Now tell me how are you all gonna respond to this! I don't really know whether they are talking about India outsourcing work to other countries? Or they are saying by taking too much work outsourced by other countries we are not focussing on work back here? That sounds illogical. Because anyway they don't work. Someone who is aware of the financial sector please clarify!
The Little Clarification I got from my wife who works in the Insurance sector and specifically deals with the financial and capital market for the Little Shop is this:
1) Internal outsourcing. Example: Citibank outsourcing the maintenance, tracking and collection of Credit Card related issues to local Call Centres
2) Mobile companies outsourcing stuff to Call Centres. Am sure all of us would at some point have received phone from our own respective network where they offer you another airtel/aircel/hutch connection. Stupid. They aren't from the Network Operators, but their little stupid call centres that are tucked in all over chennai. I have visited some of them. It's pathetic how they look. They look like a dunghole of some printing press' cutting section.
3) Companies in the insurance sector outsourcing maintenance etc of bonds debentures etc for backoffice work. Actually there is a mega company in Chennai called CAMS whose main work is handling backoffice work for most of the stock/insurance such like companies. You can imagine the amount of backoffice work required these days and you can imagine how much of outsourcing is required because no company can finish these chores even if they worked dutifully their full 9 hours at 6 days a week and some overtime. Work has got cluttered and unnecessarily complicated in the name of division of labour and creation of employment so much. It is pretty interesting how we are fighting internal outsourcing even while there is such a brouhaha about India as the prime destination of Outsourcing for US and Europe and Australia. India as the key competitor with an English-speaking edge over China etc. Imagine why the foreigners from the respective countries are right about grumbling about some little twerp Indian attending their queries posing as Jill or Bill!
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12 comments:
Hi Srini
couldn't agree with you more actually. are you also giving ciefl a shot?
hey... you ask a question and then answer it yourself! lol
but just to add a bit of perspective, i personally dont think there's any point in being anti-outsourcing. imagine a big MNC comes to india and offers a service at a very very low rate, since we're in a cost-war economy... how can an Indian company offer a competitive price? The margins have to come from somewhere. So you outsource.
Abhinav
as a consumer i accept your viewpoint. but when you're on the foodchain you are naturally worried and insecure because it's your work that gets outsourced. believe me, i worked with hcl for 4 and half years or so... and between 95 and 2002 i worked in 3 companies and moved from company to another when work ran out. i mean, i was getting paid sitting literally doing nothing but checking emails and browsing and doing what they call Z projects (internal and of no value except muscle flexing net practice). It is scary to be at work and doing nothing because there's nothing to do. Also, your self-esteem starting pricking you because you receive pay for doing nothing. The scariest thought would be a work place with no work. Or reduced work load not enough to occupy you, i can sort of understand. when this country has enough ppl, why can't the companies recruit more people and implode the work than outsource to other inner-national companies?
i know exactly what you mean.. i dont really want to elaborate on public space, but yes, its an absolutely horrible feeling... you feel consumed with guilt, when you have no work at work, and few people understand how depressing it can be.
hey kk, just wanted to apologise for the concerted attack i made on you on my blog... i went a bit overboard.
if u havent seen it already, dont bother going! i deleted it.
Don't bother? It's important to me what the younger gen thinks about this nasty little warped man with 70s sentiments. And if there's one thing that makes me lost esteem and respect for people, it's when they unduly apologise. Those were your sentiments. You have a right to. I like open people... you're healthy! Feel free to criticise me anytime.
Srini... am on my way bloke!
srini,
i agree with you - kk's a man who does what he loves. congrats on that kk.. hope i get there someday :)
anand,
you're very right - its not a great literary work, but its very interesting, and most importantly, its honest. so many indians are churning out pretentious crap, that its nice to read honest crap for once :)
i'm using :) a lot more than i would like... sigh..
Abhinav
thanks... you got me shy there for once and wordless... i, for a change, am not one who gushes when someone compliments me, coz i embrace life in toto. but you sure got me surprised there. i tell you... i just don't do what i love... but also face its reality blunt and honest and embrace it, hence i enjoy the agony and ecstasy equally. in fact the agony of the lack of material success has become kind of masochistic for me, i think sometimes if i had material success like other theatre groups have, i would start making passionate and meaningful art. thanks dude and btw am sure you're doing what you like... being journo! but sure, when i open my school of drama, poetry and theatre criticism, you'll be on my scroll of prospective faculty!
Dear Anand...
I bought a copy of it... there are some books I may not like - some people - but I still would want to own the copy as much as I want to know them or befriend them or be with them. Chetan Bhagat is one writer in that mould. I don't like his kitschy style... but I agree with his feelings. I don't agree with his theses in both books, but he is downright honest and on face value, you're right. I mean, IIT is only a drainpipe to take talents away to US or other western materialistic outlets in return for which we get some dollars thrown in the bargain. Poor returns, money is! And yes, at what emotional cost are we perpetrating the Call Centre culture. Both on target.
Srini...
songs i like that give me strength when I hear... Mogathai Kondruvidu by Maharajapuram Santhanam, Theerthakarayinile by SPB (from Varumaiyin Niram Sigappu) (as well as Nalladhor Veenai from the same film same SPB) and Shantinilava... all from Bharathi. Eternal. Been addicted to them for almost a decade now! And there is one great number that Unni sung and got a national award. Very unknown but superbly peace-bringing..."Uyirum Neeye Udalum Neeye, Unarvum Neeye... Thaaye!" from an old Ajith movie called Pavithra. Great song. I keep hearing it quite often and each time I come across it, it leaves me breathless and positive!
Abhinav, Srini & Anand
you all must read Crichton's STATE OF FEAR. Need not agree with it, but very good argument.
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