Overview of the Domestic ePublishing Industry in India
The Indian ePublishing industry is at the threshold of major gains once it matures enough to cross over the tipping point. At present however, the industry is striving hard to drive home the advantages of ePublishing over conventional print medium. The Indian market has more than 17,000 publishing houses generating content in more than 29 regional languages out of which it is estimated that there are 65 million readers for English language books.
Also, according to a UNICEF report, adult literacy rates stand higher at 66% for both males and females across age 15 years and above for the period 2003 – 2008, signifies an increase in the number of readers, which is good for the industry.
Significant Factors Which Govern the ePublishing Industry in India
Keeping this in mind, there are certain factors enumerated below, which are playing a critical role in shaping the outcome.
Penetration of Personal Computers
Computer usage has leapfrogged since the last 4 to 5 years. Estimates by Forrester suggest that there will be almost 157 million PC users by 2015. The increase in numbers will embody within itself greater acceptance of digital information, which in turn will increase internet usage, thereby providing bigger opportunities for ePublishers.
Internet Usage
Internet usage has definitely grown over the years, but is characterized by higher degree of corporate usage, followed by usage at internet cafes and home users in the lowest rung. The depth and reach is still low with constraints such as lower bandwidths resulting in slower downloads. There were 33.2 million users in 2007 which is slated to go up to more than 70 million by 2011 as per eMarketer, an online analyst firm. Licensed internet security software bundled with a broadband connection at slightly lower rates may probably help in putting aside fears related to financial information of the user being stolen when it comes to ecommerce and online shopping transactions.
Mobile Usage
Mobile usage has witnessed exponential growth over the years. As per the Cellular Operators Association of India’s January 2010 figures, there are at present a total of 395.3 million users across all circles and with the Government releasing additional spectrum and with the initiation of a 3G network, the market is poised to go up further. Availability of low priced handsets alongside PDAs and Smart Phones and internet access over these handheld devices opens up an entirely new dimension for eMarketing/Mobile Marketing.
Increase in Usage of Computer Aided Design
Computer Aided Designing has been embraced by academic institutions in India for the development of eCourseware and eManuals. This synergy between publishing and 3D has resulted in 20 million CAD users worldwide, with 37% working in 3D. EON Reality News published its 2008 CAD Report estimating that end users may touch 100 to 200 millions in the next 4 to 5 years.
Other attributes which can play a pivotal role in molding the industry and bring it to the fast track are decisive governmental efforts through definitive policy decisions, extensive industry interface and handholding, the extent to which educational institutions adopt ePublished materials and a sea change in the way the student fraternity perceive the advantages of eBooks and ePublishing.
According to the National Readership survey in 2005, the amount of time an average Indian spends per day on reading has gone up from 30 to 39 in the last three years and from 32 to 42 minutes in urban India. This should be music to the ears for the publishing industry, which will ultimately benefit both publishing platforms – the print platform and the electronic platform.
To download the complete report on “ePublishing & eBooks – An Indian Perspective”, please visit: http://www.india-reports.com/summary/Publish.aspx
