The Indian BPO industry has seen a great boom since the advent of Neo-liberal policies and outsourcing. The burgeoning outsourcing sector gets attribution because of the immense reasonably priced talent pool present in our country, and this trend is likely to stay in the course.
To tap such opportunities, 31 Parallel was started by two brothers, Karan and Vivek, on April 7th, 2014, in Shimla with four associates. 31 Parallel is named after the 31°N latitude that passes through the firm's office in Shimla.
The company was started to provide employment opportunities to the locals and those professionals returning or wanting to come from out of the state.
Since its establishment, the company has experienced remarkable growth in the BPM/outsourcing sector, boasting a substantial workforce consisting of hundreds of dedicated employees. It has also made a considerable impact in the Rural/Tier II/Tier III BPO landscape.
The region's high level of education in Himachal Pradesh has provided a wealth of skilled resources eagerly awaiting employment and training opportunities.
The company aims to create a highly rewarding partnership between the inhabitants of India's remote highlands with businesses from around the world.
What has been the secret behind this BPO's prosperous voyage? The answer lies within the mind, spirit, and vision of the two brothers, Karan Pal Singh Chauhan and Vivek Parmar. Karan is a graduate of St. Stephen's College, Delhi University.
He received his Bachelor's in Law from Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi, and a Master's in Law from the UK. He is one of the co-founders of 31 Parallel and currently heads the company's Recruitment and Finance divisions.
Karan is the face of the firm. Karan plays a central role in all client interactions and spearheads the company's marketing, sales, and business development efforts. Prior to joining 31 Parallel, Karan built his career in corporate law, amassing over a decade of experience with esteemed firms like Amarchand Mangaldas and Remfry & Sagar.
Vivek is a management post-graduate from ICFAI University. He is a co-founder of 31 Parallel. He heads Outsourcing Operations, Training, and Quality division. He provides thought leadership and drives knowledge management.
Vivek is a Six Sigma Black Belt. Before co-founding, he worked with one of the largest Indian BPOs, EXL Service from 2001 to 2012. During this period, he operated in myriad roles like Operations, Process Excellence, Transformation, Migrations, and Special Projects.
He has also spent seven years in a client-facing role in the USA and the UK for EXL's transformation business. In 2013, he served as a Principal Consultant with People Trust and was involved in training and recruitment for the Indian BPO industry.
Karan and Vivek interacted with the editorial team over a host of issues in line with the brand's journey. Here are the edited excerpts.
To maintain the momentum, we have tried Retention, and growth of existing businesses through sustained performance. We have added new businesses through references in the industry and employed a concentrated business development effort.
We are creating a niche in the travel industry by gaining experience in servicing multiple industry giants.
IT/Telecom players caught the straw and supported us when we were a mere handful. Now we are one of the most reliable and extensive IT/Telecom infrastructures in the state with the help of our technology partners.
We utilize different big companies for primary and backup bandwidth and telecom needs. We recently partnered up with a major CMS player for calling and dialer capabilities. We use industry-recommended tools like servers, firewalls, and software for data security.
"Our team believes that we are all in this together. This belief is tantamount to a sense of shared responsibility throughout the organization. The success of this enterprise depends upon imbibing the overall vision and working towards it."
We follow the principle of "Hiring Local Talent for Global Processes" to ensure top-quality results. We continuously enhance the capabilities of our workforce through ongoing orientation and training programs.
We provide voice (inbound and outbound), chat-based, and e-mail services for sales, post-sales, Customer care, and Mortgage. Back office services for Finance and Accounting, Data Management, and Sanitization.
We endeavor to provide high-quality outputs like 6 Sigma and Lean at low cost, leveraging an absolute blend of skilled resources and global corporate experience.
Our team is armed with strong communication skills, management staff's years of joint experience, and competitive pricing.
We build enduring relationships by consistently surpassing performance metrics, comprehending our clients' business needs, and upholding transparency in our operations through regular review processes.
It is always easier to pitch services that deliver more while being cost-effective on the other side. The challenge we face is finding gap in the market. It seems clear there is a market for the services that 31 Parallel provides. We are exploring ways to expand our reach and identify more prospects.
An organization does not exist in a vacuum. The members must be Focused and have a collaborative approach along with a willingness to understand the client's business requirements and adapt strategies to them.
Though in this journey we have only traveled for four years, still we have crossed a few milestones:
We were able to increase employment opportunities and train from a mere 4 to hundreds of youth who have gone through our doors in four years, with 40% of that workforce being women.
Retention, grooming, and growth of local resources to supervisor levels.
Servicing some of the largest names in the Travel Industry and creating a niche.
A leading Business magazine published in Kolkata nominated 31 Parallel as one of the '10 Best BPO Start-ups – 2016' in India.
A leading business magazine published in New Delhi listed 31 Parallel as an organization that 'instils a new wave of transformation in the panorama of BPO services in India' in Nov 2017.
A leading business and technology magazine published in Bangalore and Chennai featured 31 Parallel in April 2018.
Various national dailies such as The Indian Express and The Tribune covered 31 Parallel.
31 Parallel was awarded the STPI Award 2018 for 'Best Performer in Incubation' at TiECon-2018, held in Mohali in February 2018.
The company's management envisions significant growth in both size and revenue over the next two years, with a focus on handling more intricate and high-value projects, particularly in the online Travel Education and Financial services sectors.
In the post-2019 era, our plans include expanding our presence to additional district headquarters in Himachal. We are also in discussions with the State Government for a potential CSR partnership aimed at addressing specific issues affecting the local community.
Furthermore, we are committed to enhancing our investment in the development of technology products to better serve our clients.
It has been a rewarding and fulfilling journey. There is much to learn and teach. It is extremely delightful for us to see raw talent transforming into thorough professionals.
To provide solutions, every problem must be taken as a challenge and solved by having a collaborative approach. It allows for out-of-the-box thinking while at the same time imparts experience to the younger leaders.
"To thrive as an entrepreneur, it's crucial to embrace flexibility in your journey towards your ultimate goal. Avoid being overly rigid in your approach. Some of the most unexpected and joyful successes can arise from such adaptable situations."
