Introduction to BPOs in India

The BPO wave is sweeping India since the last 6 odd years. Things have changed, since the first BPO started its operation in India and the consequence is that today we have a whole new culture – nicknamed as the BPO culture.
Youth is no more as they were before, their choices have changed, preferences and fashion trends have changed. Logics and decisions have also been influenced to a great extent because education is no more a barrier to getting a job, and when I say a “Job”, I mean a handsomely paid job.
I still remember the days when I was at school and I could see my seniors planning their career. The options they had was very limited and preferences went as follows:
1. A government job which meant appearing for exams like UPSC, RRB and such other. Chances of getting selected were very grim because of the reservations and above all the selection procedures.
2. Do an MBBS, BE, CA or, ICWA or such other professional degrees which again has a very low pass % level.
That was it.
Graduates were not even considered for vacancies and where they were given a job, it meant working on an 8 – 8 shift and getting salaries like Rs.1500/- per month, as in my first job. Appraisals were a dream, because they happened only once in a year or, at times even once in 18 months.
Things have changed since and now graduates or, even undergraduates are in vogue. They are the ones who get a job easily and as for the kind of salaries they get; it may range anywhere from 8000/- per month to 12000/- per month. The best thing of all is that you could even get a pay-hike in just about 3 months. What more can you ask for?
Hail the Business Process Outsourcing industry!!!

A few statistics of importance could be as follows:
1. The total number of seats in Call centers across India is about 1, 58,000.
2. The total employees in major BPOs across India was about 63,400 (Source: Economic Times (August 2004)
3. Indian Market size estimates of BPO
o Nasscom has estimated that the Indian ITES industry will gross over $5.7 billion by 2005 (based on a conservative year-on-year growth of 65 percent by Nasscom).
o Nasscom-McKinsey: In 1999 they estimated by 2008 it will be $17 billion but it has been revised to $21-24 billion by 2008. Indian can capture 25% of global BPO offshore market and 12% of the market for other services such as animation, content development and design services.
o Gartner: $1 billion (2002), $1.2 billion (2003). $13.8 billion by 2007. Gartner does not incorporate animation, medical or other (legal) transcription services, GIS, market research, data search, research and development, network consultancy and other non-business processes in its estimates on the ITES market size and potential.

Year Indian BPO revenue
2002 912
2003 1205
2004 1961
2005 3928
2006 7412
2007 13811
Figures in $ million
Source: Gartner Dataquest (May 2003)

Wondering what all of this means to you?
In a simple understandable language all this means that the BPO industry is growing and it is growing big time. It is for you to decide what your part would be in it. You can earn more than any other industry in a BPO and the best part of it all is that you would be groomed and trained to become the leaders of tomorrow.
We would be discussing on lot of other aspects in due course of time.