India-based multinational business process outsourcing (BPO) firm Fusion CX is expanding its footprint in the Philippines with the opening of new offices in the cities of Mandaluyong and Legazpi, signaling the country’s rising importance in the company’s operations.

Operating over 40 facilities in 15 countries, Fusion CX’s unit in the Philippines is now the company’s second-largest operations outside its headquarters in Kolkata, India.

With more than a decade of experience in the country, the BPO firm continues to grow with the launch of its newest delivery center at 500 Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City.

With approximately $4 million in investment, the facility features a command hub for artificial intelligence (AI), multichannel delivery zones, and collaborative workspaces.

The opening of its Mandaluyong City site comes on the heels of its new delivery center in Legazpi City, Albay province, which had an investment of $500,000.

These two offices will expand Fusion CX’s workforce by more than 1,000, bringing the company’s total to around 3,000, including its existing facilities in Manila, Cebu, and Cavite.

Fusion CX Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pankaj Dhanuka said the company is targeting to reach 5,000 employees by the middle of next year as it anticipates stronger demand from its clients.

For its Philippine clientele, Fusion CX primarily serves companies from the United States (US), covering sectors such as telecommunications, healthcare, retail, high-tech, banking, financial services, and insurance.

"We believe in the long-term potential of the Philippines—not just as a delivery hub, but as a strategic growth engine for global CX (customer experience)," said Dhanuka.

"Our continued investment here reflects our confidence in the country's talent and capability,” he added.

Dhanuka said the company’s growth strategy hinges on expanding not only in urban hubs such as Metro Manila, but also in regions with high potential such as Albay to foster inclusive growth.

He said they have no plans to build another facility at the moment, but they are actively exploring various areas outside the capital region to harness the strong talent of its work pool.

The official noted that upskilling and training of its employees in regional centers often take longer than their Metro Manila counterparts due to cultural and language barriers.

However, in the long run, he said the company sees better retention and productivity as a result.

“We are as much a Filipino company as we are an Indian company. So we now have begun to acquire a much greater understanding of what type of talent comes from the provinces. So, now our strategy is a combination of metro plus the provinces,” he said.

To further push its growth in the provinces, Fusion CX aims to leverage its AI tools such as Mindspeech under its AI solutions arm, Omind.

Mindspeech is a real-time accent harmonization technology that essentially removes a speaker’s heavy accent, making communication with a client more seamless.

“[People] who were earlier not getting a call center job because they may have a stronger accent or a stronger mother tongue influence, they now become eligible,” Dhanuka said.

Creating jobs outside urban centers, he said, is part of the company’s commitment to play a role in the total economic development of the country.

In return, he said the company benefits from a strong Filipino workforce, which he described as the best when it comes to commitment and adherence to processes out of the 15 countries Fusion CX operates in.

Further, the company is also expanding in the Philippines through acquisitions of BPO firms with substantial operations in the country.

In the first quarter alone, it acquired S4 Communications and Sequential Technology International, both of which have offices in Manila.