BANGALORE, INDIA: According to a recent survey, it is predicted that rural mobile subscribers will grow at a CAGR of 85 percent during 2007-2011, as against the urban subscriber base, which is expected to grow at just 24 percent during the same period.

Debasis Chatterjee, director-operations, Netxcell, says: “India has 26 languages and 1,642 dialects. Here language is not a barrier. On the flip side, this diversity is a huge potential market for MVAS, which has been untapped for various reasons.”

Abhay Singhal, co-founder and head, global ad sales, mKhoj, says: “mKhoj’s statistics reveal that large consumption of mobile advertising happens in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities with rural belt also contributing its bit. We would want to conclude that limited access to PC might be the reason for such a consumption pattern,” Abhay Singhal added.

Pankaj Sethi, president- corporate services- VAS, TTSL, says: “The issue of language is applicable to all markets, not just rural.”

So the way out is, Shivkumar Jagannath, CTO, Verity Technology, says: “Connect to the Internet through mobile. We believe mobile will be the mode of connectivity for rural masses, where we don’t see literacy leave alone English.

Debraj Tripathy, CEO, OnMobile, says: “m-Commerce has a huge potential market in rural sector. Applications and services that revolve around micro-payments, micro-finance, commodity prices, rural health, education, learn English and m-governance are some of the domains that we are currently engaged in.”

“Educated masses in rural belt would rather carry a mobile than buy a computer. This gives mobile advertising the exclusive reach to rural belt. Brands that have rural consumers as target audience have now come to the conclusion that mobile would be the best form of advertisement. Providing a flexible business model for such brands is mKhoj’s strategy to tap the rural market,” Singhal adds.

“Mobile is evolving as the 7th mass media (after print, recording, radio, television, Internet). Unlike the others, mobile is interactive and is one device that is there with us for 24 hours,” Debasis Chatterjee adds.

TTSL already provides news and applications in 11 languages on common CDMA mobile phones. TTSL also has a vibrant IVR service in languages.

Debraj Tripathy, CEO, OnMobile, says: “OnMobile already provides VAS services in 10 Indian languages and more languages are being planned. OnMobile is also only company to offer regional language WAP, SMS and USSD application services, which are usable and relevant to the rural market.”

Netxcell has launched ‘MobiMe’ service two months ago to cater to its rural lot. Moreover, it has joined hands with Star TV in Bengal and with Virgin Mobiles to provide services in Hindi.

Others have also started recognising this potential. Nokia has entered into an agreement with Malayala Manorama, a Malayalam daily, for a mobile based vernacular news portal and Airtel has launched VAS portal for Kannada with ringtone, song downloads, and dedications.