South-east Asia rises as offshoring powerhouse amid MNCs’ cost-cutting drive: Knight Frank

MALAYSIA continues to secure its prized third spot as the world’s best global offshoring location, next to giants India and China. The country’s strong digital ecosystem, competitive real estate prices and rich pool of skilled digital talents make it a standout in South-east Asia for global companies, said a recent report.

Challenging economic conditions – chiefly higher operating costs for multinationals – have also turned its regional peers Vietnam and the Philippines into promising outsourcing hubs, said real estate consultancy firm Knight Frank in a report Asia-Pacific Horizon: Harnessing the Potential of Offshoring.

The report, released this week, said the global offshoring market is expected to grow to US$544.8 billion in 2032, from US$245.9 billion in 2022 – an 8.5 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR).