NEW DELHI: Country's booming mobile phone industry in India will require about 20 million application developers by 2020, according to Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) President Subho Ray.

"At present there are between 50-70 thousand professional mobile app developers in India. This number is absolutely insufficient. By 2020 we will have over billion phones connected on internet. My estimate is that we will need 20 million app developers at that time," Ray said at IAMAI-ICRIER report release.

He said that 20 million is a rough estimate and IAMAI is refining the number which will be released soon.

The report 'An Inquiry Into The Impact Of India's App Economy' released today estimates direct employment in app industry to range between 1,51,230 and 1,59,010 by 2016 that account for 75,000 jobs in India at present. The study estimated mobile app industry in the country to be around Rs 1,964 crore in 2016.

Accordingly, the report estimated the increase in direct employment attributable to India's App economy is to be range between 76,230 and 84,010 jobs from 2014 to 2016.

"Mobile apps are growing with increase in mobile internet. At present ratio between voice usage and data is estimated to be 80:20 but we will soon see usage of data to go 80 and voice 20 on mobile. We will get there but how soon is only the matter of debate," Nasscom President R Chandrasekhar said.

Ray said Nasscom is running start-up programme and if succeeds "we will have 10,000 start-ups which would boost the mobile app ecosystem and investments".

"App also causes income growth that has its own secondary impact on jobs. These indirect and induced effects could result in an increase in total employment by up to 8 times during the period 2014 to 2016. At its best, the App economy could generate over 6,00,000 jobs," ICRIER Director & Chief Executive Rajat Kathuria said.

Read More:   Meet The World's 10 Most Influential Programmers