Foreign firms eyeing Indian pie

BANGALORE: While the number of students heading to the United States of America (USA) for higher education are increasing, foreign firms offering technological solutions to educational institutions are finding space in Indian market for a share in the $7 billion global industry. Experts opine technological requirements of universities are strengthening this trend in the country. According to experts, more than 75 per cent of all the US universities boast about professional enterprise resource planning solutions, but in India,  more than 95 per cent of universities are yet to bring in the same expertise.Tim Loomer, Chief Executive Officer of US-based Campus Management, says, India is a huge market, adding that the current technology is not able work with full potential, making way for international excellence.The solutions would include technology to bring in more transparency, improve interactive standards between students and faculty, centralised views on academics and set governance standards, among others. “The price range for the same campus solutions in India and the US varies,” Rajendra Mrithyunjaya, MD of Talisma for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Europe states. He says the solution ranges are between $150,000  and nearly $1 million in India. The average solution cost in the US is around $1.2 million. The company has recently signed agreements with five universities which include Manipal University and Bangalore University among others. “We hope to sign with another six universities by the end of the year,” Rajendra adds. For now, the competition space remains open in the $200 million sector of educational solutions, as no global player has completely established in the market.