India has been the rising star of the outsourcing galaxy since ages providing value addition along with cost savings. But ever since the cost of living in metros have sky-rocketed, it has become immensely difficult for companies to provide services at a cheaper price from a tier I city. Combine this with the rising competition from the emerging international outsourcing destinations, increased client expectations and an era of resource constraint; it is time for organizations to look beyond tier I cities. On the other hand, tier II & III cities are emerging as the life saviour for such outsourcing companies as these cities are talent mines that wait to be explored, which provide benefit of similar high quality of output as metros at much lower costs. And the growth of Shimla-based 31 Parallel is a clear example of this.

Starting its operations in mid-2014 in Shimla with four associates working with a US client doing internet marketing, the company has seen phenomenal growth in the BPM/outsourcing space. Currently serving customers from e-Commerce, Travel & Tourism, Internet Marketing, Mortgage, BFSI, Finance & Accounting industry, the company offers 24x7 voice (Inbound and Outbound) and Back Office support.

31 Parallel provides end-to-end BPO services and solutions with expertise across various domains. Apart from offering end-to-end pre-sales, sales and post-sales support through voice and back

office channels domestically, 31 Parallel also provides customer service support to various international clients in multiple industries. The startup recently completed a sales and customer service project for testing of a new app for one of India’s largest online marketplace. “We employ the latest tools, methodologies and process knowledge,” asserts Karan Pal Singh Chauhan, Co-Founder, 31 Parallel.

Owing to lower cost of living in Shimla, 31 Parallel is able to provide services at competitive prices and pass on substantial saving to its clients

Passing on the Benefit

Owing to lower cost of living in Shimla, the company is able to provide services at competitive prices and pass on substantial saving to its clients.Processes at 31 Parallel are supported by highly experienced leadership and optimized by deployment of methodologies like 6 Sigma, LEAN etc.. Thanks to its lean structure, decision making is fast, and management bandwidth helps in faster and speedier resolutions for any concerns.. Depending upon the type of service being outsourced, 31 Parallel’s partners could achieve as much as 50 percent in cost savings by outsourcing processes.

Giving Back to the Community,

Probably the single largest BPO in the state of Himachal Pradesh with over 200 employees spread across different shifts, 31 Parallel’s employees operate from a fully equipped centre in Shimla, which helps the company to close the gap for the returning Himachalis who seek for better opportunities in their hometown. “We have a 8-member strong general learning, development and product training team focusing on process trainings, corporate etiquettes, e-mail and phone etiquettes, gender sensitization (as at least 45 percent of our staff are women), process notes and mapping, and basic computer training,” says Vivek Parmar, Co-Founder, 31 Parallel.

The company projects its year end revenue to be over Rs.5 crore. With a resolve to grow with its current partners in the Online Travel vertical, 31 Parallel has even forayed into the Mortgage and F&A verticals in 2016 and intends to make bigger strides with respect to increasing existing accounts and acquiring more clients. “We anticipate becoming a 500+ member organization in next two years which allows us to further our mission for generating employment in our hill state. Post-2018, we would like to spread to other district headquarters like Solan and Nahan, and partner with the Government on certain projects in the near future. Developing some technology products for the benefits of our clients is also on the cards,” concludes Karan.