According to a report released by Wipro Technologies and the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), the mobile value added services market (MVAS) in India is expected to reach $9.5 billion by 2015.
The report titled, “Future Thought of Business (FTOB): MVAS”, estimates the Indian MVAS industry to be worth $4.9 billion in 2012. The report says that the MVAS market in the country is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 25 per cent between 2012 and 2015 to reach $9.5 billion in 2015. The increasing penetration of mobile devices and the growth in mobile network capacity are the key growth drivers for this space.
However, the country will witness a decline in basic informational mobile services. Further, the report predicts that going forward, domestic mobile operators would be focusing on providing better network and connectivity.
Meanwhile, the global operators in India could increase their subscriber numbers by testing new VAS offerings in the Indian market.
Content and VAS technology providers would focus on the consumer experience and on developing personalised content. The report states that original equipment manufacturers could innovate with lost-cost smartphones and mobile devices to drive penetration. The report points out that there is pent-up demand for applications in areas like M-education, M-entertainment, M-finance and M-health.
As per the report, in order to realise the full potential of the Indian MVAS market, the industry requires a collaborative effort across mobile network operators, telecom equipment vendors and mobile service content providers.
