Virtually Uncontested, Sutherland Wins $100 Million Contract With Air India

BY STAFF REPORT

BPO service provider Sutherland Global has landed a contract worth more than US$100 million with India’s state-run carrier Air India, according to India’s Economic Times.

Reports say several domestic BPO providers including Serco Global Services, Aegis and Wipro withdrew from the contest after learning of the terms of the proposed deal.

The state-run carrier has been running losses for the past several years and India’s federal government is under tremendous pressure to streamline the carrier’s operation.

BPO companies in India are showing little interest in government contracts following a series of scandals that has shaken the country’s federal government. Air India has faced multiple problems, such as enormous market share losses, declining profits, and escalating labor disputes.

Air India postponed the tender process more than three times before handing over the contract to Sutherland Global.

However, the new contract will help Sutherland strengthen its base in India, where it has recently bought the healthcare BPO unit of Apollo Hospitals.

The BPO provider has over 30,000 employees globally working out of 35 operations centers in the United States, Philippines, India, UAE, Egypt, Bulgaria, UK, Canada, Jamaica, Mexico and Colombia.