Ahead of presidential polls, WNS opens centre in US

NEW DELHI: NYSE-listed Indian business process outsourcing firm NS Global Services on Tuesday announced the opening of its first US delivery centre in South Carolina, where it will employ about 300 staff.

WNS joins other India-based IT/BPO firms such as EXL, HCL Technologies, Infosys and Genpact in raising their employee presence in the US, where in the run up to the November presidential elections, political rhetoric over outsourcing is rising.

Last week, US President Barack Obama's campaign team held Republican rival Mitt Romney as being guilty of allowing jobs to be outsourced to call centres in Mexico and India. South Carolina faces a high unemployment rate of 8.8%, marginally higher than the national average of 8.1%.

"WNS's decision to launch its first US delivery centre in our state signifies a big win for the State of South Carolina," said Nikki Haley, the Governor of South Carolina. WNS currently earns about 30% of its $474-million (Rs 2,607 crore) annual sales from North America, and about 68% from Europe.