Wipro BPO on past Friday inaugurated its first rural centre at Manjakkudi village in Tamil Nadu to capitalise on literate talent pool available in the region. The Manjakkudi centre in Tamil Nadu has a capacity of 120 seats, and will open with a 50-seat pilot project for an international client in the retail sector.

Wipro plans to expand its rural BPO operations to 500 seats by March 2013 in Tamil Nadu and to replicate this BPO model in other states in the near future, Wipro said in a statement.

"Rural BPOs are a crucial part of the development of our country as a business leader," Wipro BPO Senior Vice-President and Global Head Manish Dugar said. Graduate students between the age group of 21 to 25 will be employed in the Manjakkudi Wipro BPO centre, delivering a range of services to customers across industry sectors.

"...rural BPO centres, is to take on the bulk data processing jobs. Rural BPOs are also allowing educated people in villages earn a good livelihood without leaving the region and bringing a new level of financial stability to these communities and individuals," Dugar added.

The Manjakkudi BPO centre benefits from a fully-equipped IT and physical infrastructure, which complies with standard security and regulatory requirements. The centre will be focused on delivering world-class outsourcing services, while connecting this rural community to the world of global business.