15 per cent of US IT to be done in India

Over the next six years, 15 per cent of information technology jobs required by US companies will be done in India, a new report predicts.

But while some US-based jobs might move overseas, offshore outsourcing can help the economy as a whole, according to the report, from AMR Research. The analysis firm on Wednesday said its research shows that companies reinvest 60 per cent of cost savings attributed to outsourcing in IT or business unit projects. AMR projects that by 2010, savings from offshore outsourcing will spark an added $30bn per year in new investments from US companies.

The firm said in its report: "Outsourcing to India will aid the US economy if the savings from outsourcing continue to be reinvested in new strategic projects."

Sending high-skilled work such as technology tasks to lower-wage locations, such as India, has emerged as a hot-button issue. Defenders of offshore outsourcing say it ultimately benefits the US economy and its workers. Critics claim that the practice eliminates high-paying jobs and threatens the nation's long-term technological leadership.

Comprehensive information about the scale and impact of what's sometimes called offshoring has been lacking, but the US Congress recently passed a bill that would set aside $2m to study the issue.

The new AMR report estimates that the Indian IT labour force will be larger than three million by 2010, and half of the workers will be performing jobs for US companies.

Companies that effectively outsource to India can reduce the cost of data centre operations, help desk support and other non-strategic activities by 40 per cent to 50 per cent, AMR said.

With average IT labour costs in the United States approaching $80,000 per worker per year, "a worker in India represents a $36,000 saving per year, and 1.5 million workers represent $54bn in savings each year," AMR said.

Ed Frauenheim writes for CNET News.com.