NEW DELHI:IDP will acquire 100 per cent of British Councils India IELTS business for 130 million pounds on a debt free, cash free basis.The IDP and British Council, the two partners of IELTS, the world's most popular high-stakes English language test, announced on Thursday that British Council will sell its IELTS business in India to IDP.
This means that all IELTS tests in India will be delivered by IDP, a leader in global education services. As an Australian listed company, it has operations in more than 50 countries and its websites attract 100 million visits a year.
Under the terms of the agreement, IDP will acquire 100 per cent of British Council's India IELTS business for 130 million pounds on a debt free, cash free basis. The terms also outline that British Council employees working on IELTS in India will become part of the IDP team.
The transaction is subject to customary conditions with the completion expected to occur in August.
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is the world's most popular English language test for study and migration and is trusted by more than 10, 000 organisations around the world as a secure and reliable indicator of English language proficiency.
One of the key benefits of this sale is that customers will see continuity of the test.
Kate Ewart-Biggs, the interim CEO of British Council, reiterated its commitment to its broader services in India.
"Distributing IELTS solely through IDP in India will simplify and improve the customer experience for IELTS test takers. As IDP already delivers IELTS in India, the high-quality service provided to IELTS customers will remain the same.
"To ensure we could continue to deliver on our global cultural relations mission, we explored strategic options for the English examinations business with IDP in India in 2020. The proceeds of the sale will enable British Council to improve its financial position following the impact of Covid-19 on our finances, " Ewart-Biggs said.
Andrew Barkla, CEO of IDP, said this agreement marks the start of a new chapter for IELTS in India.
"By bringing together two expert teams, test takers can feel confident they are getting the best experience possible when taking their world-leading test, " Barkla said.