Darshan Shah

Job profile combines aviation compliance, operations leadership, training ecosystem development, and strategic growth. Core Responsibilities include company owned and partner RPTO's Operations & DGCA Compliance.

General Manager Operations and Head of Institute at J VE Konnect Private Limited (2022-09 – Present)

Job profile combines aviation compliance, operations leadership, training ecosystem development, and strategic growth. Core Responsibilities include company owned and partner RPTO's Operations & DGCA Compliance.

• Ensuring the RPTO complies with DGCA regulations and audit requirements
• Manage operations across multiple partner RPTO's in India
• Supervising operational safety standards
• Managing documentation, approvals, SOPs, instructor compliance, and flying permissions
• Coordinating with DGCA/eGCA regarding approvals, tickets, and operational issues
• Overseeing DGCA Remote Pilot Certificate training programs
• Managing instructors, training quality, and assessment standards
• Supporting specialized training initiatives, including: Police personnel drone training, Government-sponsored skill development programs, AMRUT and youth training initiatives, Maharashtra State Skill Board
• Building institutional collaborations
• Expanding training outreach across Maharashtra and beyond
• Creating marketing campaigns and admissions strategies
• Managing industry relationships and entrepreneurship initiatives in the drone ecosystem
• Drafting official letters, NOCs, declarations, SOPs, and compliance communications
• Handling operational escalations and coordination with authorities
• Driving organizational growth while balancing regulatory accountability

Head – Franchise Development and Support at Aspire Networks Pvt. Ltd. (2011-02 – 2022-03)

Master Franchisee of MKCL for MS-CIT and other various courses in Maharashtra with around 1000+ franchisees across the state. Since 2018 company is also Master Franchisee for SP Robotics Maker Lab. All courses implemented through e-Learning. (Previously worked in this company in 2003 when it was named Parth Infotech India Pvt. Ltd.)

• Looking after franchise development and support of Robotics training centers Branded as SP Robotics Maker Lab (Jan 2018 – Jan 2022)
• Acquired more than 450 new franchisees in Maharashtra (Feb 2011 – Dec 2017)
• Support Centres in Marketing, Academics and Technical issues
• Ensure completion of e-Learning of all students in given deadlines
• Handle the team of support executives across Maharashtra
• Lead generation from various sources
• Market mapping for creating franchisees
• Detailed analysis of admissions for year on year growth
• Regularly visit the franchisees across all regions
• Training franchisees on how to implement e-Learning system at their location
• Support centres with marketing ideas and material for admissions
• Formulated complete working of Aspire Networks from person oriented to process oriented
• Relationship management with network across the state

Business Development Manager at Edvance Pre-Schools Pvt. Ltd. (2010-06 – 2011-01)

Company is a JV between Indian Promoters and Eton House, Singapore with presence in around 10 countries.

• Promote the brand Serra International Pre-Schools in Western and Southern India
• Successfully appointed 14 out of first 15 Pre-schools in India in short span of time
• Survey and analyse different markets in west and south and decide locations and number of probable franchisees in various cities
• Suggest media plan
• Prepare ROI for prospective franchisee
• Help franchisee till launch of Pre-School and then hand it over to Academic team
• Competition tracking and give inputs to management accordingly

Manager - Franchise Support at Jetking Infotrain Ltd. (2007-11 – 2010-05)

Jetking - India's No.1 Institute for Hardware & Networking Education is a Limited company with 125 centres across the nation.

• Responsible for all activities since franchisee appointment to launch
• Responsible for 35 centres in West region on all accounts
• Responsible for 40+ crores of collection across the region
• Franchise Development for West. Acquired 6 new centres
• Support centre for achieving business targets. 34% growth in business in 2nd year
• Improve efficiency of all centre staff
• Regular auditing of centres and maintaining outstanding of franchisee in permissible limits
• Business Analysis of the region and keep on changing implementation as per required situation
• Devise & Implement media plan for West region
• Help in formulating company policies for the franchisees
• Design KRA's of Franchisee Staff

Account Manager at MagiNet Interactive (2007-03 – 2007-10)

Singapore based company providing In Room Technology services to 5 Star hotels worldwide since 1991 with presence in 40 countries and more than 600 hotels worldwide. Selected for Advance training in HO at Singapore in June 07 based on performance.

• Managing day to day operations of existing Accounts (Leela Kempinsky, Sun N Sand, Marine Plaza, The Resort etc)
• Acquiring of new accounts
• Competition tracking for Indian Sub continent
• Act as one point contact between Account Manager's in India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius & Maldives and HO for various reports and data
• Coordinate with Technical team and come up with solutions for Hotels

Franchise Development Manager & Territory Manager at Shaadi.com (2005-04 – 2007-03)

Shaadi Point is Brick N Mortar version of Shaadi.com. It has franchisees spread across India who give matrimonial services in their respective cities.

• Assisting the Zonal Manager in formulating franchising strategies for Shaadi Point
• Took additional responsibility handling Support Function of Franchisees in Maharashtra
• Appointed 30+ franchisees during the tenure
• Increased territory business by more than 250%
• Ensured appropriate execution of the designed Franchising Plans
• Formulated and implemented marketing strategy for achieving the Franchisee Growth
• Designed training programs for the Middle Management cadre (Support Function staff) and for all the Channel Partners
• Conducted market intelligence activities on a regular basis to collate information on product performance, market trends & updated the product team for new developments
• Evolved various marketing mix for the channel partners
• Ensured smooth operations across the outlets in-terms of infrastructure, staff training, project implementation, marketing, sales, motivation etc.
• Evolved various processes and manuals for developing the franchise operations system

Manager – Franchising at Parth Infotech India Pvt. Ltd., Thane (2003-07 – 2005-03)

Training Provider for MKCL (Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Ltd., Pune) currently having 500 centres in Maharashtra. Development of new franchisees for MS-CIT and MS-ACIT courses of MKCL all over Maharashtra.

• Appointed 80+ franchisees to the network
• Supported more than 250 centres
• Lead team of marketing executives to achieve targeted business growth
• Make regular visits all over Maharashtra to visit the centres
• Designed all Franchise operations and policies for 'All India Council For Professional Training and Research', a sister concern of Parth from scratch. Currently they have 300 centres in Maharashtra

Support Executive at Ace Softech Services Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai (1998-02 – 2003-06)

Ace is involved in Franchisee Operations for above organisations. The firm was Master Franchisor for CEDTI, an Autonomous Society under DOE, Maharashtra Business Training Board and Punjab Technical University.

• Worked for Franchisee Development and operations for all above networks
• Contact franchisee enquiries. Approve prospective Franchises
• Coordination & Support to Franchisees
• Look after administration of Examination and Student enrollment at centres
• Liasoning in various Government Department in Maharashtra and Gujarat and with bodies like universities and Government departments for tie-ups and associations

PGDBM in Marketing – Welingkar (2007)

Diploma in Electronics and Telecommunications (1993)

SSC (1990)

Advance Diploma in Software Engg. (Honours) in Software Engineering – APTECH LTD. (1995-08 – 1998-12)