Google launched a program to train 2 million developers in India for its Android platform as its fires up a race with Apple Inc. for the country’s developers to create innovative mobile apps.

The Android Skilling program will be introduced for free across hundreds of public and private universities and training schools through a specially designed, in-person program this year. The program would also be available through the government’s National Skills Development Corporation of India, the company said in a statement.

India is expected to have the largest developer population with 4 million people by 2018, overtaking the U.S., but only a quarter are building for mobile, said Caesar Sengupta, vice president of product management at Google.

“We believe India is uniquely placed to innovate and shape the internet experience of billions of users who are and will come online on the mobile platform,” he said in the statement.

Google plans to make the curriculum accessible to millions for free to help make India a global leader in mobile development.

Eoin Treacy's view

Silicon Valley technology companies have been vocal in their desire to see more people take up coding as a profession and most particularly with a focus on their own operating systems. Google’s decision to facilitate more people learning how to code apps in Android is a direct attempt to challenge Apple’s dominance of the App market. Considering how much each of us use apps on a daily basis, and the insights they offer into the various facets of our lives, growth among operating system developers like Google, Apple and Microsoft is likely predicated on continued dominance of their niche within the wider technology sector and the high barrier to entry it offers.   

Google/Alphabet failed to sustain the break below $700 and the 200-day MA two weeks ago and a sustained move back below that level would be required to question medium-term scope for additional upside. 

Apple continues to range above the $90 area but a sustained move above $105 would be required to signal a return to demand dominance beyond short–term steadying. 

Microsoft has been consolidating in the region of the 2000 peak since late last year but bounced two weeks ago from the region of the January low to sustain the medium-term uptrend. A sustained move below the $47 area would be required to question that view.