Market for IT training in India Bears Huge Growth Potential

The market for IT training services is estimated at billions of dollars a year, with the turnover in Asia/Pacific region growing at a tremendous pace, where India is undisputed leader. IT training in India stood at $700 million in 2010, according to reports by Gartner. Inc. The local market for IT training services is growing, boosted by a fast-developing economy that is expanding rapidly and where the demand for high-qualified personnel is on the rise. In addition, the country is able to export IT training services to the outside world, with numerous service providers taking advantage of modern online technologies to offer distance learning courses to interested customers around the world.

The main driving forces behind such a growth have their roots in the fast rate at which economies in the region are developing, forcing a rapid modernization of the entire business environment and business practices, including a shift to technology-based economy. Moreover, the market for IT training services in India is approaching the $1 billion mark but there is also a huge growth potential behind these figures because the country needs even more skilled IT personnel than it is able to educate at the moment. Not that India lacks reputable educational institutions in the field of information technology but the economy is expanding so fast that the gap should be filled through numerous IT training courses available in the market, both in-class and online.

The emergence of reliable online technologies and means of communication helped Indian companies in entering the global market for IT training services. A combination of high quality, skilled IT trainers, and lower costs positioned India-based providers of IT training services on the top of the list of the most demanded service providers worldwide. A good number of American corporations also entrusted Indian suppliers of training services to train their employees online, giving a further boost to this IT service market segment.

India wisely invests in knowledge-based economy while the country is able to provide advanced services at affordable price due to the relatively low payroll costs, even in a field like information technology, where the wages are considered to be higher than the average.

Although the local market is still underdeveloped, thus offering good growth opportunities, a fair number of India's IT training companies specialize in outsourced services, looking for customers abroad rather than relying on the local market to expand their business. Those are usually enterprises based in the leading metropolitan areas where high-educated people tend to reside and where access to the required infrastructure is easier.

In spite of its current size and rapid pace of growth, the IT training in India still bears huge growth potential for both locally-focused and companies looking for international business.

Types of Software Covered by Courses Included in IT Training

Corporate training often includes courses in IT training, with many organizations providing technology training courses designed for both beginners and advanced users. Usually, enterprises utilize office software suits that are relatively easy to use and most users are familiar with their basic functionality because similar software applications are also used by most home users. Nevertheless, corporations cannot rely only on office software suits, with most medium and large-sized enterprises using some kind of customer relationship management (CRM) systems, enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms, billing and accounting software applications, and various other types of business applications. Thus, corporate training should also include IT training, covering the basics of advanced software solutions used within an enterprise and technology training courses are rapidly gaining popularity.

Modern-day operating systems like Microsoft’s Windows, Apple’s MacOS, and Linux use graphic interface that is easy to use and understanding basic functionality of an operating system is easy these days. However, advanced corporate users are sometimes required to get familiarized with advanced functionality of operating systems to be able to operate with functions like access control, advanced networking, etc. Usually, technology training courses start with an introductory lesson on operating systems, and then cover application software, including widespread business software solutions like CRM and ERP systems.

Day-to-day activities of a typical corporate user would not require knowledge of programming languages, although many enterprises still use spreadsheet solutions where familiarity with the basics of programming is advantageous for creation of various macros and other automated tasks and procedures. Corporate training rarely includes courses in programming languages; but many companies organize courses in programming languages in the framework of broader IT training aimed at business users.

Business software solutions cover all kinds of business activities and industries, thus business applications include virtually all software used by enterprises in their day-to-day operations. Some authors include web browsers on the list of business software; although many IT experts would disagree unless a corporation is using web-based software in its business activities. Very often, corporations deal with huge volumes of data collected into databases, therefore many enterprises have to train their employees how to operate with these databases and benefit from analytical tools incorporated in database management software. Decision making software of all types also deal with huge databases, while a good number of training courses covering the basics of CRM and ERP also cover basic database functionality.

Many enterprises have to organize IT training for their employees when implementation of new business software takes place within an organization. While ready to use solutions require little or no training, complex business systems like CRMs and ERPs usually involve extensive training for company’s personnel to familiarize themselves with advanced functionality of such software. Therefore, virtually all reputable software vendors offer technology training courses as part of the implementation process of ERP and CRM software solutions.

Companies use similar software to deal with similar business procedures like billing and accounting, marketing and sales, customer and technical support, etc. On the other hand, most enterprises apply customized business procedures and accepted business processes might differ from best industry practices. Thus, corporate training may involve technology training courses that cover particular aspects of a customized software solution that is used within an industry or custom-made modules that are designed to be used only within the particular enterprise.

In fact, IT training organized in the form of in-house corporate training may cover all and every software application or operating system because contemporary enterprises use a wide range of software solutions that are highly configurable or customizable.