Roy: Dealmaker

Calcutta, Oct. 10: Terming the state government’s focus on the IT and ITeS sectors as “extremely advantageous”, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has announced plans to develop innovative approaches to outsourcing and off-shoring services and project management activities.

PwC managing director Roopen Roy said: “The digital revolution has already begun. If India has to rise in the global outsourcing industry, it cannot be through cost arbitrage alone. Resources such as talent pool, cost structure and knowledge base have to be shaped and utilised. Knowledge and intellectual capability can be transported through the PwC networks.”

PwC’s centre of excellence in Calcutta is already providing offshore services in accounting, project management and control-related activities around the global PwC network and their clients.

Sanjoy Sen, partner, PwC Midlands, who is currently leading the off-shoring initiatives for PwC, UK, said: “I think this is the best time to return to Calcutta. The proactive stance of the government, along with the demographics of Calcutta, makes this city the perfect place to build on our offshore operations. There are a large number of factors which went in favour of Calcutta, like the low rate of attrition, job loyalty and cost effectiveness.”

As a part of PwC’s plans to boost its offshore business, a team of 14 qualified personnel from its Calcutta office is spending six months in PwC UK’s Midlands set-up, where they are working with their British counterparts.

“This is a major deal for us in the UK. In 2002, we were right at the start of the outsourcing revolution, and we have come a long way since then. We are looking at two things, a cyclical need for more people and a lot of regulatory filing that needs to be done,” said John Minards, head, assurance services, PwC.

With PwC UK personnel coming to Calcutta on a regular basis to impart training, there are plans to hire more people. “Once a little bit of training and upgrading in the UK accounting standards are imparted to personnel from India, there shouldn’t be any problems. Qualified resources, flexibility and scalability are the three factors we are looking at, and these skills are available in Calcutta,” said Dominique Bichut, director, Global Capital Markets.