BT slashes Indian IT contracts

BT will slash the amount of IT services outsourced to tier one Indian firms by 15% in 2010, in a major shift in strategy designed to cut its IT expenditure.
 
The operator will cut the amount of work passed to leading Indian tech firms and could recruit second-tier providers, as part of an overall cost-cutting program, India’s Business Standard reports.
 
BT’s contracts are a valuable commodity for Indian firms, which have taken up to 70% of the £1.2 billion (€1.4 billion) the telco spends on outsourcing each year, the Hindu Business Line said.
 
Companies including Tech Mahindra, HCL, Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys are all on BT’s books, the news-site reported.
 
BT pledged to close Indian call centers during negotiations with the Communications Workers Union to avert a walkout by around 50,000 staff in June.