India a clear leader in offshore outsourcing: Gartner

The increasing competition notwithstanding, India has maintained its top position among the global sourcing destinations with the market opportunity expected to go up to 50 billion dollars by 2007, research and analyst firm Gartner has said.

"Although more options for external service provision are becoming available worldwide, India remains the market leader with a majority of essential resources and a sufficiently robust technology infrastructure," the firm said.

It has predicted that by 2007, total global offshore spending on IT services will reach 50 billion dollars.

"Strong governmental support is rapidly propelling China's capabilities into the frame, while Latin America, Brazil and Mexico are increasingly becoming attractive options. In Eastern Europe, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Russia are among the countries to watch," Gartner said.