Tata Infotech enters call center biz

Tata Infotech Education has decided to plunge into the call center market

industry with the launch of CReME (Customer Relationships e-Management Expert) -

a specialized program designed with Turing Point, a training and assessment

systems company.

The Indian IT enabled services market is expected to generate revenues worth

Rs 81,0000 crore, creating more than 11,00,000 jobs by the end of the year 2008.

According to Nasscom reports, the call center market is one of the fastest

growing markets, growing from Rs 400 crore in 1999-2000 (employing 8,600 people)

to Rs 850 crore in 2000-01 (15,000 people). This industry is expected to

generate Rs 20,000 crore by the year 2008.

Rahul Thapan, Head, Education Services Division, Tata Infotech, was pretty

excited by the prospects in the call center industry. Pointing out the Indian

call center industry currently lacked an organized player taking care of the

necessary training, he believed that Tata Infotech would fill this gap.

Thapan denied that the company's foray into the call center industry training

would dilute the focus on the education services division training and saw this

as adding synergy to the business. The terrorist attacks on the WTC twin towers

has also forced the company to put on hold their plans to offer training for

corporates in the US. Thapan believed that this was a temporary phenomenon and

they would be in business in the next six months. "We are already in talks

with the number of corporates in the US and hope for some breakthroughs in the

next few months," he said.

Thanks to the prolonged US-Afghan conflict, the company has also put on hold

their plans for expanding training centers in the Middle East. However, the

company has gone ahead with its training centers in Vietnam and South Africa.

Commenting on CReME, Thapan said that while training courses are currently

being offered by the unorganized sector, there was no complete training program

that meets the needs of these call centers. The 120 hour CReME program is being

offered at a cost of Rs, 20,000. The company had opted for a soft launch in

Mumbai in September this year and has trained around 100 people. Students who

train with Tata Infotech will be awarded international certifications from

Entretel and AAT (American Accent Training). Entretel equips participants with

specialization in performance management and soft skills training for people in

telephone based customer service and sales positions. AAT is an internationally

acclaimed language training organization.

CReME is targeted at graduates from any discipline and corporates who have

English speaking skills. The course contents include soft skills such as

customer rapport, stress management, style flexibility, listening and

questioning, speed writing, speed reading, customer relationship management,

accent training and computer skills.

The course will be offered at Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad for corporates. In

Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore, it will be targeted towards the corporate and public

domain customers. In the first year, Tata Infotech will train 600 people.