Call Centre Bug Bites Godrej, Plans Venture With Us Firm

The Rs 4,000 crore Godrej group is all set to jump onto the call centre bandwagon. The group will enter into a joint venture with a US based major through Lawkim India for the international call centre business.

Lawkim India is the market leader in the manufacture of specialised motors. It was taken over by the Godrej group in 1977.

The Godrej group will hive off the international call centre division of Lawkim India into a separate entity, and would hold a majority stake in the venture, which will cater to the corporate travel business.

Godrej officials declined to reveal the name of the US major due to a confidentiality agreement signed between the two, but said "it was among the largest."

Lawkim India would hold an over 70 per cent stake in the venture, while the balance will be held by the US company.

An MoU between the two companies, which is to be signed shortly, would give the foreign partner an option to hike its stake in the company progressively over a period of three years.

The joint venture is yet another instance of the Godrej group's focus in the IT enabled sector.

Interestingly, the Godrej group has made quite a few investments in the IT sector in recent times. It holds a stake in UK-based information technology service company, Compass Connections, which is involved in the business of outsourcing, back office operations and IT enabled services. It has also made investments in US-based ITES company CBay Systems.

Godrej Remote Services, a 100 per cent subsidiary of Godrej Industries, is also involved in the call centre and back office business. The company operates in five areas -- international contact centre, domestic contact centre, LITES soft solution centre, contact centre training, and LITEScribe backoffice services.

Besides IT enabled services, the company has two other divisions -- appliances motor and quality services focussed on electrical, mechanical and thermal calibration.