Author: Kris Lakshmikanth
Publication: The Week
Date: March 7, 2004
URL: http://www.the-week.com/24mar07/currentevents_article10.htm#3
Not so long ago, we were chasing
jobs around the world. Today as a headhunter, I am witnessing the first
trickles of what I call, for want of a better word, reverse migration.
I get phone calls and emails from
foreigners seeking jobs in India. The other day I got a call from Tokyo.
The caller was Joe, an American who had read about my work in The International
Herald Tribune. He was a victim of the downturn in the Silicon Valley in
the US, one of those whose jobs had migrated permanently to India. Joe
had come to Tokyo in search of work. His assignment in Japan was getting
over and he was willing to relocate to India.
Two weeks back, one of our Indian
clients from the old economy-a leading garment exporter-hired Darlene,
a fashion designer from Frank-furt. She wanted the India job because she
felt there were more opportunities for her talent here rather than in Europe.
I met Darlene recently in Chennai and was amazed at her enthu-siasm for
India. This morning I was on the email with Therese, a young call centre
manager in Kansas. Therese had sent me an unsolicited mail with her biodata.
Since her profile interested one of my Indian clients, I phoned her. She
was ready to take the next flight to India, her only query being about
some interesting Indian Web sites that could describe how life is for a
single American woman here.
Let us not forget that only 60 years
back, over a quarter million Englishmen were in this country on work. Today
the clock has turned 'full circle'. Here are some interesting facts: The
CEO of Ranbaxy is a foreigner. The CEO of Taj Hotels is another. These,
as you know, are Indian companies, India-born, India-bred. Many MNCs have
foreigners in various roles. Even our desi MNC, Infosys, has several hundreds
of foreigners on their rolls. In fact, my apartment complex has several
foreigners working for Infosys, and not all are in senior jobs.
What does this mean to Indians?
Shouldn't we complain that our jobs are going to foreigners? My only answer
is: we are truly globalising. We are importing talent that is not available
in this country. Fields like fashion designing, biotechnology, software
products engineering, and advanced healthcare will attract increasing numbers
of foreigners to India. If India plays its cards right, it can become the
no. 1 knowledge production centre of the world by 2006.
More than three dozen US majors
are already setting up shops in India. A revolution is about to happen.
Well-paid technology jobs are shifting to India and China, which are low-
cost centres. The number of jobs outsourced to India is rising. Every leading
company in the US or Europe has to have an India strategy. By 2010, we
can expect our salaries to be on par with the world. Headhunting companies
like ours will become even busier next year.
(The writer is founder CEO &
managing director, The Head Hunters India, Bangalore.)
