If you thought training modules by e-learning companies can only be delivered online, think again. Anil Chhikara, president, 24x7 Learning, an e-learning player, claims that the company has already started delivering its modules through podcasts and mobiles.

"The younger generation wants a more collaborative and interactive interface to learn, something they can carry in their iPods and mobiles," he says.

The growth in the e-training market is also pushing Muralidhar Rao, COO and president, NIS Sparta -- an Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group company -- to extend its training modules beyond desktops to mobiles and iPods.

"By the end of 2008, we will enable employees to use e-learning modules on various handheld devices and PDAs during their tedious commutes," says Rao.

Action in India's e-training market is also attracting global e-learning players. Crossknowledge, a Europe-based distance training solution player, has announced an exclusive tie-up with NIS Sparta to launch over 248 e-learning modules.

Crossknowledge boasts of over 1 million users and has tie-ups in 45 countries. "We have a network of 12,000 professionals across 65 countries, who meet regularly to exchange information about managerial issues," says Hervé Gouchaux, co-creator of Crossknowledge.

Back home, NIS Sparta's Rao says that corporate training via ipods and mobiles will help employees make good use of their commuting time. Companies, on the other hand, will get the best out of their investment in e-learning tools.

The content NIS Sparta will make available on the mobiles is designed as a follow-up to classroom teaching and will include text summaries.

These summaries will be simplified to facilitate easy navigation on the mobile phone keyboard. The quizzes will be restricted to short multiple-choice questions.