Google plans to train 2 million Indian developers on Android

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In July 2016, Google announced its plan to train 2 million developers in India, aiming to boost mobile app development for the Android platform. This initiative is part of Google’s effort to compete with Apple for dominance in the Indian market, which is rapidly expanding in terms of mobile users and app developers.

The Android Skilling Program: A Focus on Developer Training

The Android Skilling program was designed to make Android app development accessible to a larger group of developers in India. It was made available for free and targeted public and private universities, as well as training centers across the country. Google planned to roll out this program by providing in-person training sessions to students, educators, and developers throughout the year.

The program’s reach extended beyond universities as well. Google partnered with India’s National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) to further extend its influence in the country. By offering free training, Google aimed to empower millions of developers, helping India become a global leader in mobile app development.

Why India?

India’s large and growing population of developers is a significant factor in Google’s decision to launch this training program. According to Caesar Sengupta, Google’s Vice President of Product Management, India was expected to have the largest developer population in the world by 2018, surpassing the United States. Despite this, only about a quarter of the developers in India were working on mobile apps at the time. Google recognized the opportunity to bridge this gap and focus on mobile app development, which is expected to dominate the internet landscape globally.

Sengupta emphasized that India, with its growing developer base and increasing mobile internet penetration, was uniquely positioned to drive innovation and shape the future of the mobile internet experience for billions of users worldwide. By offering Android training, Google hoped to tap into this vast potential and equip Indian developers with the skills needed to create impactful mobile apps.

Program Goals: Reaching Millions of Students and Educators

Google’s goal was ambitious but clear. It sought to reach approximately 2,000 universities in India and train around 4,000 faculty members to help expand the program’s reach. In turn, these faculty members were expected to provide training to over 250,000 students annually. This massive effort was designed to create a robust pipeline of developers capable of building innovative Android apps. By equipping thousands of educators and students with the skills needed to succeed in the mobile app industry, Google aimed to make a lasting impact on India’s developer ecosystem.

Peter Lubbers, Google’s head of developer training, outlined this goal in a statement during a visit to New Delhi, underscoring the program’s capacity to scale. The number of developers trained through this program was expected to increase every year, ultimately transforming India into a hub for mobile app development.

Google vs. Apple: The Race for Indian Developers

While Google’s program was set to be one of the largest initiatives of its kind, Apple had also been investing in India’s developer ecosystem. In May 2016, Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, visited India and announced the opening of a development accelerator in Bangalore. The new facility would provide developers with the tools and resources to create innovative iOS apps for a global audience. Apple’s move was seen as an attempt to engage with India’s developer community and nurture local talent to build iOS apps.

The competition between Google and Apple for Indian developers became a focal point of interest in the country’s tech industry. Both companies recognized the vast potential of India’s market and were making significant efforts to capture the attention of developers. Ankit Jain, the Assistant Vice President of Product at SimilarWeb, a mobile app market analytics provider, commented on the situation, stating that by “fighting for these developers,” both Google and Apple were showing how seriously they viewed the Indian market. The efforts of both tech giants highlighted the importance of India’s developer community and its potential to shape the global app ecosystem.

India’s Role in the Global App Development Landscape

India’s developer population was expected to grow rapidly, and with it, the potential for mobile app innovation. As smartphones became more accessible and mobile internet usage soared in India, the demand for mobile apps surged. By training developers on Android, Google sought to play a key role in this transformation, ensuring that Indian developers had the skills to meet this growing demand.

Google’s investment in India’s developer community also aligned with the company’s broader vision of connecting billions of people to the internet through mobile devices. As mobile-first markets like India continued to expand, the need for innovative mobile apps would increase. India, with its large pool of developers, was seen as a crucial part of the solution.

Moreover, the Android platform, being open-source and widely used, provided Indian developers with the opportunity to create apps for a global audience. Google’s training program not only focused on technical skills but also aimed to help developers understand the global market dynamics and the importance of building scalable, user-friendly apps.

The Future of Mobile App Development in India

The Android Skilling program was just one part of Google’s broader strategy to shape the future of mobile app development in India. By 2018, India was expected to surpass the United States in terms of the number of developers, and Google was positioning itself as a leader in nurturing this talent. With the Android platform’s widespread adoption, the training initiative was poised to have a significant impact on the country’s tech ecosystem.

As more developers became skilled in Android app development, the quality and quantity of mobile apps produced in India were expected to rise. These developers could create apps that would cater to not only Indian users but also global markets. Google’s efforts, combined with the competition from Apple, ensured that India would remain a key player in the global app development landscape.

Conclusion: Google’s Long-Term Investment in India’s Developer Ecosystem

Google’s Android Skilling program represented a significant long-term investment in India’s developer ecosystem. By providing free training to millions of developers, Google aimed to create a pipeline of skilled professionals capable of developing mobile apps for the global market. This initiative was a clear demonstration of Google’s commitment to India’s future as a leader in mobile app development.

While Google’s training program was one of the largest of its kind, it was also part of a larger competition with Apple, which was also vying for the attention of Indian developers. Both companies recognized the importance of India’s growing developer base and the potential of the Indian market. By providing developers with the tools and resources to succeed, Google hoped to ensure that Indian developers would play a crucial role in shaping the future of mobile apps worldwide.

India’s role in the global app development ecosystem was only set to grow in the coming years. With the support of tech giants like Google and Apple, the country’s developers were well-positioned to innovate and contribute to the creation of the next generation of mobile apps. As a result, India’s significance in the global tech industry was poised to rise, cementing its place as a key player in the mobile app development space.

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Thao Nguyen

I am working as a Marketer at S3Corp. I am a fan of photography, technology, and design. I’m also interested in entrepreneurship and writing.