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Raman Roy on the evolution of India's BPO industry--and his baby, Spectramind


In this 2-part interview to Knowledge@Wharton, Ramon Roy, Founder & CEO of pioneering third-party BPO firm Spectramind, talks about the evolution of India's BPO industry. Especially interesting are his thoughts on why third-party BPO firms can succeed in the face of the trend among MNCs to set up captive centers.

Here's just one extract from this fascinating interview:

K@W: What was the principal objective with which you started Spectramind, and to what extent has this been satisfied?

Roy: We had very clear objectives in setting up Spectramind. We wanted to demonstrate what could be done out of India. We were all big believers in the capability of the Indian workforce. I wanted to be able to tell my grandchildren, “Your grandfather played a role in creating this company.” I’m not trying to say we weren’t trying to make money—that was a driver as well. But that was not the main driver. It was the idea of creating something new in India, and the ability to say that we contributed to its creation. That is why partnering with Wipro was a movement in the right direction. There were some things we could do as a start-up – but this business requires deep pockets. It requires something more than business acumen, and Wipro has played a big role in bringing that to the table.

Click Here to read Part I of the interview.

Click Here to read Part II of the interview.

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