How the BPM industry shed a poor image to become a serious tech player

The typical 'back-office' has fought hard against perceptions of a low-value industry known for data thefts and morphed into a leading player in the new-age tech space

"It's the new El Dorado for BPO companies- bringing technology to our service offerings...It is no longer about labour arbitrage, but increasingly about value and technology arbitrage. Five years from now, I see my firm as a technology player rather than a BPM player," says Partha DeSarkar, chief executive officer at business process management firm Hinduja Global Solutions.

DeSarkar is neither alone, nor off the mark when he says this. The Bengaluru-based company is among many peers who have successfully made the switch from being the back office or handling telemarketing calls to delivering high-value technology work. 

The shift in