NASSCOM, India's National Association of Software and Service Companies, today presented Aviva Executive Director and Norwich Union Executive Chairman, Patrick Snowball, with its Innovative Business Model Award as part of its Global Leadership Awards 2006-2007.
NASSCOM, India's National Association of Software and Service Companies, today presented Aviva Executive Director and Norwich Union Executive Chairman, Patrick Snowball, with its Innovative Business Model Award as part of its Global Leadership Awards 2006-2007.
These awards are given to organisations that have transformed the world's economy and also made a significant contribution to India's growth and development. The Innovative Business Model Award recognises business leaders who have leveraged India’s skills and knowledge, especially in the areas of IT services and BPO, to innovate and develop a competitive advantage in their industry.
Previous winners of the NASSCOM Global Leadership Awards include:
- Mr Craig Barrett, Chairman of Intel
- Mr Stephen Green, Chairman of HSBC
- Mr Ben Verwaayen, Chief Executive of BT
Accepting the award Patrick Snowball said: "The world is changing rapidly as leading-edge technology becomes more widely and rapidly accessible. In the insurance world, our customers’ buying habits reflect the changes taking place – illustrated by the fact that 50% of our new direct motor policies are now bought online. Norwich Union continues to be at the forefront of the industry – leading and adapting to change. Our excellent operations in India are critical for us to ensure we maintain a competitive advantage.
"It is clear that India's highly educated and motivated workforce is helping it to become a global power to be reckoned with, so I am pleased that we have set up our outstanding operations in India to enable us to be a part of this.
"I am delighted to accept the award on behalf of our Indian operations and it is a fitting testament to the hard work they have put in to developing an operation that we are immensely proud of."
Kiran Karnik, NASSCOM’s president, commented: "Aviva’s 'Build Operate Transfer' model is unique. The drive and insight shown by Patrick Snowball and his team has been instrumental in establishing centres of excellence here in India by harnessing the existing knowledge within the BPO sector. Working together Aviva and India’s BPO industry have developed a model which combines excellent customer service and business efficiency."
-ends-
Press office enquiries
James Evans, director of media relations, Norwich Union + 44 (0) 7800 699 525
Anuja Agarwal, head of communications, Aviva Global Services + 91 9822 091 002
Notes to editors
- The ‘Build Operate Transfer’ (BOT) model allows Aviva to benefit from the expertise already available in India's BPO sector by working with established suppliers to develop bespoke skills and systems. Once these processes are established and operating robustly the employees and infrastructure can then be transferred to Aviva's ownership.
- Aviva first invested in India in 2003 and worked with five key partners (EXL, WNS, 24/7, WIPRO and TCS) to develop its operations. Aviva now works at five sites in India and Sri Lanka: Pune, Bangalore, Noida, Chennai and Colombo. The company expects to employ around 7,800 throughout its Indian operations by the end of 2007.
- Aviva plc is the world’s fifth-largest insurance group and the UK’s largest insurance service provider (based on gross worldwide premiums at 31 December 2005), and is one of the leading providers of life and pension products to Europe, with substantial positions in other markets around the world.
- Norwich Union is the UK’s largest general insurer with a market share of around 14%, with a focus on insurance for individuals and small businesses. It is a leading provider of life, pensions and investment products and one of the largest financial adviser (FA) providers. FAs provide over 70% of the company's long-term savings business in the UK.