Non-Voice Roles Take Over Voice Roles in BPM Sector: CIEL Report

Entrepreneur

21-07-2025

About 74 per cent of the total open jobs are roles in non-voice, KPO, and emerging tech; Voice roles are down to 26 per cent. Attrition is the highest in voice-based roles (30-35 per cent), driven by limited career growth and rigid schedules
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India's business process management (BPM) sector is undergoing a profound transformation, according to the latest research report released by CIEL Works, part of leading HR firm CIEL HR Services. The report highlights a significant evolution in job profiles, geographical distribution, and talent strategies across the industry.
The report states that voice-based roles in the BPM sector are steadily declining, now making up just 26 per cent of active job openings. Hiring is increasingly skewed towards non-voice, KPO, and emerging technology roles, which together account for 74 per cent of current opportunities.
The emerging tech segment is experiencing exponential growth, with related roles nearly doubling year-over-year. This transition is being driven by rapid digital transformation across sectors like BFSI, healthcare, and retail, which is fuelling demand for BPM services powered by analytics, AI, and automation.
This shift in hiring patterns is also reflected in attrition trends across the BPM sector. Voice-based roles are experiencing the highest attrition, ranging from 30–35 per cent, largely due to non-standard shift patterns, rigid schedules, and limited career growth, with average tenures lasting just 8–10 months. These roles are typically filled by younger professionals aged 20–24, who often view them as short-term opportunities.
Commenting on the study, Aditya Narayan Mishra, Managing Director and CEO, CIEL HR, said, "India's BPM industry is undergoing its most defining shift in decades, one that is moving the sector from a cost-efficient voice model to a capability-led one. Traditional roles are losing relevance, and the next wave of growth will be led by professionals who continuously invest in upgrading their capabilities. As this sector continues to evolve, organisations that can effectively leverage the expanding talent pools in tier-II cities while adapting to the changing role mix will be best positioned for success."
Tier-II Cities Emerge as Strategic Talent Hubs
One of the most compelling trends identified in the report is the strategic shift of operations from tier-I to tier-II cities, with Jaipur, Mysuru, and Coimbatore emerging as significant talent hubs.
Tier-II cities are steadily gaining market share, particularly in digital-enabled roles. Mysuru has established itself as a prominent center for emerging technologies, positioning itself as a GenAI cluster. Jaipur demonstrates particular strength in voice and non-voice roles, while Coimbatore exhibits balanced capabilities across all categories.
Other tier-II cities are also carving out specialised niches. Kochi has surpassed Mysuru in analytics density, while Bhubaneswar is gaining ground in KPO (21 per cent). Despite traction from tier-II cities, Bengaluru continues to maintain leadership in voice, non-voice, and KPO segments, but ceded share in emerging tech to Hyderabad.
Gender disparity increases with technical complexity and specialisation, with female representation lowest in emerging tech (23 per cent) and highest in voice (38 per cent). Emerging tech shows the lowest entry-level composition (20 per cent), indicating the specialised nature of these roles and higher experience requirements.
Growth forecasts for 2025 show a clear trend toward hiring more experienced professionals across all job profiles, with the highest growth rates in senior and leadership bands. KPO leadership roles (13+ years) show the strongest projected growth (15 per cent), indicating investment in senior professionals.