 The software and services industry continues to be a dominating factor in the overall growth of the Indian industry. The Business Process Outsourcing (ITES-BPO) sector has emerged as a key driver of growth in this industry, with a projected growth rate of 30-32% in FY 2005-06, clocking revenues of USD 22.5 billion (Source- NASSCOM). The India based BPO’s have captured 44% of total worldwide outsourcing and yet leave room for tremendous growth potential. So, it is not surprising if the BPO industry has been in news off late very frequently in India. News from across the globe like the US legislations on outsourcing or reports of China emerging as a competitor to India due to its fast-growing economy cause a furor in India. Yet, BPO is perceived to be a bad word as far as the common man is concerned. There is apprehension in the minds of people to take up a full time career in BPO industry. Hence, it was an appropriate occasion when Mr.Narasimham, VP HR of Hewlett Packard addressed a large gathering of management students of the Amrita School of Business to share his views about this growing industry. He heads one of the business units of HP, the Global Solutions Centre that is HP’s largest operational contact centre in the world. Being right at the centre of action in HP’s contact centre in Bangalore, Mr.Narasimham covered a wide range of issues surrounding the BPO industry and helped in clearing some of the misconceptions regarding BPO as a career for students.
Let us briefly go through the common anxieties associated with a call centre job. Some of them include, “It is too high stress”, “ Why would an educated engineer/graduate work in a night shift?”, “ Why would a cultured girl from a decent family work in a call centre?” etc. The engineers especially treat a call centre job as a stopgap solution before they can move on to something permanent in a software industry. One major reason for all these doubts could be the uncertainty regarding the future of this industry. Will this booming industry still exist after another 8 years or will the bubble burst as in the case of software industry? But it is important to note that the software industry is still on a boom after a brief slowdown.
It is a fact that call centers have existed for almost 36 years and the industry is as strong as any manufacturing industry. As in the case of Indian software industry, the BPO industry too will continue to exist but probably would not remain in the same shape as it is today. It would have definitely evolved in terms of size, processes, people, revenue etc. Presently, this sector is the largest employment creator in the world and as per NASSCOM figures the Indian ITES-BPO industry is growing at over 50% per year contributing to almost 10% of total jobs in the country. So, we can be rest assured that this industry is here to stay for a long time.
 Before we move on to other important issues, let us first be clear about the services that are provided by a BPO/ITES industry. It ranges from transcription services, customer care services, that require low skill and low domain knowledge, to help desk centers dealing in credit approvals and balance sheets preparation that require high skill and high domain knowledge. Hence, it is a misunderstanding that even a non-graduate is adequate for a call centre job. In fact, some processes require only engineer MBA’s who are responsible for managing the transition of a project from the host country to the destination country. There are various career options for a person interested in this field like quality, people management, operation, finance, transitions etc and the onus is on the person to choose his/her area of interest and articulate it to the interviewer. An important aspect of the training program in a call center is that it stresses on providing multiple skills to the employee. Hence it is a wrong notion that there are neither career options nor growth in a BPO industry. It is not all fun on the floor too. The industry is highly technology, process and performance driven so as to achieve a high level of customer satisfaction, which is imperative for its success.
This talk provided a quick insight into the world of BPO-ITES industry and its relevance for an MBA student. Moreover, the students were advised to keep an eye on this particular industry, for the various mergers and acquisitions taking place here as they have implications on businesses as a whole.
Contributed by
Anitha V, MBA 2nd Year |
