3 minutes read time.
India is a rapidly expanding market, offering growing demand across multiple sectors. Building on the success of our March 2025 trade mission, ONB is increasing its efforts to help more New Brunswick businesses make meaningful connections in India. Ahead of our upcoming India trade mission, we spoke to attendees of our earlier trips for their India insights.
Fredericton’s The Learning Bar is an education research and technology company with over 20 years of experience helping schools improve through data-driven insights and evidence-based practice. Its services include a population-based assessment of school readiness; a comprehensive reading intervention; professional learning in reading and teaching; and a suite of surveys that measure student engagement, teacher and student well-being, and school climate.
Founder and President Jon Douglas Willms tells us more about his team’s India experience from March 2025.
What were your hopes for ONB’s 2025 trade mission? What were your top takeaways?
The primary goal was to explore opportunities to bring our evidence-based education solutions to Indian schools. We wanted to better understand the local education landscape, build partnerships, and identify how our products could support schools focused on literacy improvement and student well-being.
Through meetings arranged by the Indo-Canadian Business Chamber (ICBC) and ONB, we connected with a range of schools and education firms that helped us understand the unique needs and opportunities in India’s rapidly expanding education sector. The mission also included inspiring presentations on international collaboration, culminating in a live session with Bill Gates that reinforced our confidence in expanding to India. That moment became the catalyst for our decision to establish a permanent presence there.
You then went into the market a second time after the March mission. Can you tell us more about this step and how it supports your strategy?
Following that trade mission, and with the continued guidance of the ICBC, we moved forward with incorporating a local entity in India. Within months, we had completed all legal, accounting, and operational requirements and established our new company, TLB: The Learning Bar India Private Limited.
This expansion represents a key step in our global growth strategy. Having a local presence allows us to work more closely with Indian educators, adapt our programs to regional contexts, and build sustainable partnerships that advance literacy and learning outcomes at scale.
How has ONB’s support helped The Learning Bar in expanding its reach and engagement in India?
ONB’s support was instrumental in every stage of the process. Its team provided:
- Pre-departure coaching to deepen our understanding of Indian business culture and education systems;
- Expert logistical support that ensured a well-organized and productive trade mission; and
- Connections to key partners and advisors who made it possible to navigate incorporation and establish operations quickly and confidently.
ONB’s professionalism and strategic guidance turned what could have been a complex international expansion into a smooth, well-supported journey.
What advice would you offer to New Brunswick teams interested in exploring opportunities in India?
Start by building strong partnerships and making full use of the expertise that ONB and the ICBC can provide. Their coordinated support accelerated our timeline dramatically. We began planning our entry into India in February. By June, we had incorporated TLB: The Learning Bar India Private Limited, opened an office in Delhi, and hired our first employee. For comparison, similar incorporations in the U.S. and Australia each took more than a year.
India offers immense potential for collaboration and growth, particularly for education, technology, and research organizations. With the right planning and the kind of hands-on support ONB provides, New Brunswick companies can move quickly and confidently into this dynamic market.
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ONB is returning to India in February 2026. Express your interest by filling out the form at this link.
