India has undoubtedly grown into an important force in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry. BPOs are the fastest growing segment in India’s Information Technology Enabled Services sector, credited to the easy availability of a large pool of skilled workforce. According to a NASSCOM study, the BPO sector in India achieved a 54 per cent growth in 2003-04, and created job opportunities for 74,000 personnel in the same year. While BPOs are traditionally associated with low-tech services, the growing number of AI companies have driven BPOs across the globe to adapt and transform the services they provide. Leading BPOs now provide the human input for millions of images, videos, and…

Hi Everyone, I hope all of you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy. It would be an understatement to say that these last few weeks have been a disruption to work and life as we know it. And there is still so much uncertainty everywhere – across countries and the worldwide economy. During these testing times, I wanted to reach out and connect with you –  share what we have been up to and why I remain hopeful for the future. At IndiVillage it is definitely not business as usual for us. These past few weeks have been focussed on how to best protect and support our…

Krishna has been selling tea ever since he was a boy. Each day, he walks through the city and sells his hot and sweet drink to everyone who needs a small break. “I started selling chai, because it was also my father’s business and I always loved the smell of chai in our house.” His passion for good chai made his business popular amongst a constant customer base in Yemmiganur. Still, selling chai also can be a very hard business as well. “I remember one time when people were not drinking so much chai. These times are hard for me as well, because it affects my life immediately.” When IndiVillage…

Financial independence and security are foundational parts of a stable life. Alongside its associated economic benefits, financial independence is often also a pathway towards further education, confidence and even empowerment. However, for many rural Indians, factors such as un- and under-employment and large financial debts keep financial independence far out of reach. Unemployment rates across India remain at a 45-year high. For youth in rural areas, jobless rates for men and women stand at 17.7 and 13.6 percent, respectively. Furthermore, a nationwide government survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) in 2013 reported that 31.4% of rural Indian households held some level of debt, with the average outstanding…