Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) Sector Industries Might be Cut Down to Size, but Globalization Will Continue

This IISD commentary discusses the impact of fraud allegations within the Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) sector, specifically citing the Satyam Computer Services Ltd. scandal, while arguing that the sector remains essential for sustainable development and globalization.

• The fraud scandal involving India-based Satyam Computer Services Ltd. is characterized by allegations that the CEO and financial controller defrauded shareholders and stakeholders, with an estimated billion dollars missing and further financial discrepancies expected.
• The Satyam scandal occurred despite the presence of high-profile board members—including a former cabinet secretary, the inventor of the Intel Pentium chip, and academics from the India School of Business and Harvard—and the filing of financial disclosures with regulators in India and the U.S.
• The author argues that the Satyam embezzlement differs from the Madoff scandal because it affected institutional investors, socially responsible investment funds, and 53,000 employees rather than just wealthy private investors.
• Despite corporate scandals, the ITES sector has contributed to lower income economies by enabling diversification away from low-end agriculture and manufacturing toward higher-end industries and providing intelligence for resource-efficient value chains in sectors such as energy, transport, and medical services.
• The document asserts that while the ITES sector may be reduced in size, globalization will persist and the sector is indispensable for achieving sustainable development.

APA

Perera, O. (2009). Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) Sector Industries Might be Cut Down to Size, but Globalization Will Continue. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/com_ites_outsource.pdf

Chicago

Perera, Oshani. Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) Sector Industries Might be Cut Down to Size, but Globalization Will Continue. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2009. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/com_ites_outsource.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Perera |first1=Oshani |title=Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) Sector Industries Might be Cut Down to Size, but Globalization Will Continue |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=January 2009 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/com_ites_outsource.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{perera2009information, author = {Perera, Oshani}, title = {{Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) Sector Industries Might be Cut Down to Size, but Globalization Will Continue}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2009}, month = jan, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/com_ites_outsource.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }