New Delhi, June 3 -- When Aparna Krishnan, a Bengaluru-based executive, began looking for a preschool for her toddler, FirstCry Intellitots was one of the names that appeared on her radar. She, however, did not look at it seriously, as "there wasn't a branch nearby".

Aparna wanted the school to be close to home, have a playground, a good teacher-student ratio, and reasonable fees. At one point, she even considered a preschool where she could get a corporate discount, but ruled it out as it was too far and overcrowded. Eventually, she chose Orchids International, a preschool within walking distance of her home.

Aparna's decision underscores why FirstCry's Intellitots bet is still a work in progress. The baby products company entered the ...