Aegis to create 600 call centre jobs in Manchester

Six hundred call centre jobs are to be created in Manchester by Indian outsourcing firm Aegis.

The jobs will be based at offices in Piccadilly Gardens in the city centre, to open by the end of the year.

Aegis provides back-office functions such as accounting, finance, human resources and IT, to other firms, who are able to cut overheads by outsourcing these parts of their business.

The multibillion-pound outsourcing market in the UK is forecast to grow, with the coalition Government eager for the public sector to be opened up to private sector competition.

Aparup Sengupta, global CEO and managing director of Aegis, said: "We're delighted to be launching our European presence with a new customer centre in Manchester.

"Our strategy is to ensure that people calling our centres get an excellent experience, and we think that generally, the best way to do that is to have a strong onshore presence, rather than having centres offshore."

Aegis is one of the world's largest outsourcing businesses with more 50,000 employees across the globe, but it is the first time the firm has entered the European market. It is part of the multibillion-pound Essar Group.

Lord Green, UK Minister of State for Trade & Investment, said: "This is a clear testimony of confidence in the UK economy and another success story of a large Indian conglomerate using the UK as a springboard for global growth."

The firm said its decision to open a customer centre in Manchester followed a consultation process with local businesses and civic leaders in the city.

Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, said: "This is excellent news for the city and we look forward to welcoming a major firm like Aegis to Manchester.

"Winning this significant investment shows how Manchester has both the infrastructure and the workforce to attract global business to the city. It also demonstrates that we can compete on the world stage to generate much-needed jobs and investment."