Indian BPO industry pioneer Raman Roy talks about the moment that helped spark India’s BPO revolution — an idea once dismissed, even ridiculed, but today worth billions. In the second episode of Lead Inc., an ABP Live podcast in collaboration with Elephant Connect, Roy sits down with author and host Manjiri Gokhale Joshi to reflect on the battles, breakthroughs, and bold decisions that shaped an entire industry.
From being told not to enter meeting rooms to facing hostility abroad — “Why would I sit on the same table with you?” — Roy recounts the personal and professional resistance he endured while pitching India as a global outsourcing hub. Yet, he insists, the real transformation went beyond business: “Respect and dignity were non-negotiable,” he says, underscoring the philosophy that helped build not just companies, but careers for millions.
The conversation also captures pivotal cultural shifts like the moment that paved the way for women to work night shifts. “It was a game-changing moment for the industry,” Roy recalls, highlighting how trust-building with families and inclusive workplace practices helped break long-standing social barriers.
The Indian BPO story, as Roy tells it, is not just about outsourcing. It’s about ambition, resilience, and the courage to challenge the status quo.
Excerpts From The Podcast Interview
Manjiri Gokhale Joshi: Take us back to how this all started, especially the idea of international work being done out of India.
Raman Roy: I was an employee. I worked with American Express. The concept of doing international work out of India did not exist. I was sent for training to Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, the UK, and the US.
A few meetings into that, I started raising my hand to say, “Hey, I can help you do that.” People would say, “Shut up, what do you know?” It reached a stage where they said, “Raman has come again, he’ll start talking of India. Please don’t let him enter this room.”
Then they gave me something they hadn’t succeeded at for five years — a bank reconciliation. What they hadn’t done in five years, in about six weeks we had the bank account reconciled.
That started a revolution literally.
Manjiri: You’ve spoken about the resistance you faced globally. What did that look like?
Raman Roy: These are things that I have lived.
You go to the cafeteria, fill up your tray, and say, “Hey guys, can I join you?” Everybody on that table stands up, picks up their tray, and goes away. The last guy says, “Why would I sit on the same table with you?”
You are using the washroom, the door opens, and someone swears at you, saying you are taking jobs away.
Manjiri: There’s also that very personal moment with your wife before you took the entrepreneurial leap.
Raman Roy: Yes, I was indecisive for nine months.
You have a good job, a decent earning, salary comes in every month, you have a nice car, club memberships — why would anybody give that up?
One morning, she turned around and said, “Would you want to live a life that says you have that opportunity and you didn’t do it?”
Manjiri: How do you define leadership?
Raman Roy: Five friends get together to go have a meal. One wants to have Chinese food, another says Italian and someone says something else. Ultimately, somebody takes a decision making all six go for one thing.
The person who leads that effort is a leader.
Manjiri: You also spoke about a moment that changed how women worked in the industry.
Raman Roy: There was a lady who came to meet me. My assistant said she had been sitting for two hours and wouldn’t leave. She said, “You are spoiling everything. My daughter wants a job with you. How can she do a job with you?”
I still remember that moment, it was a game-changing moment for the industry. We gave her forms, got an HR person to sit with her and we signed up 10 of her daughter’s friends. So now nobody pointed fingers, they were all working together.
That is what started night shifts for women.
Manjiri: Families didn’t understand why women would work night shifts.
Raman Roy: Absolutely. That’s why we focused a lot on building trust. We introduced family days, invited parents to come and see the office, sit on their children’s chairs, and understand the environment.
Manjiri: You’ve always emphasised respect and dignity as core to building culture.
Raman Roy: Respect and dignity were non-negotiable. Whether it was employees or candidates.
At one point, we were hiring 150 people a day and losing 50–60 a day. There were huge walk-ins, and we even had to call the police to manage the crowds.
One of my earliest learnings was that HR people can start thinking they are God’s gift to mankind because they are giving jobs. That arrogance is dangerous.
Even a candidate walking in for an interview must be treated with respect.
Manjiri: You’ve spoken about nurturing talent and giving people space.
Raman Roy: I remember calling the head of one of our facilities and telling him how things should be done. He told me, “I am not a Raman Roy Jr. Give me space.”
That was a big learning for me. I have tried all my life to give people space to operate, as long as they don’t violate basic principles.
Some of the biggest successes we had came from the shop floor.
Manjiri: Many in middle management feel stuck between leadership and execution.
Raman Roy: When you give people space, you have to take the good and the bad. Not everyone will stay, we may not be able to meet everyone’s aspirations, but that does not mean we stifle their capabilities. We let them grow, and we part as friends.
Manjiri: What about inclusion in the workplace?
Raman Roy: Inclusion comes from respect and dignity.
I remember a situation where I made a mistake. I had invited some of my direct reports for a customer dinner at home, but one person was not invited because we were not socially compatible.
He asked my HR head, “Should I look for another job?”
I realised I had failed in inclusion. Professionally, if you respect someone, you must include them.
When we sit around a table, we sit as equals. I may be the head of the organisation, but your viewpoint is as important as mine. At the end, I take the decision, but until then, you must give your viewpoint.
