Today outsourcing has evolved from the delegation of non-critical functions to a remote entity, to the forging of trusted off-shore partnerships with the aim of minimizing costs and optimizing the competencies of both enterprises and individuals. The cheap but highly skilled manpower in India coupled with a booming economy have made it one of the most popular destinations for outsourcing ventures. The latest addition to the catalogue of outsourced services is that of Online Tutoring. An exploration of the services and opportunities provided in the sector can prove to be beneficial for students, professionals/tutors and entrepreneurs alike. Understanding Online Tutoring Online tutoring refers to imparting education via the world wide web or internet. A simulation of a one-to-one teaching session in a virtual environment, it retains the advantages of interactivity, instant resolution of problems and face-to-face communication, while doing away with the headaches of traveling long distances, negotiating inflexible time schedules and a piling backlog of problems or queries. Here, the tutor-student transaction is cross-region, where a subject-expert with relevant training experience teaches his/her protégé in another region/country about the related subject via an online portal or website, chat room and message board, web-cam based lecture modules and emails. Thus, with just an internet connection and registration with a service provider, students can attain access to a wealth of knowledge and tutors to a diverse and widely based student community. Advantages of going in for Online Tutoring Classroom based teaching has been revolutionized by the anywhere, anytime logic of online tutoring. " Placing convenience at a premium, online study portals enable students to choose their own timings for the study sessions. " Delivered via the internet, the lectures and training programs can be accessed from the students' homes itself, thereby making the option of online studies both cost effective and time saving. Now, there is no need to board buses or brave the traffic since the students do not need to go anywhere else to study. " The interactive sessions combined with self-study modules provide a comprehensive understanding to students who can access multiple resources (tests, solved problems, strength and weakness analyses etc) from a single site. " Individualized learning is realized in the true sense as there is no competition for the tutor's time or attention. " Staggered or increasing difficulty levels for problems in some sites allow students to develop their expertise in a particular subject while keep track of their progress and/or areas needing improvement. The Business of Online Tutoring: The USA Chapter What began in the late 90s as a one-off venture has today grown into a multi-player services industry with an assured customer base comprising not just the 1.9 million plus population of K-12 school students in United States of America but those based overseas as well. Today, online tutoring accounts for an estimated 6 percent of the $ 2.2 billion tutoring market in the United States with a projected growth rate of 90 percent i.e. a cool $ 10 billion plus market within a decade. The cash inflow of the online tutoring industry is about $ 132 million whereas parents only spend between the highly affordable ranges of $40 to $100 per hour of online teaching. This proves both the popularity and effectiveness of online tutoring services. Also, student testimonials and the cash registers of companies based outside of the USA successfully dispel any reservations about clarity and quality of online tuitions and study sessions. The Indian Edition of Online Tutoring Unlike other countries, the workforce of skilled and experienced tutors in India is both diverse and numerous. Employing stringent selection procedures, implementing ISO certified training systems and quality programmes along with rigorous refresher courses for its team of tutors, the Online Tutoring industry in India has truly come of age. Affording it an emergent market leader's place is the success of a few Indian firms like: " Transtutors.com: The brainchild of alumni from India's prestigious institution the IIT-Delhi, transtutors.com caters to both industry demands for tutors as well as students' tutoring needs. A powerhouse team, comprising experienced and skilled individuals from the field of teaching has ensured that the company has overtaken competition in USA, UK and other parts of Europe as well. " Career Launcher: This Indian company has run successful pilot programs in USA which it plans to implement in the coming year. " Growing Stars: This Santa Clara based concern is an example of Indian expertise in on and off shore management of services. " Tutorvista: This Bangalore based company has a niche market in UK and plans to extend its services in other languages besides English. The business models employed by these companies are varied, comprising B2B as well as B2E systems. While some companies hire tutors and outsource their expertise, others host content and study sessions on their own websites and cater to their own, direct client base. Just as the users i.e. students have the option of studying from home and at flexible timings the teachers employed too have the option of working from home and at workable timings or shifts. This makes Online Tutoring viable both professionally and academically. The question now is to see who earmarks the lion's share in the American and Indian markets.