The worldwide market for mobile learning products and services is growing at a 5 year CAGR of 22.7%, and India is no exception.

Given current trends, by 2015, India is expected to be among the top 10 counties when it comes to buying mobile learning products and services – along with the USA, China and Japan.

In India, the mobile phone has revolutionized communication. India is now one of the fastest growing markets for mobile phone services, with growing usage and increasing market penetration. As stated in a report published by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and the Indian Market Research Bureau (IMRB), India will have around 165 million mobile internet users by the year 2015. This is almost double the current 87 million mobile internet users. This means that mobile devices are not only communication devices but channels for interactions and learning.

As suggested in a research study conducted by Ambient Insight, India will be the second largest country for buying mobile learning products and services by 2015 with a whopping growth rate of 61.3%. This reflects the fact that the mobile learning space is rapidly evolving in India and playing a significant role in imparting learning. The significance of m-learning is slowly and steadily being realized by L&D and there have been efforts taken towards developing the necessary applications to impart m-learning.

The key drivers behind growth of mobile learning in India are: the increase in market penetration of mobile devices, portability, small size, low price and – most importantly – mobile devices’ adaptable technology. The government initiative to distribute Akash Tablets at school has ensured m-Learning will continue to rise in India. Given the statistics available, there is no doubt that m-Learning in India is going to define the future of learning there.

Conclusion

Since India is considered to be an emerging market for mobile, and as millions of people become equipped with mobile devices, this mobile workforce represents a great opportunity for mobile learning in India.