The great leveler of contemporary, urban, metropolitan India is not financial status, or class distinction or even an illustrated family name. It is which BPO one's offspring works for. The bigger the brand name, the more perks involved…the better it is. Also the position/designation, profile on paper, salary package & last but not the least how many times has an individual been able to travel abroad (read…transition projects…ostensibly !!) counts in the grand materialistic scheme of things.
Lets begin at the beginning…as the saying goes! About 7 / 8 years ago the Indian metropolitan business industry was hit by an all encompassing tornado called BPO's (Business Processes Outsourcing). In a nutshell it entailed all of the various multinationals of the world outsourcing various processes or aspects of their business to companies in India with world-class infrastructure & facilities as well. The clients involved are naturally Americans, British, Australian & some even from Canada & New Zealand. The companies in the U.S & U.K would find this economically viable due to the cost factor involved. It sure worked like a charm.
The young, urban, educated Indian found a job that seemed to be tailor made for him/her. For most of these companies had bare minimum requirements - a graduate in any stream (some even hired undergrads), a good command over spoken & written English & a well groomed personality. All of these were amply met in metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, etc. The salaries were more than what were available in the market in the last decade or even more. The spending capacity of an average, middle-class Indian suddenly skyrocketed. It also, to a great degree broadened the professional horizons of employees like never before. It also gave rise to a lot of employment by virtue the various support functions needed to support the main organizational requirements.
However, all this has now given rise to a mutant strain of genetically altered species known as “CALL CENTERITES” (& that's the name o' that too !! ) recognizable only by the following aspects…otherwise they look totally normal…
- A sudden increase in disposable income towards the end of the month (that's when the salary comes in) & towards the middle of the month (that's when the incentives come in)
- Will suddenly speak in an unrecognizable accent / dialect especially in restaurants, malls & other public places (read…upping the impression quotient)
- Will make it a point to talk about their 'international business exposure/expertise' at every family gathering, or with friends who are not from the BPO sector (never mind if their entire professional repertoire may have never extended beyond taking calls. Which is to say…being a telephone operator).
- Will suddenly find themselves identifying with all things American / British / Australian, (even if they've never stepped out of the country in all of their lives)
- Will display a tendency to eat, sleep at irregular hours & generally have very odd working hours as well & be comfortable with it (read…being able to go out at night & party almost everyday post finishing the shift )
However the real fun begins when bio rhythms go completely haywire, high or low blood pressure is the norm, cholesterol & acidity issues skyrocket off the charts. But all is tolerated in the name of attractive salary packages & 'international business exposure'…
Don't get me wrong…I've spent close to 6 years in the game as well & I can definitely tell you there is a method & reason to this madness as well…not everyone can see it though … as the famous saying goes…”You have to swim in the ocean to feel the full impact of its power".
