I never thought I’d see the day…
Graduate students from top schools in the United States, most from [MBA] programs, are vying for internships at India’s biggest private companies… Bypassing internship opportunities on Wall Street… they went to India to spend the summer at an outsourcing company in Gurgaon, a suburb of New Delhi…
Infosys Technologies, the country’s second-largest outsourcing firm after Tata Consultancy Services, discovered how popular India had become as an internship destination for Americans when the company began recruiting: for the 40 intern spots at its Bangalore headquarters, the company received 9,000 applications… [Link]
This brings a tear to my eye. It also makes me want to warn Gurgaon (‘the village of gurus’) and Bangalore (‘lots of banging’) of the mercenary MBA hordes of Genghis Cant. During the Net bubble, they descended en masse upon our quaint silvered shire in their X3s, treating the muscular engine of history like a poodle to be shorn, bobbed and bowed. Like life-sized Edna Modes, they declared technology first supernova-hot and then old and busted within months, fleeing back to Manhattan with hype in tow.
The final 40, who cut a wide academic swath from engineering schools like M.I.T. and Carnegie Mellon to business schools like Stanford, Wharton and Kellogg, have since arrived on campus for average stays of three months… They live in a 500-room hotel complex on Infosys’s expansive campus in the suburbs of Bangalore, exchanging coupons for meals at the food court and riding the company bus downtown to decompress at the many pubs and bars… Many are in India to study globalization firsthand, Mr. Karnik said; that is often not possible in China because, unlike India, English is not widely spoken there… [Link]
Meanwhile, engineers building difficult things toiled away their midnight hours, oblivious to the fabrics and hemlines of the season and the pronouncements foisted confidently upon them by those who knew nothing about the field. It’s not that they didn’t know. It’s that they didn’t even know they didn’t know. In their minds they’d partied hearty, earned shiny badges and woken up with the right of divine rule.
But this one line is close to my heart:
“No longer is India thought of as a land of snake charmers and bride burnings,” he said. “Now India means the world’s best software services, and increasingly, pharmaceuticals and auto parts.” … the sophistication of the work being done in Copal’s Gurgaon office contrasts with the chaotic city outside. Mr. Simonsen said he was amazed. “I came expecting to see number-crunching and spreadsheet type of work; I didn’t expect American banks to farm out intricate analytics…” [Link]
~Sniff~ Ahhhh, the sweet smell of respect. All is forgiven, yo. Come on over here with your cute little ‘decision matrices’ and your ‘feasibility studies’ and give uncle Manish a hug. Now iron out those preppy ties and ribbon belts, brush off those deck shoes and go chat up reporters. Because everybody likes a minty-fresh smile 
My brother wants his daughter to speak Hindi so she can work for an Indian company or an American company with Indian ties someday. He says this sort of cheekily, but he really means it. “If she knows English, Spanish, and Hindi or one other Indian language, she’s set”, he says. More options for the kiddo (who’s a gorgeous toddler)…..the funny thing is, neither of us bothered to learn Hindi growing up here in the US. Our parents were too laid back to make us (they can be wierdly un-desi in some things. Cranky iconoclasts is how I describe them, and they are gorgeous and wonderful parents). It’s just not their style (although I really wish I could speak Hindi. I understand it though. Thanks to Bollywood.)
*The fashion peoples are stealing the whole preppy/’ethnic’ schtick from me! I have so been doing the preppy look mixed with the bangles or beads or the chappal etc for years. I am so ahead of my time. Or not. (Can you tell I really, really want you guys to fashion blog more?)
After reading this article, I feel more compelled to ask this question:
Do Indian companies discriminate against foreigners of Indian origin? Would they rather have caucasian-looking Americans instead?
After graduating from college during The Bust, many of my fellow graduates were unable to find work. There were no technical jobs because all the entry level work was in India (at that time… it’s changed since then).
I suggested to two different people (both of whom grew up in India, but came to America for college) to go back to India and look for work there. But they told me that Indian companies over there did not want to hire them because of their American education – that the American education somehow made them more prone to jump ship or be less loyal.
