Transworks to set up $3 m call centre in Mumbai

Prachi Verma in New Delhi

Mumbai-based Transworks Information Services Pvt Ltd, a call center company is in the process of setting up its second call center facility in Mumbai, which is expected to be up and running by the second quarter of 2002.

About a year ago, the company received $ 6 million in its first round of funding from Chrysalis, of which it intends to pump $3 million in setting up the new facility. Transworks has already invested over $2 million in building its first 300-seater call center in Mumbai itself.

“The new call center facility will focus only on inbound calls and will have about 500 seats,” Transworks Information Services Pvt Ltd president and COO Jagdish Moorjani said.

Transworks provides technical support and assistance for the financial services and its customers include Citibank, Microsoft, American Power Corporation, among others.

The two year-old company uses technology for web support from Kana and e-CRM solutions from e-gain. It also uses technical support from Lucent and Avaya.

The company’s three new projects have been delayed by 60 days due to the bombings on the US on September 11. And for almost a week, following Black Tuesday, TransWorks did not cater to the New York audience as a consequence of which the company lost several billing hours.

At present, it has a mix of 80 per cent inbound calls and 20 per cent outbound calls.

TransWorks earned revenues to the tune of $2 million for March 2000-01 and is hoping to complete COPC (Customers Operations Performance Center) certification by early next year.

“COPC is a standard laid by an US based independent body for custmer contact center and we will complete COPC certification by early next year,” Mr Moorjani said.

The company is also keen on raising $5 to 10 million in its second round of funding, by mid next year.

Though it has not yet finalised whether it will raise the funds from earlier investors or strategic partners.

“We will appoint an Indian investment banker for our second round of funding that will help us decide the right partner,” Mr Moorjani said.