‘India the first country to consider for outsourcing’

I am convinced the value proposition of offshoring is so significant that every Western company has to make a decision about it.

It may be perfectly right for some enterprises not to go offshore—but it has to be a decision taken in the light of all the information.

India, for almost all areas of ITES and BPO, is the right place—and certainly the first country to consider.

• Did you have a particular target audience in mind when writing?

My initial target audience was western businesspeople who had either never been to India, or who hadn’t come to grips with the ways of doing business here. It was aimed at the Chief Executive, Chief Financial, Chief Operating and Chief Information Officers—the so-called CXO market—but it was broadened so that project directors and managers, strategic development managers, and even Human Resources or Procurement, could find real advantage from it.

My second audience was Indian business people. By exploring how Indian companies present themselves and showing western responses, I was addressing an important area for the success of India Inc.

• A section is dedicated to Indian culture and people. How important are these aspects for businesses today?

In most business discussions with western companies and CXOs, these aspects of India are rarely mentioned. Yet when I broach the subject of the charm and allure of India, there’s always a real enthusiasm for going to India to understand more.

Americans are more circumspect as a group. But even there, there is an understanding of the intellectual heritage of India and an appreciation that India has more to offer because it is not a clone of western business.

• How is your book different from existing writing on offshoring?

First, it is deliberately written to be easy to read. So many business books are unnecessarily complicated and use long sentences to show that they are valuable.

Mine allows the ideas to show its value. It is also ‘‘amusing and entertaining,’’ as critics have said.

Secondly, I’ve lived what I describe. In that way, my book is far more practical—and full of the real types of insights most business people need going across cultures.

Also, it does not ignore westerners frustration with some aspects of working in India, such as IST (‘‘Indian’’ Standard Time).

• You argue that offshoring could free productive workforce to do what couldn’t be done before. Are firms following this model today?

A subsidiary of Unisys is looking at this—but much of this is commercially sensitive. This is a complex subject—and has opportunities both in India and the west.The World Bank has already suggested areas where this applies—and there are a number of examples in the UK.