Parliamentary panel bats for dedicated policy for BPO sector
Published: Aug 10, 2018
By TIOLCORPLAWS News Service
NEW DELHI, AUG 10, 2018: In a bid to make a future roadmap for the country's BPO industry, the Parliamentary panel today asserted that the govt should consider designing a dedicated policy for the sector which generated over USD 30 bn revenues in 2016-17. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology, in its report, also highlighted the need to lay more emphasis on skill and training in the country's BPO sector.
The report added that this should be done in coordination with state govts to chalk out a future roadmap for the sector covering, minimum wages in the outsourcing and BPO sector.
The report said that there needs to be an evaluation whether all the aspects of outsourcing and BPO sector are adequately addressed within the ambit of National Policy on Information Technology, 2012 or whether there is a need to have a separate National Outsourcing BPO policy to cater to specific needs of the sector. The ministry may also think in line of issuing general guidelines for the sector to states for promotion of BPOs.
Noting that the Indian BPO industry faces competition from countries like Philippines, Malaysia, China, Poland, Mexico and Brazil, the committee said issues like visa restrictions and change in policy by major markets like the US and UK are throwing up newer challenges to the sector. The report also pointed that the current schemes for the BPO sector don't have any provision for support to existing BPOs desirous of expansion.
The govt had launched two schemes - India BPO Promotion Scheme (IBPS) and North East BPO Promotion Scheme (NEBPS) under the Digital India programme for creation of jobs in BPO and ITeS sector and securing balanced regional development.
The Committee recommends that the scope and reach of both the schemes are widened so that Indian BPO and ITeS sector remains internationally competitive for a long time to come and continues to generate the much needed employment opportunities for the youth.
