Kochi gearing up for accounting BPO

Kochi: A US-based Indian venture Outsource Partners International (OPI) has opened its Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) service here to cater to finance and accounting for US-based companies.

Set up at the Infopark at Kakkanad near here, initially in a small way with 64 seats, the company proposes to expand its activities here in a big way in the coming years with an anticipated investment of six to seven million Dollars for provision of infrastructure, OPI President and Chief Executive Officer Kishore Mirchandani told mediapersons here yesterday.

By the first quarter of next year, the company would provide employment to 2000 personnel, mainly chartered accountants, he said.

Already building space with an area of 130,000 sqft had been provided at the site and an additional 300,000 sqft area would be added in the second phase, Mirchandani said.

The Leela group, owning a hotel chain in the country, would undertake construction of building space with an estimated area of 700,000 sqft in phases involving an investment of around Rs 80 crore, Mirchandani and Leela group Executive Director Venu Krishnan, who was also present, said.

The Kerala government had provided 6.5 acre land for the purpose at the Infopark, Mirchandai said, adding that the state government was extending all necessary assistance in this regard.

Although OPI had set up its first Indian BPO at Bangalore, the Kochi facility would be much bigger than that in Bangalore, he explained.

OPI also intended to train senior staff members in the United States to acquaint themselves with US accounting methods and they would, in turn, be used to impart training to the new comers, he said.