CIOL: How much of IT work is outsourced in your organization? 
KM: Very little is outsourced. Desktop and hardware support is one area where we work with vendors.
 
CIOL: Would you still go ahead with the outsourcing works during these hard times?
KM: We would still continue our current practices as what is outsourced is not core to Syntel's portfolio of services. We access these services in an efficient and cost effective manner already from vendors and the overall spend on outsourced services is very low. We are fiscally very responsible in our day-to-day running of the company whether there is recession or not.
 
CIOL: What steps do you see companies taking to help during this crisis?
KM: The sales cycles would also have definitely increased as the survivors prepare for recessionary times and look to get "more bank for the buck." Also I would expect that discretionary spending would give way to cost saving projects in this environment. 

On the positive side, the need to save more cost and harness more efficiencies would actually push more of the uninitiated to experience offshore IT and KPO services and this is a big opportunity for firms that are flexible, nimble and responsive. Clients will need to have their hands held while they go thru this process and the Tier 2 firms have the biggest opportunity. Firms like Lehman now have been absorbed into three other firms and there is now the opportunity to pursue three clients against one earlier.