World Bank bans India outsourcer Satyam for 8 years

this could be big blow to Indian Business and people working for satyam.

World Bank bans India outsourcer Satyam for 8 years ? The Register

No longer friends with ‘improper benefits’

By Austin Modine • Get more from this author

Posted in Financial News, 24th December 2008 19:07 GMT

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The World Bank has barred India’s Satyam Computer Services – the aid institution’s largest software vendor and India’s fourth-largest outsourcing company – from doing business with it for eight years.

On Tuesday, World Bank confirmed earlier reports of the ban in a statement that said Satyam had provided “improper benefits” to bank staff and failed to “maintain documentation to support fees charged for its subcontractors.”

The decision was made effective in September and was made after a temporary suspension of Satyam that took effect in February.

News of the barring was first reported in October by Fox News, which further alleges World Bank investigators discovered spy software installed by one or more Satyam contractors on workstations in the bank’s Washington DC headquarters.

The World Bank denies these claims, stating “there is no evidence that Satyam was involved in malicious attacks on the Bank’s information systems.”

Satyam began contract work for the World Bank in 2003, maintaining software across all its locations and back-end office support.

The Hyderabad-based company has its work cut out to restore its reputation. Satyam was recently forced by an investor revolt to call off a $1.6bn acquisition of two construction firms partially owned by Ramalinga Raju and his family.

UK mobile payments company Upaid Systems is also suing Satyam on charges of fraud, forgery and breach of contract.

Re: World Bank bans India outsourcer Satyam for 8 years

two of my former colleagues went to satyam's world bank projects as contractors in 2003, and bailed within a year noting that the entire mgmt structure of the outfit and operation was a disaster. and these are not junior ppl I am talking about, one was the CEO of a small consulting company (100-150 onsultants) and another one was a former principal of a big 5 consulting company.

not surprised to hear this.

Re: World Bank bans India outsourcer Satyam for 8 years

Tata is still the standard, but I would say Reliance has made some major strides.

I don't see a backlash against Indian companies though, that is not how things work. Indian BPO/IT vulnerabilities are more linked to the global slow down.

Working on a TMT deal team, I can say that up until 1st qtr 08, Indian firms were pretty buoyant and active players in the global M&A scene. They have gotten overly cautious of late, which in my opinion, is not best way to go, considering the undervalued buying opportunities at the present time.