“Our BPO industry, which started with a market value of 1.6 billion dollars, has grown to 14.7 billion dollars in ten years,” said Som Mittal, President, NASSCOM, at the inaugural session. This amounts to over 900 per cent growth.

However, there are many challenges too, he said. “Indian BPO is facing huge challenges in the areas of talent and infrastructure. Next growth area of development for the industry is small cities,” added Mittal.

NASSCOm expects that India's back-office outsourcing business will post a growth of 15-16 per cent in the year to March 2011 on growing demand from overseas clients.

“Despite all challenges like global economic recession, BPO industry grew 6 per cent globally last year, ” said, Vikram Talwar, Chairman, NASSCOM BPO Forum, who addressed the opening session.

BPOs shouldn't hire offenders, observed Talwar. “There are people with negative perception and bad opinion about the industry. They don't deserve a role in the industry. We are strictly against hiring them,” he added.

The event is expected to discuss opportunities as well as challenges in the industry. 

Do you think the emergence of other developing countries in the BPO market will be a challenge for India? And what according to you are the ways to address those challenges? Feel free to leave your comments in the box below.