Outsourcing to India has become almost a catchphrase, something people assume is happening en masse and affecting business in the US in dramatic ways. It’s true that many US companies outsource to India as a means of cutting costs and trimming their workforce, but why is India the place to be for business outsourcing?
Well, India has several built-in advantages for those looking to outsource work, especially in the areas of programming, customer service, and other technical and communications functions. India is especially known for its mass call centers, where trained representatives handle calls from US customers, often using “Americanized” names instead of their own. The time difference between India and the US means that many of these call center representatives are working in the middle of the night, but an entire industry in India has grown up around this fact, as many call centers are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. one week to meet customer needs.
The Indian government has done a lot to encourage and develop the outsourcing business in India; even allowing full foreign ownership of BPO businesses as a means to maximize local employment, which is evident especially in the IT area. The country also has an excellent telecommunication infrastructure that allows companies to compete with fewer communication and technology problems, although it is true that the delay in calls from India to the US is sometimes a factor that can frustrate efforts. Customer service.
People in India also tend to have very good English skills, giving them an advantage for outsourcing compared to countries like China where the workforce may not be as well versed in English. India has made great strides in public education over the past two decades, increasing primary school attendance rates and expanding literacy to approximately two-thirds of the population. They also have an excellent university system that produces many highly skilled workers and technical experts. Given the country’s large population, this provides a huge potential workforce for foreign companies looking for an educated and skilled workforce.
Outsourcing to India is a popular option for US businesses as immediate cost savings can be realized by bringing on a trained team with proven skills. The best advice is usually to go with a large outsourcing company that can illustrate the background and work history of each individual employee and make this information readily available to prospective clients.