India/Singapore
Imarticus Learning Expands into Southeast Asia with Acquisition of Singapore’s BELLS Institute: Indian professional education company Imarticus Learning has announced the acquisition of Singapore-based BELLS Institute of Higher Learning, marking its first international acquisition and a major milestone in its expansion strategy across Southeast Asia. The acquisition establishes Singapore as Imarticus Learning’s regional hub and significantly strengthens its presence in the rapidly growing professional education, enterprise learning, and workforce development sectors across the ASEAN region.
The deal brings together two institutions with a shared focus on industry-aligned education and career outcomes. Imarticus Learning, which has trained more than one million learners in India, will integrate BELLS Institute’s extensive network of over 150,000 alumni, seven training centres across Singapore, and long-standing partnerships with SkillsFuture Singapore, government agencies, and enterprise clients.
Following the acquisition, the combined organization will employ more than 1,100 professionals and operate from over 25 offices across India and Singapore, positioning it among Asia’s largest outcome-driven professional education providers.
The acquisition is expected to significantly enhance Imarticus Learning’s capabilities in artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, enterprise learning, technology education, finance, and workforce development. BELLS also brings deep relationships with Singapore’s public and private sector ecosystem, providing the Indian company with a strategic launchpad for expansion across Southeast Asia.
Singapore’s global reputation as a business and innovation hub, supported by its internationally recognized SkillsFuture lifelong learning ecosystem, is expected to accelerate the company’s regional growth plans. The combined entity aims to develop industry-focused programmes, expand enterprise learning solutions, and address evolving workforce requirements across Asia.
Speaking about the acquisition, Nikhil Barshikar, Group CEO of the combined organization, described the partnership as the beginning of the company’s next phase of international growth.
“Over the past 14 years, we have built a professional education ecosystem in India with a focus on learner outcomes. Partnering with BELLS gives us a presence in Asian workforce development ecosystems and serves as a foundation for expansion across Southeast Asia. Together, we are bringing complementary strengths in curriculum, technology systems and enterprise partnerships to build a career engine that prepares learners in India and Singapore for the evolving needs of employers.”
Adrian Ang, CEO of BELLS Institute of Higher Learning, said the partnership combines BELLS’ expertise in Singapore’s skills ecosystem with Imarticus Learning’s technology platform and industry partnerships to create greater value for learners, enterprises, and employers throughout the region.
As part of the integration, the organizations have also announced plans to establish the BELLS School of AI, a specialized institute dedicated to applied artificial intelligence education and workforce development.
The new school will offer programmes for working professionals, graduates, and enterprise teams covering AI literacy, applied machine learning, AI for finance and fintech, and AI-enabled business transformation. These programmes will be developed in collaboration with industry partners and aligned with employer demand across Singapore, India, and ASEAN markets.
Eligible courses in Singapore are expected to be offered under SkillsFuture Singapore, the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA), and the Institute of Banking and Finance (IBF) frameworks, enabling learners to benefit from government-supported training initiatives.
The acquisition is also expected to create new international opportunities for learners. Indian students will gain access to globally benchmarked education, Singapore exchange programmes, and ASEAN career pathways, while Singaporean learners will benefit from Imarticus Learning’s expertise in finance, analytics, technology, data science, and management education.
Founded in 2012 by Nikhil Barshikar and Sonya Hooja, Mumbai-headquartered Imarticus Learning has become one of India’s leading professional education companies. The company has impacted more than one million learners, facilitated over 75,000 placements through a network of 3,500 hiring partners, and collaborates with leading universities and global organizations.
Industry analysts view the acquisition as another strong example of the growing international ambitions of Indian education technology companies, which are increasingly expanding beyond domestic markets to meet rising demand for digital skills, AI education, and workforce development across Asia.