In the NY Times story, all of the students in the photos and the story are Caucasian (with the exception of a single Jewish kid). I never hear about Indian-Americans being hired by Indian companies to work in India. Is this because 1) Indian companies don’t hire Indian-Americans, or 2) I haven’t heard about it because nobody has written a news story about it yet?
In the NY Times story, all of the students in the photos and the story are Caucasian (with the exception of a single Jewish kid).
jewish kids aren’t caucasian?
Through our Engineering Career Assistance Center in my university in Austin, TX, there were many job postings for interns for Infosys. I just waved my had away. Until I read this. Never realized that it seems to be some sort of prestige issue to intern at Infosys.
Even in my undergrad in India, I hardly gave a second thought for internship…
Wouldn’t be surprised….Indian restaurants certainly do. (pay attention to it next time you’re at one). May be the same phenomenon.
this is hilarious, Stanford isn’t an engineering school? Give me a break! Stanford has one of the strongest engineering schools and one of the strongest business schools as well. (yeah I’m a biased alum, but it’s true…)
i like the caricature.
Do Indian companies discriminate against foreigners of Indian origin? Would they rather have caucasian-looking Americans instead?
Could it be that foreigners of Indian originas, aka 1.5/2 gen desis are actually more hung up about working in India than non-desis? How many 1.5/2 gen desis would have given a serious thought to working in India as a professional as opposed to US/UK/Canada?
If anything, most 1.5/2nd gen desis in the US that I know – even the ones who are fairly comfortable with their cultural heritage and have not been done in by the cow-curry-caste stereotypes while growing up – seem to think that the idea of working in India as ludicrous. I have observed that the whole notion of India becoming a world-class economy with highly competitve and global professional standards is somehow just unpalalatable to them. On the other hand, the caucasians that I know of seem to be a lot more open to the idea and amenable to understanding the phenomenal rise of Inida’s economic power at a much deeper level. I don’t know why that is the case – I’d love to hear any speculations from people on this blog. My personal theory is that 1.5/2nd gen desis don’t look upon anything Indian unless it is approved of by non-desis, celebrities, media, or other sources.
Which reminds me – am I the only one slight offended by seeing this story posted under “humor”? what’s so funny about this story? And what’s with such a dismissive title about foreigners descending upon “Gaon Federation”? Inspite of your sneering attitude towards what Indians from India have accomplished while fighting wars and facing terrible internal problems, India’s “gaons” like Gurgaon and Bangalore are doing just fine – thank you very much. They are the places that offer a beacon of light to countless Indians who hope to work hard, compete with the very best in the world and make a better life for themselves. It wasn’t easy for them to sell software in the eighties to make this miracle possible when India was seen as a third-world stink hole and Apu was probably the pinnacle of achievement for an Indian. Perhaps they deserve to be treated with a tad more dignity and respect, and their stupendous achievements to reduce poverty and hunger seen with a little more appreciation.
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blockquote>Do Indian companies discriminate against foreigners of Indian origin? Would they rather have caucasian-looking Americans instead?
Maybe they are just trying to promote racial and cultural diversity in the workplace. They already got enough brown.
Seriously though, I suspect though its a satus thing for a desi company to have pardesis working for them. It establishes them on a global scale and diffrentiates them from their smaller competitors.
For the interns it gives them international business experience that is vital in an increasingly globalized economy.
The hyperbolic style of the post. Whether you actually found it funny isn’t within my purview.
By the way, was the rank Indian nationalism all over this post inadequate? Shall I carve a navy blue dharma chakra on my chest for you? 😉
This brings a tear to my eye… ~Sniff~ Ahhhh, the sweet smell of respect…
this one line is close to my heart: “No longer is India thought of as a land of snake charmers and bride burnings,” he said. “Now India means the world’s best software services, and increasingly, pharmaceuticals and auto parts.” … the sophistication of the work being done in Copal’s Gurgaon office contrasts with the chaotic city outside. Mr. Simonsen said he was amazed. “I came expecting to see number-crunching and spreadsheet type of work; I didn’t expect American banks to farm out intricate analytics…”
… and my linked essay…
Today, India is in the midst of sweeping economic reforms and widespread privatization. These are heady times for India, which is currently pondering a foreign exchange surplus… American companies in these businesses are tripping all over themselves to sign deals in India… Mindful of the growing economic importance of India and the economic clout of Indian Americans, politicians are toeing a pro-India line… What decades of cultural education and activism by Indians could not correct, economic power has righted in a fraction of the time. Anything that South Asian Americans do to aid our home countries economically has a direct, beneficial effect on how we are treated in the U.S… I hereby promise: To help South Asia progress economically via business deals and technology transfers… To defend South Asia and South Asians against unfair and ill-informed attacks in the media…
The title is a pun on ferengis (Star Trek mercenaries) / firangis (foreigners), so any snark is quite in the opposite direction.
