Philippines threatened by India’s BPO competitiveness

While it remains one of the world’s largest providers of BPO services, the Philippines has been urged to enhance its measures to stay competitive in the sector, according to an analyst on Friday. Karim Raslan, founder of public affairs and political risk consultancy firm KRA Group, warned that India may soon leave the Philippines behind if it will not embrace artificial intelligence to the extent that India has done. In a recent interview, Raslan said that the Philippine BPO sector is now valued at USD28bn. That can easily be wiped out, he said, unless the country boosts the sector with upskilling. Companies that rely on outsourcing their services are feeling pressure to cut costs, and will be replacing many voice-based services with artificial intelligence.