New Delhi: If you are dreaming of joining in India's big BPO industry, IGNOU, a popular distance learning university, is offering a six-month online course to prepare you.

Most of those enrolling for the course are students of commerce and accountancy.

The diploma course that has an intake of 50 students is structured in such a way that apart from the classes conducted on weekends, the students are exposed to an 'online lab' which will simulate the working environment of a BPO.

According to the National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom), over 1.1 million people are employed in the BPO industry in India. A significant number are below the age of 30. The industry is expected to employ 2.5-3 million professionals by 2010, contributing 7-8 percent of the national GDP.

India, which has a large English-speaking work force, has seen BPOs and call centers mushroom, particularly in major metropolitan cities.

According to C. Gajendra Naidu, director, IGNOU School of Vocational Education and Training, the course fills the industry's requirement gaps and is more effective than taking up a job and learning hands on.

S. Laxminarayana, department head at IGNOU's Sambhram Academy of Management Studies, told sources 'The course reduces the training time and is cost effective to the recruiting company as well.'

The online practicals make the student familiar with the systems used in a BPO. It makes them more productive. In fact we have many students who did not know the working of a computer and are now computer savvy.'

'Our main objective for this course was that students would not have to undergo training when they do join a BPO. Since the first batch of 50 students is small, Accenture will hire them all based on merit. However, when the numbers grow to more than 100 students, we will arrange placements directly into the industry,' he said.

In collaboration with Accenture Services Pvt Ltd, the course was launched this year in Janaury.