Thanks for stereotyping, come again.
here! here! for manish. don’t hate the playah, just envy the game.
many don’t identify as caucasian… I was recently corrected for calling a jewish person white. Which raises the question, is it a culture, a race, or a religion?
Dunno what Infosys is paying these perps, but the outfit was well known for having pretty much the lowest pay among all companies that came to campus. So I am guessing that the barmy-army you mention Manish is either disproportionately compensated in comparison to the rest of the firm, or alternately, these kids just want to spend a laid back summer get in touch with their inner karmic peace.
If it is the latter though, they’ll never pay off their tuition loans with a job from Infy. Tantric navel gazing among the natives is all very well, and you can take really awesome shots with the camels in Rajasthan, but that probably won’t buy you your next S-class.
My brother just graduated from one of the aformentioned universities and several of his 2nd generation friends actually gave up Wall Street jobs to work in Bombay/Banglore/Delhi. So, to whoever asked, it’s happening.
I’m Second Gen and I would work in India in a heartbeat, though you really have to go to the right opportunity with the right probability of success.
Its one thing to toil away in middle class obscurity in Infy’s air conditioned campus, but most people with just an Ivy League education and some investment training would get hazaar-f*cked if they tried to do business in India without some edge.
i have not heard of discrminination for snd gen desis in india, and i don’t think there are many hang-ups about respecting india. if anything people want india to do well
By the way, was the rank Indian nationalism all over this post inadequate? Shall I carve a navy blue dharma chakra on my chest for you?
this was pretty damn punny
i graduated from bschool back in March and 2 of my NRI/ABCD classmates were very open to the idea of working in Mumbai or Bangalore. 2 yrs ago I asked one of my profs (who is a Bengali btw) if India’s rising economic status coupled w/ China would eventually have ppl moving from America to those countries in search of work, or even as a lifestyle preference. He said no but I disagreed, I really do think that as India advances and as desi’s keep doing well economically here and abroad, i think in the next 25 yrs or so, you will see a lot more ppl job searching across the world rather than just the US, etc.
Relating to the other thread about squat toilets ,I’d love to see a Stanford grad handed a balti and told to shit, shower, shave in one of those. I can just imagine the ‘oh shit’ look..haha
I agree with Hari. My husband and I – both second-generation – are serously think about working in India for a few years, just waiting for the right opportunity.
many don’t identify as caucasian… I was recently corrected for calling a jewish person white. Which raises the question, is it a culture, a race, or a religion?
The term “caucasian” is an outdated term. After all, how many white people in the U.S. trace their ancestry to tha Caucasus.
Jews can be white, black, Hispanic, even Indian.
Basically, when Jews say they are not white, it’s a way of saying they are not “mainstream.” While the anti-semitism of the U.S. never reached the monstrous proportions of Europe, there was enough to still unnerve plenty of Jews, particularly those now in their golden years.
As to whether Indian companies hire Indian-Americans – I’d say the prospects for IAs is increasingly bright to work in an Indian company. But as was noted early, those of us born in the U.S. may pause before considering a posting in India. Not just for the obvious reasons of the pollution, poverty, infrastructure, but also because most of our families live in America. To leave them behind, even if only for a few years, is the same problem that faced our parents when they left India.
What a bunch of bull s**t! Are you guys dreaming? I have constant contact with IV league schools and I have not seen any such thing.
Unless the infrastructure, the social ethics, and the judiciary straighten up in India, this will be a pipe dream.
Chris
gujjubhai,
The summer internship is a way of polishing their resumes. And the species is known for its resume-polishing.
I doubt many Indian-Americans or Americans for that matter will actually be working in India once they graduate.
There are enough IIM grads to fill the needs of Indian companies; and the needs of international companies with offices in India.
There is a famous American consulting group, that I believe used to provide ‘hardship’ pay if you worked in India. I wonder if their Indian employees get the hardship pay as well.
Here is an article about an Indian-American at Infosys. http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/life/2005/07/01/stories/2005070100060100.htm
Now this story appeared in The Hindu about a month ago, I guess The Hindu is not good enough for Sepia, eh? : )
Thanks for stereotyping, come again.
Sorry, didn’t mean to stereotype. Forgive a brotha – didn’t make the trekkie connection first time around, so didn’t get your humor. Point taken, and here I am – back again :-).
Unless the infrastructure, the social ethics, and the judiciary straighten up in India, this will be a pipe dream.
Don’t jump to such quick conclusions, my friend. The latest issue of business 2.0 magazine has a big story on American expats living in China, immersing themsevles in the culture, and succeeding as entrepreneurs. http://www.business2.com/b2/web/articles/0,17863,1083352,00.html
Smart American money – and talent – is already dooing the same in India as well . For example, see the story of two Americans who started Office Tiger in Chennai way back in 1998 and lived there to make it happen. Here’s their coverage in Businessweek: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_28/b3942429.htm
If you keep waiting for infrastructure etc, the opportunity will just blow by you – the greatest potential of an emerging economy is while it is still “emerging”. Once it is already developed, it’s no different from any other rich economy plodding along at 3% a year.
I doubt many Indian-Americans or Americans for that matter will actually be working in India once they graduate.
Well, many of them already are. Expect the numbers to increase even more. This is driven by simple economics : for an average MBA or entrepreneur, the opportunity to make money in India is far greater today than, say, in the UK or Canada or Australia. Only the US and China probably offer more opportunities. So these guys are just the smart early-movers capitalizing on the trend before the masses wake up to chase that money. Go to a non-LBS, non-Oxbridge second-rung MBA school in the UK today like Manchester or Warrick or Cranfield and you find that the job scene is just brutal and depressing. Also, while it is true that there are tons of IIM grads in India, don’t forget that many of them are choosing to go abroad right out of school as IIMs are beginning to be recognized as world-class b-schools. This creates more demand for top MBAs. It’s all good in the end – globalization is a two way street.
I am a little (pleasantly) surprised to see that some 2-Gen Desis would like to to work in India(albiet for a few years). However, working in India and living in India are two different animals.
Working usually implies upscale offices/campuses in the metros, which nowadays look more or less like the West(infrastructure/landscaping etc).
Living, however is a lot more tough. It implies dealing with pot-holed roads, power cuts, water shortages, bundhs, long lines at gas stations, chaotic traffic, pollution(equal to smoking 5 cigarretes a day) etc etc. And I did not even add nosy relatives to the list!!
Best of luck, though. Most of the folks I know gave up in six months, but a couple are into their fourth year.
M. Nam
I was going to say they were all white, but I thought someone would point out that one of the guys was Jewish. oh well 🙂
I certainly wouldn’t mind working in Bangalore. I missed out on the boom in the valley, and it would be fun to be part of India’s software boom (before it crashes and burns). And I’m an ABD.
As far as living vs working somewhere – I’m not sure I would be comfortable living anywhere for more than a few years, even in places like NYC, Atlanta, and other large American cities. This world is too big to settle down and live somewhere for a long time 🙂
Gujjubhai:
Geography lesson: China is not the same as India.
Ignorance Correction Lessaon: China’s infrastructure is way better than India’s.
Chris
A sticky wicket that is! Oy vey.
To be Jewish is to belong to an ethnicity.
It is also a religion.
It is not a race.
There are many more cultural factors aside from religion that come into play (ie the Yiddish slang, the food, cultural norms, the shared travails thru history).
Jews can be any race (technically, there are only three races to choose from).
It’s neither a race nor a nationality.
It can be, but is not exclusive of religion or lack of.
It is an ethnicity.
PS I didn’t mean for the above comment to come out looking like a bad poem.
I have a habit of spacing out every sentence like that. Gahhhh…