NEW DELHI, INDIA: Despite the current global economic downturn which is having a ripple effect on Indian economy with companies announcing slowdown in hiring, salary cuts and regular news of mass layoffs, remarkably there is one corner of the business which has seen exponential growth and is increasingly becoming a choice for Indian small and medium business (SMBs) and skilled professionals as a steady mode of revenue and earning.

LimeExchange, the online services marketplace from Lime Labs LLC U.S., has seen a recent upsurge in its business with more than $1 million worth of outsourcing opportunities getting posted in the last three months. Business is coming primarily from U.S., Canada, Australia, Europe and even India with buyers looking for SMBs and freelancers to help them complete their urgent business requirements.

Though LimeExchange owing to its global focus has sharply increased its user base by 300 percent in the last quarter and has expanded its reach to across 167 countries, India is still the top performer in terms of receiving these global opportunities with over 30 percent coming to Indian SMBs and Freelancers

LimeExchange SMB service providers like ‘Global Solutions’ (Bangalore), ‘Avani Software’, ‘Technovate Solutions’ (Ahmedabad) and Individual freelancers across India are now benefiting further by receiving repeat business opportunities from happy global clients.

Commenting on the sharp increase in user base, Pawan Agarwal, Head, India operations said, “Traditionally, unlike U.S., India has been late in adopting the idea of freelancing or online outsourcing as a primary business avenue, but with the recent economy changes SMBs and professionals have started realizing the potential of this model as a steady source of business”. 

“It is too early to comment on whether outsourcing has taken a hit in current global economic scenario, our trends suggest that outsourcing is rather growing, since entrepreneurs and SMBs are now looking to control and optimize their costs even further. In the current circumstances, LimeExchange on one hand becomes an effective channel for entrepreneurs and SMBs looking for quick and quality options for execution at optimal costs from global providers, while on the other LimeExchange becomes a steady revenue earning channel for SMBs vying for available outsourcing opportunities in the online services market,” said Sorabh Jerath, VP - sales & marketing, LimeExchange.