How the BPO industry contributes to the formation of a consumerist new middle class in Mumbai

The last few years have seen an emergence of interest in the new middle classes in the Global South as its consumption demand has been resilient in spite of the economic crisis of 2008–2009. These new middle classes are expected to assume the traditional role of the American and European middle classes as global consumers and play a key role in rebalancing the world economy (ADB, 2010; Kharas, 2010; Wilson and Dragusanu, 2008). India is one of the emerging market economies where the new middle class is exploding in numbers. It is predicted that by 2025, India’s new middle class will account for 59 per cent of the country’s spending power and moreover, India will surpass Germany as the world’s fifth largest consumer market (Ablett et al., 2007).