Demand a level playing field with the client: Kasturirangan

MUMBAI: Raising doubts over the long-term sustainability of the BPO concept, former ISRO Chairman and Rajya Sabha MP K Kasturirangan has said the Indian outsourcing companies, particularly those in the IT-enabled services sector, must stop being "inferior" and demand parity on every level from their clients.

It is good to see that they created many job oppurtunities here, but Business Process Outsourcing is not a concrete foundation and not sustainable as well because everything depends upon the wish of a client sitting in some other country, acting according to the geo-political situation there, Kasturiranagan told.

"We are involved with low-end jobs in the process...we must also perform high end jobs, stop being inferior and demand a level playing field with the client. We also need theinternal strength to manufacture and build the high-end systems through R & D," he said.

Citing the example of the Indian Space Research Organisation, Kasturirangan said, "ISRO enters into partnership with its clients, does high-end work and has a say in every matter."

He however, se are some more sectors, particularly steel, where Indian companies have achieved heights and competitive status but same is not the case with the Information Technology Enabled Services sector.

"A youngster earning Rs 10,000 per month by undergoing some accent training is not beneficial. The need to address the issue of a R & D outsourcing firm innovating for a foreign client is much more significant to make our presence felt," he said.