Though the US slowdown has started hurting Indian BPO companies, Accenture, a management consulting and technology services major, sees opportunities in the turmoil. The company would raise the headcount in India to 50,000 in a year, from 37,000 now, and hire 60,000 worldwide in the financial year ending August 31, 2008. Accenture employs 1,78,000 people across 49 countries.
On his second visit to India in 14 months, Accenture chairman and CEO William (Bill) D Green said India is becoming more important for his company, and so are other emerging markets like China and Brazil, for its consultancy business and outsourcing.
The company?s thrust on India was evident when it held its global board meeting here for the first time on Tuesday. ?In the last 4-5 years, we have increased our commitment to India. This is not just for outsourcing. We are also looking at India as an important centre of innovation, and will focus on quality, differentiation and specialisation,? said Green.
In a select interaction with the media here, Green said his firm is yet to feel the pinch of US sub-prime crisis. ?We have not had a single instance where a client has told us that he is cancelling contracts, or deferring them. In fact, the needs of our clients keep changing according to the geopolitical and economic environment,? he said. Green expects US companies to do better in the second half. ?Last time round, we had a consumer-led recovery. This time, we will see an exports-led recovery,? he said.
Saying that his company?s business in China ?is going through the roof?, Green also emphasised that competitiveness may not always pertain to cost alone. What also matters is quality, capability and delivery of services, he said, while referring to the challenges Indian companies will face as they go forward.