K'taka to launch B-SAT this month

BANGALORE: After handling a dry run at the BPO pavilion at the recently concluded BangaloreIT.COM, Karnataka is all set to launch a state wide B-SAT (BPO Skills Assessment Test) late this month, starting with Mysore.

Speaking exclusively to CyberMedia News, Government of Karnataka, Department of IT and BT director, Jawaid Akhtar said, "We are happy with the pilot project at IT.Com and will be conducting our first functional B-SAT camp in Mysore this month."

The B-SAT program is expected to cover other cities in Karnataka like Hubli, Mangalore Dharwar, Belgaum, Hassan and Gulbarga. An initiative of the Board for IT Education Standards (BITES), ministry of IT, B-SAT checks candidate's skills in oral and written communication, listening comprehension, numerical aptitude, analytical and reasoning abilities.

At IT.COM 2004, two assessment companies - MeriTrac Services and Eduquity Career Technologies, handled the BPO career mart. MeriTrac director Madan Padaki said, "We tested around 500 students at IT.COM who paid a nominal fee to take the test of 90 minutes duration. We will get back to them and depending on their scores, tell them in which areas they would have to improve."

Neighboring states like Kerala and Andhra Pradesh have also embarked on a similar initiative. According to Akhtar, once the trainable pools of candidates are identified following the assessments, member companies associated with the program would provide inputs on training.

Padaki is confident that MeriTrac would be selected as an assessment partner for the B-SAT program for the state. "Since the talent pool in metros is shrinking, the government is keen on tapping the secondary cities in the state," he stated.

Karnataka's burgeoning Rs 2,237 crore BPO industry is looking at a demand of 17,000 to 20,000 new hires every year. The alarming attrition levels and Bangalore's inability to meet the demand for talent has led companies to look at second tier cities as an alternative option. Major BPO companies like Mphasis and First Indian Corporation have recently announced their expansion plans for Mangalore in Karnataka.