India ready for sophisticated mobile VAS: Wipro-IAMAI study

25th March 2013
India ready for sophisticated  mobile VAS: Wipro-IAMAI study

 

Bangalore, March 25, 2013: Global Information Technology, Consulting and Outsourcing leader  Wipro Technologies,  has joined hands with The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI),  to undewrite a research report --“Future Thought of Business (FTOB): MVAS”  -- which finds that the mobile value added services  market will grow at a CAGR of 25% between 2012 and 2015 to reach $9.5 billion in 2015, from an estimated $4.9 billion in 2012.

 

The report was based on in-depth evaluation of over 450 consumers and providers of MVAS in India to identify the major drivers and barriers of the Indian MVAS market. The research focused on the mEducation, mEntertainment, mFinance and mHealth application areas and found that there is market demand from consumers for sophisticated mobile services in India that have the potential to improve the overall quality of living.

 

Says Ayan Mukerji, Senior Vice President, Global Head - Media and Telecom, Wipro Technologies: “Basic informational mobile services are set to decline in India. We have found that India’s consumers will increasingly purchase enriched and transformational education, health, finance and entertainment services. An expected MVAS revolution in India is being made possible by the dramatic growth in mobile device penetration and mobile network capacity and this market offers abundant opportunities for growth to all industry participants.”

 

Opportunities for different participants in the Indian MVAS market include:

·         Domestic mobile operators could focus on providing better network and connectivity

·         Global operators could increase their base by testing new VAS offerings in the Indian market

·         Content and VAS technology could focus on the consumer experience and developing personalized content

·         Original equipment manufacturers could innovate with lost cost smartphones and mobile devices to drive penetration

 “So far, this market has been hampered by a lack of services innovation,” says Dr. Subho Ray, President, IAMAI,  “By forging mutually agreeable partnerships, we can improve customization and localization of content and create services with a compelling consumer value proposition. The Indian MVAS market offers tremendous potential to all industry participants and those companies that can offer innovative services will stand to benefit the most.” 

 

The research findings reveal that mEntertainment is the largest contributor to operator MVAS revenues and provides key opportunities in localized vernacular content, on-demand music and video content and live TV shows and events.  On the other hand, mEducation can play a key role in expanding the reach and quality of education in India, through Interactive English Language Learning Services, Competitive Examination Preparation Solutions, Tutor-on-call and Vocational training. mHealth has the potential to improve healthcare access and affordability in India especially through Remote Diagnostics, Chronic Disease Management and Maternal Care. Mobile phones will also play a key role in extending financial services to the 40% of India’s population who are unbanked. mFinance through Mobile Wallet Services, Mobile Remittance Services and Business Correspondence Model Based Services will contribute to MVAS revenues. 

 

The report also highlights areas of concern that the industry could collectively address:

·   Value Perception. Even though 96% of the survey respondents accessed the internet on mobile devices, only 56% had subscribed to some form of paid MVAS

·   Service Complexity. Complexity was consistently rated as a key barrier to service adoption. For instance, 64% of participants believed that advanced mobile health services would to be too complex to use.

·   User Experience. Users expressed concern about the unique aspects of the mobile experience that could compromise usability. For instance, 56% of participants were concerned about the screen size of mobile devices.