Astra begins BPO project in Uttaranchal

As part of its expansion plans, US-based Astra Business Services is opening a new BPO facility in Dehra Dun, with an initial investment of one $1million.

This is the first time that an MNC will start call centre operations in Uttaranchal. The facility will be inaugurated tomorrow by Chief Minister ND Tiwari.

The new location at Dehra Dun would be the largest of the three call centres being operated by Astra in India, said Mukul Agarwal, chief financial officer (CFO) of the company.

Stating that the facility was equipped with executive offices, training facilities and state-of-the-art IT infrastructure, Agarwal said Astra planned to hire over 500 employees from Dehra Dun to serve its US clientage.

"We have already hired 50-60 employees, who are being trained in our centres at Gurgaon," Agarwal said, adding that half the company's workforce would be represented by women. Agarwal said the new employees would not only be imparted with world-class training, but also paid industry-level salaries. The company would initially spend about $8000 on each employee, he said.

He said Astra had chosen Dehra Dun to open its new facility because of the high standard of education as well as good communication skills of its population.

Astra, having its corporate headquarters in San Francisco, will soon open more facilities elsewhere in the country taking its total number of offices to five.

Astra's expansion plans in Uttaranchal would benefit the state, while providing access to a pool of highly-educated work force in Dehra Dun, Agarwal said. Astra Business Services operates through its wholly-owned Indian subsidiary to collect consumer receivables in the US on behalf of American organizations.