The call centre industry in Pakistan has experienced substantial growth over the past two decades.

Initially, the sector primarily focused on telemarketing and customer support for international businesses.

However, over time, Pakistani call centres have expanded their services to include technical support, sales, and back-office operations.

Pakistan’s appeal as a call centre hub lies in its cost-effective services, skilled workforce, and multilingual capabilities.

The industry also employs a large number of young professionals, offering respectable salaries ranging from Rs50,000 to Rs400,000, depending on skills and experience.

Call centres in Pakistan primarily cater to the US market, which, according to experts, offers significant advantages. A small call centre can be set up in the country with a minimum investment of Rs1 million.

Pakistani call centres offer a wide range of services, including customer support, telemarketing and sales, technical support, order taking and processing, market research and surveys, debt collection, help desk services, virtual assistance, interactive voice response (IVR) services, social media and messaging support, and subscription and membership management.

Dabbay ka kaam

However, during the Covid-19 pandemic, some miscreants began exploiting certain call centres for fraudulent activities, a practice known in the industry as “dabbay ka kaam.” The origins of this term remain unclear, but it refers to call centres engaging in illegal operations.

These individuals targeted ordinary citizens, particularly elderly and senior citizens, using deceptive tactics. Sometimes, they lured victims with lucrative offers, while at other times, they resorted to threats to extort money.

In any case, the main purpose of this set-up is to deprive innocent people of their money and savings.

Overall, the call centre industry in Pakistan is thriving. Whether you want to build a career in this field or start your own business, it offers vast opportunities — like a pond full of fish.