Byju's Announces Lionel Messi As The First Global Ambassador For Its 'Education For All' Initiative

Edtech giant Byju's has announced today that it has roped in football star Lionel Messi as the first global brand ambassador of its social impact arm 'Education For All'.

Messi, who currently plays for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentinian football team, has signed an agreement with BYJU'S to promote the cause of equitable education, BYJU'S said in a statement, as per PTI report.

Earlier this year, Byju¡¯s also became the official sponsor of the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022 which will be held in Qatar.

PTI/Ndtv

Launched in 2020, Byju¡¯s 'Education for All' initiative aims to educate 10 million children by 2025, by making digital learning accessible to millions of children from underserved communities.

Byju's & Messi's Statements

"We are honoured and excited to collaborate with Lionel Messi as our global ambassador. He rose from the grassroots to become one of the most successful sports persons ever. That is the kind of opportunity that BYJU'S Education For All (EFA) wants to create for the nearly 5.5 million children it currently empowers. No one represents the power of enhancing human potential more than Lionel Messi," BYJU'S co-founder Divya Gokulnath said.

The engagement of BYJU's with Lionel Messi will enhance visibility of the edtech firm overseas as football has roughly 3.5 billion fans worldwide, and Lionel Messi has a social media following of nearly 450 million. He added "It is not really surprising that the greatest player of all time is also the greatest learner of all time. I am sure this partnership will inspire millions of people around the world to dream bigger and learn better."

"High-quality education changes lives, and BYJU'S has transformed the career paths of millions of students worldwide. I hope to inspire young learners to reach and remain at the top," Lionel Messi said.

The long-term engagement, which begins as Lionel Messi embarks on his final campaign to win the FIFA World Cup 2022 as captain of Argentina's national football team, will see him feature in campaigns promoting BYJU'S Education For All.

In March 2010, Messi was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Lionel Messi also runs his own charitable organisation, the Leo Messi Foundation, which was started in 2007.

Big Announcement Amid Layoffs

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Byju's roping in Messi as global ambassador is a big move that comes amidst the edtech giant's recent layoff announcements.

Byju¡¯s CEO had recently said that the firm has to part ways with 2500 employees to avoid role duplication across the company¡¯s businesses. The edtech firm is targeting to be profitable by March next year. Byju¡¯s is reportedly implementing an ¡°optimisation plan¡±, where it is set to lay off nearly 2,500, or 5% of its 50,000 employees.

Byju¡¯s founder also recently wrote an 'apology' letter to all the employees he has laid off at the moment. In the mail that was sent over following the mass firing, Mr. Raveendran said BYJU has been compelled to focus on sustainability and capital-efficient growth because of adverse macroeconomic factors.

This comes after several Byju's employees had met with Kerala labor minister V Sivankutty last week, claiming that the edtech giant was pressuring more than 170 staff members to quit as it contemplated terminating operations in Thiruvananthapuram.

Also Read: List Of Global Giants Laying Off Employees

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