| The BPO industry though originally conceptualized | | | | lower than the urban ones. This feature has been |
| around the modern cities are slowly but surely | | | | attributed to the fact that the people come from |
| making advances toward the villages. As rural call | | | | the same villages and show far greater |
| centers mushroom in parts of South India, we | | | | commitment towards the company. They seldom |
| take a look at what drives such an idea. Read this | | | | engage themselves in hopping form one job to |
| article to know how rural BPO has made its | | | | another. Thus a rural BPO enjoys the luxury of |
| footprint in Indian subcontinent. | | | | working with the same set of customer care |
| The limelight of the Indian BPO industry was | | | | professionals and this helps in better relation |
| hogged by major urban areas of Bangalore, | | | | between the management and the employees. |
| Mumbai, Chennai, NCR and Kolkata. The concept | | | | Earlier the rural contact centers mostly dealt with |
| of a BPO in the extensive villages of this country | | | | data entry jobs. Bit with time they have started |
| was not conceived till recent times. But time as | | | | off with regional voice processes along with some |
| always has changed and the spotlight has shifted | | | | low-end voice-based international processes. |
| on the BPOs operating from the rural areas. | | | | The major hindrances in moving the call centers |
| The process of establishing call centers in the rural | | | | to the rural areas are the high operational cost of |
| areas had started some years back with some | | | | training and providing constant source of power. |
| IT giants opening up call centers in the villages of | | | | Industry experts believe that although |
| Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Till then the | | | | infrastructure can be created, one needs to |
| biggest deterrent in going rural was the lack of | | | | invest heavily to develop human resources |
| technological infrastructure but this is no longer | | | | required for the BPO industry to flourish in rural |
| the case. Other factors working in favor of this | | | | India. Also, good trainers turn out to be unwilling |
| movement are the rising cost of urban | | | | to move to rural areas thus creating a dearth of |
| workspace and high attrition rates experienced by | | | | quality training for efficient business process |
| the BPO industry. Furthermore, the global | | | | outsourcing. The second operational cost deals |
| economic slowdown has forced companied to cut | | | | with providing adequate power backup. Rural |
| down on their costs and the low wage rate in the | | | | areas experience around 6-8 hours of power |
| rural areas provides the perfect cushioning for | | | | failure every day. So to ensure the smooth |
| these firms. | | | | functioning of the contact center one needs |
| While the recession is making the multi-nationals to | | | | consistent power backup. |
| look for domestic markets, it is the latter that is | | | | Apart from these minor glitches, the rural BPO |
| driving the rural BPO revolution. Also the rural BPO | | | | industry is bound to thrive, thus addressing a |
| scenario is not ready for full-fledged international | | | | major socio-economic problem inherent with the |
| markets as they lack the necessary exposure. | | | | country. With all these developments India has |
| But they are fast catching up and will soon | | | | rapidly achieved the status of being the most |
| challenge their urban counterparts. As the | | | | preferred destination for business process |
| interaction between the rural masses and these | | | | outsourcing for the companies located overseas. |
| companies get frequented, the development of | | | | This is due to the availability of huge English |
| their skill sets will suffice the existing BPO | | | | speaking crowd and state-of-the art |
| companies. | | | | infrastructure. |
| Also the attrition level at the rural call centers is | | | | |