Feature

India beckons

While it is not easy to adjust to a new professional and social environment back home, returnees are rediscovering their roots and want to be a part of the country’s booming IT sector, says Vinutha V

For most Indian IT professionals, the US has always been the destination. Students who left the country and never came back cited a lack of opportunities in India. This is no longer true. With global companies zeroing in on India as a destination for low-cost, high quality work, the scenario has changed. Professionals, who had gone to the US for better opportunities and lifestyle, are packing their bags to head home. Coming back, however, does not guarantee that their expectations will be met, but opportunities and the sense of belonging nullify the problems of adjustment.

Reverse brain drain

The growth of the infotech economy has transformed India into a hiring destination. Other factors adding to this trend are an improved standard of living and a thriving technology and services industry. Metropolitan cities in India today offer a quality of life comparable to those in many global cities. The retailing industry has grown by leaps and bounds and offers a shopping experience on par with international standards. In addition, excellent education facilities for kids, state-of-the-art lifestyle complexes, and fun-filled activities like adventure tourism, are now common.

Additionally, the salary structure in India, though not on par with those in the US, holds potential for savings. Repeated portrayals of India as an attractive IT career destination by the US media is making them aware of the opportunities. After the US recession in 2001, people with two to three years of experience preferred coming back to India, as they could not get good opportunities. Today, the experience range of returnees starts at 2 years at junior levels and goes up to 15 for senior positions. Most organisations in India have been been hiring returnees having 6 to 15 years of experience.

Gautam Sinha, Chief Executive Officer of TVA Infotech says, “Earlier it was fashionable to go abroad and settle there. Presently, it’s become more socially acceptable and fashionable to return to India. People in the US are keen on getting more challenging jobs, including

R&D-based work, which are available in the country. The growing trend of offshoring combined with rising employment opportunities in India is drawing Indian IT professionals settled abroad to return home. Interestingly, companies going for the offshoring model prefer local people.”

Finding roots

Another reason for India’s popularity with international firms is their need to keep ahead of competitors in a global business climate requiring a seamless 24-hour customer service. Meena Sinha, Head of HR, Training and Administration, Misys International Financial Systems says, “The value chain of IT-related work in India has moved up from mere body shopping to project development to product development. The Indian IT sector now promises good job content. Unlike in the past, the potential for savings in the US can now be replicated in India as well.”

There are other strong personal reasons: Increasingly, people settled in the US are concerned about their children losing touch with their roots and culture. They are also keen to stay close to their aged parents and be a part of their lives.

Scene not so rosy

Some Indian companies are focussing on returnees who have worked on new technologies. In the last month alone, a significant percentage of people hired are from overseas. Chinnikrishna Kommi Managing Director Trilogy E-Business Software India

Although returnees are aware of the salary structure in India, they come with unrealistic salary expectations. It is only for senior levels that Indian companies are willing to pay the US standard for salaries. Industry experts point out that unless an individual possesses expected domain and management skills, the person is not eligible for higher salaries. At senior managerial levels, they can demand a good package from Indian companies—for salary as well as the position.

The scene is however not rosy for those who have been given employment by a body shopping firm. Unless they upgrade their skill-sets, they are bound to face a tough time in finding better opportunities in India. There could even be a mismatch between the organisational structure and the roles being offered. Kris Lakshmikanth, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, The Head Hunters (India) adds, “Most IT companies in India have different hierarchical structures, unlike clearly defined roles abroad. An employee here juggles with many job responsibilities. Handling such situations could lead to some frustration.” As many Indian IT companies still consider seniority to be a factor in promoting employees, at the age of 40 for instance, they are expected to handle 500 people. On the contrary, a person of the same age abroad would have handled just 25 people. There would be a huge mismatch in roles and responsibilities. The exposure to multiple responsibilities is very low in US companies. On the contrary, in Indian organisations, with increased demand for higher growth, an employee is likely to reach a senior role in a short span of time. For instance, one can remain in coding for five to eight years in the US. In this time one can reach the level of a project designer in India.

“Many companies, here will not prefer those who have done ‘standard’ jobs such as project development or project management in the US without any technical growth,” says Bharath C, Assistant Manager, HR, Apara Enterprises Solutions. Furthermore, having worked in clearly defined roles and fixed working hours, it may seem a little difficult to cope with longer working hours in India.

Greener pastures

The growing trend of offshoring combined with rising employment opportunities in the country is attracting Indian IT professionals settled abroad to return home. Gautam Sinha Chief Executive Officer TVA Infotech

The transition phase that seems too difficult and long initially, is offset by the advantages of being with one’s own people and having a secure job. People who find it difficult to cope with the Indian working environment sometimes migrate to MNC offshoring companies, which offer a US-like culture. Sinha of TVA Infotech points out that there could be a few incidents when returnees to India decide to go back to the US, but such cases are rare.

Chinnikrishna Kommi, Managing Director of Trilogy E-Business Software India, who had 13-year stint in the US and then returned to India, feels that the exposure to technology is creating opportunities in India. He adds, “Some Indian companies are focussing on returnees who have worked on new technologies. Additionally, Indian companies will be expanding their domain knowledge base. In the last month alone, a significant percentage of people hired are from overseas.” As the value chain of IT work is moving up, Indian companies are seeing robust growth. Gradually, Indian IT players are offering salaries that match US standards in the Indian context.

Welcome back

Indian companies are gradually adopting global practices. The trend of taking care of employees has increased significantly. Since the entire relocation process is handled professionally, returnees are not complaining.

In the recent past, IT majors have been turning in good numbers and their global brand name holds great promise. According to industry experts, a large percentage of profiles received by IT companies are from returning Indians. Another push has come from the government in the budget for 2005—a promise to generate 70 lakh IT jobs by 2009. With such patronage, returnees are ready to overlook the difficulties that they come across. People have realised that the country’s tech revolution offers the dual advantage of working in a sophisticated tech environment in a land that’s their own.

vinutha@expresscomputeronline.com