called Pragati Ki Anokhi Paathshala (PKAP), to inform the parents residing in the rural areas of the country about how to plan their children's education better. Through the campaign, the insurance player seeks to inform its target consumers about its education insurance plans. However, knowing that simple information dissemination will not work in the rural markets, the company decided to first give a sample of how education can work wonders for the children.

Sujit Ganguli, senior vice-president and head, marketing, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, says, "Our experience with the children's plans category has taught us that when it comes to future planning, children's education is the topmost priority for parents. Also, this is true for parents regardless of income, educational qualifications or any other demographic parameter.

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance launches unique 'Paathshala'

"When it comes to parents living in non-urban centres, this need becomes two-fold – on one hand, there is a need for financial know how on funding their child's future and on the other hand, there is a need to provide their children with the right kind of skills needed to make the most of future opportunities."

The campaign is being activated in the rural districts of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, covering more than 250 schools across India over a period of two months. The initiative takes the form of a two-day programme, where experts representing ICICI Prudential Life Insurance work on a new-age educational module with the students of these schools.

The first day is divided between three kinds of programmes - memory enhancement through visual and interactive games, communication skills, tricks and training and Arthyudh, a quick way to learn maths.

The second day of the initiative seeks to make the parents of the children aware about the need of such modules and how a right education plan will be able to help their children realise their dreams.

For that purpose, ICICI Prudential has roped in a group of trained teachers and experts with a proven track record, who will interact with children and then their parents.

"The response that we have received so far has been very encouraging. Through PKAP, we have exposed more than 30,000 students to a new age educational concept and educated more than 8,700 parents on the need for financial planning for their children. Despite the fact that insurance as a category does not lend itself to impulsive closure, PKAP has received positive response from parents, generating 30,000 business leads, which we hope translates to sales in the long run," says Ganguli.

Till now, the initiative has covered more than 115 schools across the six states and Ganguli shares that considering the response, the company is already planning the next leg on how to take it to more towns and schools in rural India.

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