A self-regulatory body is set up by the Indian information technology (IT) sector. This move has come up after the theft of data, by 3 employees of a BPO firm. The main aim of the body is tighten security in the IT industry. The move is to bolster overseas clients that India is safe for business. A lot of instances have stirred the IT sector to set up a strict surveillance. One such incidence is the arrest of three employees of Mphasis, a Bangalore outsourcing firm for allegedly stealing $US350,000 from Citibank account-holders in New York. Following this within a period of 3 months an IT employee in New Delhi was reported to have sold confidential data on 1000 banking customers.
It is said that Nasscom would set up the independent regulatory body. Sunil Mehta, vice-president of Nasscom, India's software employers' association, said that this would attract overseas clients. It would be launched as soon as they have commissioned a chief executive. The foreign companies would come to India rather than choose rival offshoring locations. It is proposed that Nasscom will set up this body with $US300,000. The body is embodied with powers to audit its members as well as to punish those that fail to comply with regulations. As of now about 1050 companies have agreed to become its members which are a representative of 98 % of the IT industry.
