India to take up Call Centre Bill with America

India would take up the issue of US Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act in the appropriate governmental forum as also bilaterally through the American Administration to safeguard trade and investment interests of the Indian industry, including the IT sector, Indian Ambassador to US Nirupama Rao said today.

India was in the process of undertaking a detailed impact analysis of the Bill, tabled in the US House of Representatives, in terms of scope of its business coverage and more importantly it's impact on the Indian BPO industry, she said here.

“We are in touch with [IT industry body] Nasscom and the relevant government departments on this issue,” she said at a business session organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

The Bipartisan Bill aims to make companies that move call centres overseas ineligible for grants or guaranteed loans from the Federal government, a move aimed at stemming the tide of jobs heading to nations like India.

She said around seven per cent of total global workforce of Indian IT companies’ work in US centres. Business activities of Indian IT and other service companies and of manufacturing enterprises have helped their business expansion globally but also benefitted a cross section of people in several states of the US.

IT companies from India support approximately 98,000 jobs, which numbered 21,774 in 2006, she said.

Nasscom and some other industry associations have expressed concern over the US bill saying it would restrict free trade and establish discriminatory trade practices.

Talking about bilateral trade, Rao said trade with USA in goods was likely to touch $52-54 billion this year and services $42 billion.