Indian Call Centers Benefit from Economic Crisis in the United States

Outsourcing back office tasks to Indian call centers is hardly a novel concept. They do everything from fixing computer glitches to taking sale orders to balancing the financial books anyway.

But when the United States is facing an economic crisis of such magnitude, the most thriving function in Indian call centers seems to be debt collection.

So the next time you receive a phone call asking you to pay up your dues, you should know that the voice at the other end is likely to be emanating from New Delhi or Bangalore.

Indian call centers are rather hip places where ambitious young Indians fantasize about life in the United States. They have a tendency to think of the United States as the ultimate pot of gold in the world and working in call centers gives them a small portion of that. Employees in the call centers are thus shocked to learn that American is struggling financially. They report tales of people crying on the phone while claiming that there is no way they can pay back their debts.

There has been increasing reverse brain drain from India over the years as expatriates return for better opportunities at home. As awareness of turmoil in the United States spreads, chances are people will no longer be as interested in venturing abroad in the first place.