Registering a Call Center in India (DOT OSP)

Introduction to Call Center Registration

Whether you want to incorporate a call center in your current company's services or start call center from scratch, there are a lot of things to consider for starting such services. Many times companies wish to extend their services and provide streamlined customer support since their business has grown substantially. According to the New Telecom Policy (NTP) 1999, companies providing services like tele-banking, tele-medicine, tele education, tele trading, e-commerce, call center  and any other IT enabled services using telecom resources come under "Other Service Providers"(OSP).  OSPs have to get OSP registration from the Department of Telecommunication to start a call center. In case you were wondering what BPOs technically are and intricate details about how to start accumulating resources to startup your own BPO look at Comprehensive Guide to Start a BPO in India. In this article, we focus more upon the technical aspects of registration of a BPO/ call center. The procedure to start call center is not as complicated and needs only a calm head and careful considerations.

Applicability of OSP Registration to Start Call Center

As discussed above, If a company utilizes telecom resources to sell IT-enabled services, they have to register for OSP license. The Telecom department formulated terms and conditions which dictate that they should take telecom resources from a registered phone operator only. The terms and conditions also prohibit companies to provide switched telephony. So what comes under telecom resources? Telecom resources are as follows: Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), Public Switched  Telecom Network, Public Land Mobile Network and/ or the bandwidth of telecom services by an authorized telecom service provider.

Requirements for OSP Registration

Any company/ entity/service provider has to be a private limited company if it wants to obtain OSP registration. Hence it is important to incorporate a private limited company before proceeding with OSP registration. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) is taking great steps to ensure faster processing of company incorporation applications. The ministry aims to do so with One-Day Company Incorporation with SPICe. The company has to start with the application form for OSP registration with the proper format. You can click the link of Department of Telecommunication OSP  registration page to download the format of the form. Along with the properly filled forms companies have to submit a few documents to ensure a smooth registration process.

Document Checklist for OSP Registration

Following are the documents that a company has to produce in order to acquire OSP registration. Please note that these documents have to be certified by seal of either the Company Secretary or Director of the Company or a Statutory Auditor or a Public Notary

•   Private Limited Company Incorporation Certificate
• Memorandum of Association (MoA) and Articles of Association (AoA)
• Board of Resolution or Power of Attorney authorizing the authorized signatory
• Activities Planned along with Name of Business
• List of Directors
• Present Shareholding

Compliances of OSP Registration

A company after it's OSP registration has to stay compliant with guidelines set by the Department of Telecommunication (DOT) in order to ensure smooth day-to-day functionality. The OSP license is valid for a maximum of 20 years unless explicitly mentioned otherwise. Registered OSPs have to file an Annual return to stay compliant with their registration. This annual return should mention activities being conducted in the present capacity of the firm. Companies have to file an Annual return for OSP license renewal 6 months before the financial year concludes. In addition to these, OSP should remain compliant with the terms and conditions set by the Department of Telecommunication. You can take a look at the latest terms and conditions set by DOT here. Still not clear on how to proceed with the registration? Try professional help to start call center after all, it needs to be done right and within legal bounds. Here at LegalRaasta we provide a wide array of services including OSP registration, Private Limited Company Incorporation among others. Shoot us an e-mail at [email protected] or give us a ring at +91- 8750008585.