Arin Basu edited summary.tex  almost 9 years ago

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\textit{Abstract}   We argue in this paper that as India is emerging continues  to assert her "soft power" by influencing other countries, she is also becoming increasingly connected to her pattern of transaction with  the rest of the world. world is changing.  In turn, thisinteraction  has resulted in a unique occupational/population health situation problem  that warrants examination. Two significant developments since mid-1990s in India helped to establish India's pre-eminent position as an influencer. First, Since mid-1990s,  Indian entrepreneurs established "business process outsourcing centres" (BPO and Call Centres) in India  that served back offices to the developed countries; second, further,  the Y2K crisis in computing  provided opportunities to for  Information Technology literate Indians professionals from India  find overseas jobs. Bothphenomena  contributed to India's economic growth but also exposed Indians to life stresses in the developed countries.In call centres, Indians were exposed to additional burdens of working in night hours and stresses of interaction with clients from a foreign country and meeting their demands. How call centres treat the employees in India became a topic of occupational well-being of Indians.  BPOs are important tools India uses to project her soft power, yet how do the working conditions in BPOs affect the health conditions of their employees?  We present our findings from a survey conducted in Bengaluru, India and highlight health issues related to stress and work associated with BPO. We also draw a parallel with a survey of health effects observed among Indians and compared with other immigrants in Auckland DHB region in New Zealand. In the light of these findings, we discuss the broader question how should India address health issues to create a better environment for its own citizens even as it realises its aspiration as a global soft power.