# Australian firms offshoring back‑office jobs to India

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/australian-firms-offshoring-backoffice-jobs-to-india
> Updated: 2026-08-07T00:04:23.000Z. Sources: 11. Developments: 2.

In early August 2026, Qantas announced it was evaluating a plan, called Project iQ, to move up to 1,000 back‑office positions—including marketing, finance and HR—to India in partnership with Accenture. The airline cited AI‑driven efficiency goals and noted earlier disputes with the Australian Services Union over technology‑related job cuts.

A few days later, Coles disclosed a similar initiative, extending its Accenture partnership to shift up to 1,000 back‑office roles to India. The supermarket chain emphasized cost savings and access to digital‑skill talent while promising redeployment or upskilling for affected staff. The announcement referenced a broader trend among Australian corporations such as Woolworths, Telstra and NAB, which are also relocating support functions abroad to manage wage pressures and digital disruption.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-07: Coles to offshore hundreds of back‑office jobs to India

Coles will move up to 1,000 back‑office jobs to India via Accenture, part of a broader cost‑cutting trend among Australian firms.

8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/coles-to-offshore-hundreds-of-backoffice-jobs-to-india

### 2026-08-03: Qantas evaluates moving up to 1,000 roles to India

Qantas is considering offshoring up to 1,000 back‑office jobs to India with Accenture under Project iQ, aiming to boost AI‑driven efficiency; no deal is final yet.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/qantas-evaluates-moving-up-to-1000-roles-to-india

---
Cite as: Australian firms offshoring back‑office jobs to India. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/australian-firms-offshoring-backoffice-jobs-to-india