Date:18/07/2005 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/07/18/stories/2005071802150100.htm

Back BPO companies move into smaller towns — 'Investment proves a virtual goldmine'

Moumita Bakshi Chatterjee

About 40 per cent of the additional employment expected to be generated in the ITES sector in 2005-06 would be in places such as Visakhapatnam, Jaipur, Mangalore, Chandigarh, Kolkata and Pune.

New Delhi , July 17

FOR some, BPOs may have come to represent an industry that is grappling with stories of workplace scandals, white-collar crime, and social isolation.

But for thousands of graduates and undergraduates in smaller cities, BPOs today continue to raise hopes of enhanced career and employment prospects and provide them the first brush with world-class working environment.

For instance, three years ago, when her previous employers closed shop in Jaipur, Ms Abha Sharma shifted to Gurgaon to work as an agent for BPO company, Gecis (formerly GE Capital International Services). Six months later, she returned to Jaipur as Gecis became the first BPO company to enter the pink city.

According to Mr Sunil Mehta, Vice-President of Nasscom, about 40 per cent of the additional employment expected to be generated in the ITES sector in 2005-06 would be in places such as Visakhapatnam, Jaipur, Mangalore, Chandigarh, Kolkata and Pune, which were traditionally not associated with BPO.

"Since the opening of the centre here, there has been a marked difference in the lifestyle. The malls are fuller, and one can see a number of BPO employees at all hours. Besides, there are a lot more restaurants, and most people have access to ATMs. Even the entry-level employees go for the latest mobile handsets," says Ms Sharma of Gecis.

Employees of MphasiS' BPO Services — which opened a centre in Mangalore in April 2005 — feel that exposure to global best practices have made them more competitive and at par with peers in bigger cities. The opportunity to earn at an early age and support the family is another positive. Moreover, the low cost of living leaves a room for substantial savings.

"It has helped us to grow as an individual and a professional. World-class campus that provides facility of modern gyms and yoga classes has contributed immensely in improving the lifestyle. Opportunity to travel and interact with people from various countries and cultures has also helped in developing a broader outlook," feels an Mphasis BPO employee. The Mangalore centre employs about 150 professionals and the number is expected to go up significantly in the next quarter, says a company spokesperson.

In addition, BPOs have created ancillary employment opportunities in transportation and maintenance, says Mr Amit Kumar, another Gecis employee.

For the companies too, investing in smaller towns has proved to be virtual goldmine, given the talent pool, multiple service providers for telecom and bandwidth and strong education infrastructure, adds Mr Devashish Ghosh, Chief Operating Officer, Wipro BPO.

"Infrastructure sometimes, is an issue. But we have partnered with the Governments to overcome such problems and used our scale to build our own, at times," Mr Ashok Tyagi, Leader - Enabling Services, Gecis, points out.