Vital Source Technologies, the digital textbook division of Ingram Content Group, has entered a joint venture with B.i. Publications Pvt. Ltd, to create Ingram B.i. Pvt, an e-textbook platform aimed at the Indian marketplace and powered by the VitalSource Bookshelf. Announced at the London Book Fair, the new venture is aimed at a fast-growing Indian educational marketplace expected to expand from 14 million students to more than 40 million students by 2020.
Shashank Bhagat, chairman of the Bi Group, said the joint venture will make the VitalSource BookShelf platform available at educational institutions all over India, offering sales, service and support for users and retailers. He said the market in India is “by far, the most exciting growth market for English language textbooks in the world," emphasizing that, “the market in India is ripe for media-rich interactive learning experiences.”
Designed specifically for the classroom, the VitalSource Bookshelf platform has content from more than 300 publishers and has more than 3 million registered members on 6,000 campuses around the world.
Ingram chairman and CEO John R. Ingram, said “Integrating technology into academic curricula is quickly becoming the new standard in education. Ingram-Bi is ready to help educators in India seamlessly incorporate more digital components and learning tools into their programs of study to enhance learning opportunities for all students.” Ingram reps have been talking to possible clients and could begin implementing VitalSource BookShelf this summer.
