BPO firms leave Indian soil

By siliconindia   |   Thursday, 24 July 2008, 01:21 IST
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New Delhi: Currently reeling under the pressure of being relocated to tier II locations, BPO employees in India are to take yet another jolt. BPO firms, who are known to be India's big job creators, are now shifting employees from this country to emerging outsourcing destinations like the Philippines, reported The Economic Times. However, there is hope for Indians as domestic BPOs and MNCs are relying on Indian talent for their Philippines operations. The major firms that are keen on shifting jobs from India include Genpact, Sitel, Intelenet, Citibank and Accenture. According to Raman Roy, MD, Quatrro BPO Solutions, "The Philippines has talent that is comparable or superior to their Indian counterparts at the associate level, but there is a void at the middle and the senior management level. It's largely Indian executives who fill up this void at Indian, local and captive BPO firms in the Philippines." A large English-speaking population, a slew of fiscal incentives and lower property rates are some of the factors that equip the Philippines to compete with India as an attractive outsourcing destination. Apart from the capital Manila, places like Cebu have also emerged as favourites for setting up call centers. "I have lost five managers in the last one year to BPO companies in the Philippines. The local firms offer superior compensation packages to executives who have work experience with Indian BPO firms," says the head of a BPO firm, requesting anonymity. According to Vibhav Dhawan, Managing Partner, Positive Moves Consulting, there is a significant movement of voice processes to emerging destinations like the Philippines and Eastern Europe. "Large MNCs, with presence in India, are expatriating a significant number of Indians to meet their talent needs in the short and long term in these new markets," he added.