Pakistan’s call centers maintained solid growth and expansion within the operations and revenues, which earned over $300 million foreign exchange in the outgoing financial year 2024-25.
According to the data released by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the segment of call centers/ Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) made revenues of $328 million from the foreign clients in FY25 as compared to $263 million revenues reported in FY24, showing a double-digit growth of 24.6 percent year-on-year.
President Call Centers Association of Pakistan (CCAP) Adeel Azhar said that call center sector is making significantly strides in the country in terms of expansions and business deals with foreign clients of different countries, including Germany, Spain, Italy, Dubia, US and etc.
Overall 90 percent of the call centers are serving foreign clients whereas rest of the companies are working for multinational and utilities companies in Pakistan, he told ProPakistani.
There are more than 1,000 Call Centers registered with Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) and 500 other sizeable call centers operating in different cities. Besides, a number of small call centers are also working for different domestic and international clients as a part of the software houses, digital, or ecommerce agencies. These centers collectively employ over a million people, enhancing Pakistan’s standing as a competitive hub in the global outsourcing market.
The increasing foreign exchange earnings through call center segment is set to increase further which will also increase its contribution and exports of overall IT enabled services, he added.
Despite growth in expansion and revenues, the call center segment is facing a challenge of bad reputation due to emergence of call centers involved in the fraudulent activities.
The local authorities have decided to crackdown the call centers with fraudulent activities and arrested a few people operating their network in Pakistan.
The illicit operations of a small number of so-called “Dabba scam” call centers, reportedly involved in scams targeting Western countries, have raised questions about the industry’s integrity said. Muhammad Umair Nizam, Senior Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA).
Nizam reaffirmed the IT industry’s support for efforts by relevant authorities to eliminate such illegal entities. He stressed the importance of maintaining perspective, noting that the vast majority of Pakistan’s IT and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector operates with integrity and professionalism, delivering high-quality services to international clients.
Addressing comparisons with other countries, Nizam pointed out that India, not Pakistan, is widely recognized as the global hub for large-scale scam operations, often referred to as the “Dabba Capital of the World.” He reiterated Pakistan’s focus on fostering an ethical, globally competitive tech industry. While he supports decisive action against fraudsters, he warned against overreaching crackdowns that could harm the broader, law-abiding IT sector.
As Pakistan rises in the global call center arena, traditionally dominated by India and the Philippines, it is positioning itself as a serious contender.