In South India, KidZee centers have been launched in Salem (TN) and Pondicherry - one each; three in Hyderabad and one each in Kodad and Hanamkonda (AP). More centers are being planned for this academic session.

Announcing the launch of the new centers in Bangalore, Zee Network Education Group CEO A K Khetan said, "The concept of associating education with play is the requirement of the day. At a tender age kids cannot be bound to books. KidZee curriculum includes multiple activities to encourage and expand the child's hidden potential. The learning environment has been designed to nurture the growing sense of aesthetics and to inspire better performance from young minds, special attention is given to safety and hygiene."

The official release states KidZee's mission as - Help young minds grow and learn in an amicable environment resulting in their sensorial, physical, intellectual, aesthetic, cognitive, emotional and social developments.
Kidzee has a network of more than 250 centers in India and abroad, across 110 cities. Singapore, Dubai, Sharjah, UAE, Bahrain are some of the countries that have a KidZee presence. Khetan is confident of this number growing to around 500 by the end of this financial year.

"Children are an important part of our lives; giving them the right kind of education from a very tender age is of utmost priority. It is imperative for a child's upbringing and smooth transition into the traditional model of education. Hence a need has always been felt to have a reliable, quality, branded playschool."

On the employment prospects and its benefit for women, Khetan had this to say, "Pre-schooling is a potential market of approximately Rs. 500 billion plus and is an excellent 'Pro woman' business model. KidZee is designed to infuse the feeling of self-reliance and entrepreneurship in womenfolk, who have the penchant/passion to handle toddlers. It not only creates an opportunity for talented and qualified women, including housewives to use their knowledge in an optimum manner for the benefit of society, but also creates job opportunities for uneducated women as attendants in the KidZee centers."

Recently ZILS has also launched a one-year Diploma program in the Teachers training segment for pre-school called "IECTEC"(International Early Childhood Teachers Education Course) to meet the dearth of trained professionals in this segment.

"While the local ZILS center will ensure the hand holding of the franchisees, a panel of eminent citizens acts as independent observers. Additionally, we have events and competitions that will allow children to display their talents," states Mr. Ashish Deb, Sr. VP, ZILS, spelling KidZee's vision for the future.

Franchising India Holdings Ltd has adjudged KidZee the "Best Franchisor 2004" in Pre school category. Their annual revenues are Rs.150 million according to Khetan.

Khetan also stated that Zee would consider re-starting their earlier channel Zee Ed which had been earlier been aired in 1999 and then closed subsequently. Khetan feels that currently and 'Edutainment' or rather Entertaining Education was a concept that was gaining ground, as opposed to earlier when Zee Ed had met with a very poor response.