Outsourcing has played a greater role than any other sector in shaping the global business landscape and BPOs in India have earned billions of dollars and created millions of jobs. On top of the heap in terms of both revenue and headcount is Genpact. To understand the contours of an industry that generates $ 8.4 billion in revenue and employs over 5.5 lakh people, an Express team visited the fun-filled, brightly painted Genpact call centre in Gurgaon. The NYSE-listed company also offered a peek into some of its “restricted entry zones” at this delivery centre. The 30,000 strong workforce of the erstwhile GE-Captive today takes calls and manages processes for, among others, two of the top-10 U.S. banks, two of the top-five Australian banks, and three of the top-10 automakers in the world.

You can’t miss the glint in CEO Pramod Bhasin’s eyes as he describes the BPO sector as the “most exciting employment opportunity in any industry I have seen”. He also says the BPO sector is perhaps the “most misunderstood industry”, hitting the headlines more often for its young workforce’s nightlife, cybercrime like identity theft and phishing, and overspeeding by cabs transporting its employees than the dollars it has earned or the jobs it has created.

He also described the facilities provided to employees and invited the authorities to visit Genpact’s office before issuing regulations aimed at improving the health of BPO employees. The appreciating rupee, the U.S. sub-prime crisis, the looming economic uncertainty, and rising wages in India continue to cause concern for the sector. Over the course of an hour and a half, Bhasin described the phenomenon that is rocking the world and fielded queries from Express staff. Excerpts . . .

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