How India's $54-billion BPO sector is being rewired by AI and Agentic AI

Unlike traditional AI, agentic AI can assess a situation, make decisions, and take independent steps to resolve problems - capabilities that are now being baked into BPO processes

The $54 billion business process outsourcing (BPO) industry — long known for its human capital advantage and operational scale — is undergoing a transformation more profound than any seen since its start almost three decades ago. This time, the disruption is not being driven by headcount, but by algorithms.

 

Artificial intelligence (AI) and its more autonomous cousin, Agentic AI, which can act independently and make decisions without constant human intervention, are rapidly reshaping the architecture of global outsourcing, redefining not only how services are delivered, but what services are even needed.

 

It’s not about replacing humans — it’s about augmenting