Success of India’s Web Development Industry: a Paradox

When the Web was in the early stages of development, no one could foresee that one day India would become the indisputable leader in web design and development related services. Like many paradoxes affecting India, its success in web development outsourcing is equally baffling. This is despite one of the lowest figures of per head computer usage in India, even lesser than the comparable Asian economies.

India is a country of great inconsistencies. One is the urban India where one can find cities with all the marks of modernity such as neon-lit streets, latest cars, swanky malls and air-conditioned offices, etc. The other is the rural India where the majority of people live without even the basic amenities.

With just about 5% of India’s huge population having access to computers and the Internet, it would be indeed surprising to know how India achieved the top position in web development industry and IT services. Let us examine the six Es that have contributed to the success of Indian companies in this arena.

• Enterprise: the post 1990s globalization and the free enterprise policies adopted by the government of India have given a lift to entrepreneurs, who have invested heavily in IT services such as BPO, KPO and web development.
• Economics: Indian website design and development service providers offer the best service at cheapest rates, which create a win-win situation for business people on either side.
• Expertise: the efficiency of Indian web service providers is known the world over for excellent work and timely project execution.
• Education: there have been large private and public investments in IT education, which churn out a large pool of educated people, ready with essential skills in web technology.
• Employment: the concentration of IT centers in main cities of India readily absorbs the large pool of educated and employable workforce.
• English fluency: outside the USA and Europe, India has the largest pool of people fluent in English, the language of the Web. English is often the preferred medium of instruction in educational institutions and Indian students score over other countries in English fluency. They are able to do jobs in workable and business English, if not of high literary standard.