The Holy Father’s gentle nudge to his flock to watch out for unholy ghosts lurking in the free market is putting the fear of God in
India’s $50-billion outsourcing industry.
Pope Benedict XVI’s Encyclical released last week raised pointed questions on the adverse impact of outsourcing, although it steered clear of addressing the issue in region or religion-specific terms.
“The so-called outsourcing of production can weaken the company’s sense of responsibility towards the stakeholders — namely the workers, the suppliers, the consumers, the natural environment and broader society — in favour of the shareholders, who are not tied to a specific geographical area and who, therefore, enjoy extraordinary mobility,” notes the Encyclical.
India’s outsourcing sector, which counts top global corporations as its customers and is up against rising protectionist clamour in the US, was quick to react, citing the inevitability of outsourcing in the era of globalisation and the importance of seeing business as what it is: business.
