BPO Ecosystem in North East India: Reclaiming the Missed Opportunity

North Eastern Region (NER) of India is largely looked upon as a provider of cheaper and amenable workforce for the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, with neutral accent, dedication and hospitable behaviour. All these factors make NER a potential BPO destination, further enhanced by different government (central/states) policy initiatives. However, the industry in the regions exhibited an almost flat growth curve over the years, and thus there is a need for understanding the reasons behind the failure of the undertaken policies. This study is largely based on qualitative research on the large information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industry of India in general and (still) nascent BPO industry of NER in particular. The authors’ understanding and findings are inferred from review of policy documents, numerous data sources and discussions, focus group interviews with national BPO experts, and local BPO entrepreneurs of the region. The impact of coronavirus disease-2019 on the business process management (BPM) industry and the opportunities arising from it, particularly for this region has also been examined. The study presents a set of factors paralysing the industry in NER, and outlines some affirmative measures to rectify the failures. This analysis, though specific to the NER, highlights the issues involved in BPO operations which can be generalised and provide guidelines to other destinations.