'We Had No Idea We Would Grow So Big'

l Initially,

everyone had doubts…



We started at a time when not much was known about the industry. American

Express did have a some customer support operations, it was at a much smaller

level. There were doubts about connectivity, reliability and other such issues.

Can we rely on the satellite links? Will people work night shifts? A number of

such questions arose.

l We had to

build trust…



We had no set business models to follow and no prior experience. All we had

was an idea, but we had to prove ourselves. Not just our customers in the US,

even my bosses were very skeptical. We had to bring people here and convince

them that we could manage and run this operation smoothly. In areas like

infrastructure where we knew India was weak, we made sure we had triple

back-ups. It added to our costs, but was critical. We could not afford to let

our systems go down. We also made sure that the work we picked up in the early

stage was stuff we knew we could do very well.

Pramod Bhasin, President, GE Capital  (Asian operation) We are in the early stages. India should occupy 10-20% of the world’s total $300-bn market. We make up less than 1%. We have a long way to go

l India’s

intellectual capital…



The quality of work done by graduates in India is very good. Similarly, when

we go into more complex things like accounting, analytics, the caliber is high.

Many people here are familiar with the US’ work style having worked there

before.

l Branding for

India Inc…



We changed the global perception of India. We are one of the largest English

speaking countries of the world. Every year we produce millions of qualified

people, from plain graduates to PhDs. We had to break many myths about old

India, from a ‘low-wage’ to a ‘high-intellectual’ country. We had to

convince them that these people are smart and that they will learn quickly.

l How the

industry has evolved…



Today you see more capital available in the market; there are more people

interested. The number of players in the market is rising and so is the number

of potential employees. Increased competition should keep us on our toes.

l The fallout

of rapid growth…



It is good that top multinational banks and IT companies are entering the

market. However, the proliferation of other players in the industry could even

spoil the market if they don’t deliver the service quality or have enough back

up plans. I am very worried about the damage to India’s reputation because of

quality problems. When I came here in ’93 everybody wanted to start a finance

company. Today, it is call centers. You don’t start call centers because you

have real estate!

l We could do

better…



When customers come here to outsource critical process to a third party,

they need to see that the third party is well capitalized, has a good management

team and backup plans. If clients deal with small companies, which cannot

showcase these qualities, they will have doubts. I think Indian companies have

not invested enough at the front-end marketing resources. They will need to do

that to generate business.

l The

challenges…



I don’t see major impediments other than infrastructure and law and order.

People need to feel safe while commuting. We transport hundreds of people daily

especially after dark. I need to be sure that the police is responsive, fire

brigades are responsive, ambulances work. And as far as I can see, that

infrastructure is falling apart.

We are at the early stages. India should occupy 10-20% of the world’s $300

bn market. Today we make up less than 1%.We have a long way to go.

l ITeS is not

just about call centers…



The ITeS industry is huge. I don’t know why everybody is running only into

call centers. For instance, call centers constitute only 40-45% of GE’s

business. There are lots of other areas, which are very lucrative. We could

offer so many services… underwriting, mortgage, engineering design, healthcare

services. But everybody seems stuck on call centers alone.

l India needs

to focus on…



…developing a brand for the country, improving skills and front-end

selling. There is enormous growth potential, but you need good investment. The

market could be US, UK, Germany, Japan...

l We need to

learn from China…



The commitment and determination of the government as well as people and the

investment made is phenomenal. So, will China be a threat? Yes, absolutely! When

the Chinese say single-window clearance, they ‘mean’ single-window

clearance. It means that I do not have to run for clearance to 20 other levels

and ministries that are fighting with each other.

l Looking back…



We started our first call center in this office, with 25 people sitting in a

little booth. At that time we could never imagine we would grow so big within

five years. We have been able to create employment for so many people. Not just

for the people who work here, but also for the infrastructure companies who

support us. We are very fortunate to have been part of something like this.

Shweta Verma