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Call Center Service Tenders in India – An Emerging Business

Call Center Service Tenders in India

Introduction: A call center is a service provider to communicate with the current and potential customers. Broadly, there are two types of call centers: In-house call centers are located within the company and outsourced call centres, which are run by an external firm specialized in handling operating and managing customer engagement over the phone.  In both the cases, the customer engagement happens via single channel, which includes inbound and outbound customer phone calls. Government agencies in India use call centre for a variety of purposes such as the management of telecom operations, handling of electricity and water supply related complaints, operating emergency helplines and delivery of information about programs of national importance.  During the COVID pandemic for example, many state governments in India set-up call centers to deliver information to the public about the pandemic. Also, a national call-center is set-up to provide support for AADHAAR operations. This report analyses the call center tenders advertised by government agencies in India during the last year. 

Yearly Analysis of Call Center Service Tenders:

The government agencies in India have actively used call center services in the recent years. During the last year, a total of 390 call centre tenders were advertised by the government agencies in India, along with one international tender. Of these, government agencies in Karnataka advertised the maximum count at 81 tenders. Maharashtra was ranked second at 45, followed by 39 tenders in Delhi, 38 tenders in Uttar Pradesh, 37 tenders in Odisha and so on. Of the 390 tenders, BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) was ranked at the top with 178 tenders. A few other agencies which advertised call center  tenders were Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) and Life Insurance Corporation (LIC). 

Setting up of New Call Centers:

Around 14.61% of the total published tenders (57 out of 390) were of this category. Our study shows that the estimate price for establishing new call centers is higher than maintenance and upgradation of existing call centers. For example, TSECL in Tripura advertised a tender for setting up Smart Centralized Customer Care Centre System on SaaS (System as a Service) basis under Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (on OPEX mode) dated between 19th September to 30th October. This tender had an estimated budget of 22.59 Crores. Apart from that, in Maharashtra, Collector Sangli had published three tenders for setting up centres on BOOT (Build Own Operate and Transfer) basis in Vita, Walwa and Jath division. The estimated cost of these projects were 16 Lakhs, 66 Lakhs and 15 Lakhs respectively. The health sector is an active user of call center. For instance, the Animal Resource Department of Tripura invited a tender with 3.45 Lakhs estimate for setting up a call centre for mobile veterinary units (MVUS). There is now a trend for hiring call centre on a per seat basis. Such an engagement will allow the buyers to increase or decrease their commitment considering the incoming and outgoing call demand. For instance, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) in Delhi sought to engage call centre services on a per seat basis. A few other agencies which sought call centres on a per seat basis are Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and the Department of Post. 

Upgradation of call centers:

There was significant demand for upgradation of existing call centers. In 2023, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh had published two tenders each for the upgradation of call centers. The Madhya Pradesh Police Department had published two tenders for selection of system integrator for upgradation, operation and maintenance for Dial 100/112. In Delhi, Telecommunication Consultants India Limited had published two tenders for the same purpose in Jan-Feb. 

Tenders for Customer Service Centers:

Almost about half of the tenders (172 of the total 390) published by the Government agencies sought to outsource the maintenance of the customer service centers (CSCs). Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) in Maharashtra advertised a tender for outsourcing of maintenance and operations of customer service centers in Ahmednagar. This is a high value tender with an estimate value exceeding INR 2.5 Crores. BSNL had published a tender for the same purpose in Goa with the estimated worth of 40 Lakh. These 172 tenders were published by BSNL for different states like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and so on. The average estimated worth of these projects varied between INR 10,000 and 3 Crores.

Tenders for Cloud based Call Centers:

Many government agencies sought to engage cloud-based call centers have picked up. A spike in demand for cloud-based call centres is noticeable. Last year the government agencies published a total of 9 tenders for cloud-based call centers. Interestingly, TCIL sought to hire a Cloud Contact Center System to be deliver in the Sultanate of Oman. Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Nation Rural Livelihoods Mission in Karnataka, Life Insurance Corporation of India in Delhi and a few other government agencies advertised tenders for cloud-based call centers. It is expected that more projects in this category will be seen in future because there is a growing trend towards this.

Live Tender Analysis:

As of 5th March 2024, there were 12 live customer service tenders. Among these, Odisha was ranked at the top with 3 live tenders, followed by Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab with 2 live tenders each. Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka completed the total with 1 live tender each. 

Conclusion: Our study showed that there is a significant demand for call center services in the government sector. BSNL and TCIL are key buyers of the call center services in the Indian government. Further, new call centers being set-up and existing call centers are being upgraded. Further, government sought to hire call center services on a per seat basis and in the cloud model. The estimated worth of projects ranges from a few thousands of rupees up to 22 Crores. These tenders are published in states located across India. Thus, there is a significant demand for call center services. The private sector enterprises operating in this segment can gain significant business by keeping tracking of the Call center tenders and participating in such tenders. 

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Ahmed Raza
Ahmed Raza

Ahmed Raza is a versatile and accomplished writer known for his ability to simplify complex topics for diverse audiences. With a rich portfolio of contributions to esteemed platforms like TechBullion.com, Filmdaily.co, and Scoopearth.com, he has established himself as a reliable source of insightful and engaging content. His broad experience across various sectors allows him to bring a unique and informed perspective to his work, making him a valuable asset to Draftcorrect.in. Ahmed's dedication to thorough research and his skill in crafting compelling narratives enrich our platform, offering readers content that not only informs but resonates deeply.

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