Rakesh Kumar

Delhi-based Global Vant-edge, a BPO firm with specific focus in the receivables management space, is planning to scale up its operations in the next couple of years. The company, which has its headquarters in the US and has strategic funding and investment from private equity firm ChrysCapital, will be increasing its capacity from 150 people currently to 1,200 by March 2004. In addition to this, the company will be adding the portfolio of credit services to its existing portfolio of collection and recoveries services in order to broaden its range of offerings. Global Vantedge is targeting a four-five fold growth over the next one year with an expected revenue of $12-15 million for fiscal 2004. Its estimated revenues at the close of first financial year, i.e 2002-2003 is pegged at $3 million.

Rakesh Kumar, Global Vantedge’s president and country head, says that the company has four customers and will be roping in another eight by the next financial year. It is likely to bag three of the customers, with whom it is in advance level talks with, in the next few months. Keeping the growing business in mind the company will be expanding its operations from the present scale.

Presently occupying one floor of office space it will be making two other floors operational, taking the number of workstations from the current 300 to 600 with a staffing of around 1,200 people. The company is largely targeting the US market with particular focus on telecom, credit card and retail stores. In fact, Global Vantedge has a license to operate in US states except Massachusetts. US-based Outsourcing Solutions Inc. (OSI), is the largest customer of Global Vantedge accounting for almost 60 percent of its business. OSI also has a 10 percent stake in the company.

On the services front, the company will be laying its focus on credit services. This includes services like credit approval, credit management and customer management. This involves all activities in the pre-collection stage. Global Vantedge is already providing collections and recovery services as part of its operations. “We are ready with our credit services and will now start selling them proactively in the market. It is now more a matter of demand from the customers,” explained Kumar.

One of the biggest USPs of the company is that it has deliberately positioned itself in a niche segment, specialising in the receivables management space rather than catering to a broad level of services as is the case with most of the other BPO companies. “This has given us a unique value proposition to fight competition in the burgeoning BPO market,” said Kumar. However, the company does not rule out the possibility of broadening its scope of operations to encompass other similar interest areas than just recoveries if its customers so demand.