Mumbai Suburbs
2005


Transfer Guide Call Centers in India
Call centers are a phenomenon that has taken over the
young crowd of metros in India by a storm. Its
implications are social, cultural and economic. It is a
new society of the young, rich and free, selling the new
dream of an independent life to the regular desi.
With a bang in telecommunications and the boundaries of
countries fast disappearing because of the Internet, the
world is shrinking into smaller and smaller dimensions.
It is getting slighter by the day and faster by the
hour. Whether it is culture, arts or economy, you are no
more in your own national space. The world has
telescoped into one big melting pot of ideas. In this
shrinking economy, India has made its presence felt in
many fields. And the Call Center industry is one of
them.

India shining!

What started as a niche service provision has evolved
into a whole new industry in itself. Call centers are
organizations in countries where an offshore company
services American customers for American clients.
Although the business did start off with America, it is
no more restricted to the United States only. Countries
like Australia, Canada and The United kingdom have also
started outsourcing their work to India. The work that
is outsourced is from various industries like credit
cards, healthcare products, personal care products and
education.

Because of its vast English speaking population, India
has become an ideal candidate for outsourcing US
workload through business process outsourcing. English
is a popular and well spoken language here. Indians
learn English as their second language and are familiar
with it. But speaking the global language is not the
sole reason for this choice.

The fact that Indian labor is relatively cheaper than
American, was also a valid argument for those in favor
of outsourcing. Indian labor cost is almost one tenth as
compared to American when it comes to the call center
industry in particular. That stems from the facts that
Indian standards of living are lower than Americans and
that Indian pay structures vary greatly from their
American counterparts. So America saves costs and
benefits from the same by outsourcing its work to India.

BPO and Outsourcing Jobs - A win-win situation
Reiterating the economists and the sociologists, the
cheap labor in India owes its origin to the high rate of
unemployment here. Hundreds of thousands of graduates
are jobless and desperate for work in India. With higher
studies only an option for the affluent, professionals
too are facing increasing difficulties in recruitment.
And as far as skilled labor is concerned, it is limited
to few technical branches of work. Here is where the
call center industry fills the gaps.

Call center units are not very demanding as far as
qualifications and prerequisites are concerned. Most
call center jobs require a basic understanding of
computers and a good grasp over English. And the urban
youth of India are computer literate graduates with a
command over English language. This is the ideal
unskilled labor that the call center industry is looking
for.

Call center executives only need to be trained in soft
skills that include voice neutralization and accent
training. This helps to give them an accent more
familiar with the people they are going to be talking
to. For Indians, this is a smooth transition. Ours is
not a country that has evaded the influence of the West
and Americanism has seeped into our daily lives like ink
on blotting paper. Thank you channel [V].

Day in Mumbai and night in Manhattan- Call Center Jobs
Another vital factor that played a role in getting India
on America's most wanted list for offshore outsource
locations was the convenient time zone difference that
naturally exists between the two countries. Indian and
American skies play hide and seek with the sun and
stars, so that when it is day in India, it is night in
America and whilst we cozy up to slumber, they rise and
shine. This time difference has been cleverly made use
of by the call center industry. And in more ways than
one.

The time difference between India and America is such
that the diametrically opposite days and nights can be
easily manipulated to combat the difference. So Indian
call centers work in the night, at par with their
American counterparts. To address the time difference
between the two countries, the offshore company has to
work at hours suitable to its clients. Hence, most
Indian call centers servicing American customers have
timings ranging from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 a.m. Indian time.
A regular day in the life of a call center executive
starts in the night and ends early morning.

This time difference does not benefit the Americans
alone. It is a boon to India too. Not only does the time
difference allow Indian companies to service American
clients by working in the nights, it also allows for
better utilization of their resources. All the resources
that companies use to service American clients in the
night are used by them to service other clients in India
and abroad in the day. This sharing of resources saves
costs and also earns call centers better revenues.

The winds of change are blowing offshore
Socially it has altered the way Indians have lived for
years. With its operations mainly during the night, the
call centers offer an opportunity for the young to live
a perpetual nocturnal life, a saleable idea to the
youth. The fascination of the dark and the forbidden, is
tremendous for the Indian youth, recently unleashed from
the chains of tradition and culture. Because of this
fascination, the industry has developed an air of
revolution about itself. Not only is it cool to work for
call centers, it is radical and revolutionary.

Just like the bikers subculture of the 60s and the
flower children of the 70s, these call centerites also
have their own lingo and a unique style of existence.
Most of them are happy in a well paying monotonous job,
reaping the benefits of technology, enjoying a life away
from rush hour traffic and local trains. The moolah is
good, the work is easy and life is comfortable.

In a world that is increasingly getting glamorized,
doesn't the call center industry present a tempting
offer? It does. The young are becoming independent,
economically and socially. Where will the call center
industry stand tomorrow, is unpredictable…Some say in a
service based economy, call centers are here to stay.
Others speculate it might go the dotcom way.

Whatever its future, the call center industry has taught
Indians a lot about Americans and Americanization,
opening now not only their wallets to us but also their
minds and offering a peek into their lives. It has shown
Indians the hidden west and unleashed all its secrets.
How far are these call centers involved in influencing a
young generation into a westernized life is debatable,
but it does open channels for discussion.