Despite Slowdown, Wipro BPO Continues Hiring

Despite the economic slowdown, Wipro BPO, the business process outsourcing division of IT giant Wipro Technologies, is hiring personnel and expanding its operations globally, a top official said here Tuesday. "For the last six months, we have been hearing depressing news about people losing jobs and companies resorting to cost-cutting measures but we are still looking for people," Wipro BPO head Ashutosh Vaidya told reporters. The company plans to expand its BPO facility in Hyderabad by recruiting 1,000 to 1,200 people over the next six to eight months, he said. At present, 3,150 people are working at the Hyderabad facility. Wipro, which has its operations in 14 locations in India and abroad, currently employs 22,600 people. On an average, it is adding 8,000 to 10,000 employees a year, Vaidya added. Wipro BPO aims to tap the talent pool in Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. The selected candidates undergo 90 days of training, with focus on communication, technical and process-specific training. They also get an opportunity to service Wipro's leading global customers. Wipro, which got into the BPO business in 2001-02 with five clients, now has 51 clients. The revenues increased from $11 million in 2001-02 to $290 million in 2007-08. Vaidya said while the recession had some impact on the BPO industry, it would not be there for long as companies were choosing outsourcing as the best way of cutting costs. Source: IANS