New policy to set up call centres in smaller towns

 The Dollar Business Bureau The government is likely to put in place a policy to set up a large number of call centres in smaller towns across the country. A new BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) policy has been finalised and around 48,000 seats have already been identified, according to IT and Telecommunication Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. “I have finalised a policy for call centres in smaller towns. I have approved 48,000 seats and the expression of interest will be invited soon for the purpose,” Prasad said at the foundation laying ceremony of the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) headquarters in New Delhi. New seats for call centres will be distributed among states on the basis of their population. The new policy will also have provisions for incentives to entrepreneurs for setting up BPOs in small towns. Talking about skewed Information Technology profile in India, the minister said that so far BPO units are located only in cities like Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Banngalore and others. “There is an urgent need for bridging the digital gap in the country by improving upon computer literacy. The institute (NIELIT) should seize this opportunity and should become a digital empowerment centre for the country, the minister said. Prasad also launched a new digital marketing course and a toll-free helpline number 1800-11-65-11 for the students of NIELIT, a technical training wing of the IT and communications ministry. The minister said that the NIELIT should play a greater role in imparting education in the field of electronics to strengthen electronic manufacturing in the country. “NIELIT’s efforts to start digital marketing courses are commendable as artisans, traders etc. from all corners of the country should be digitally trained to take full benefits of the ecommerce revolution taking place,” he said and suggested the institute to have online courses for students in rural areas and small towns. With a network of 31 regional centres, about 900 accredited training partners and nearly 6,000 facilitation centres across the country, NIELIT has trained more than 20 lakh students in the last two decades. The institute aims to train 55 lakh students in ICT (Information and Communication Technology), ESDM (Electronic System Design and Manufacturing) and Digital Marketing courses for jobs in the next five years.    

May 16, 2015 | 6:04 pm IST.