Earning

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By Rajkamal Rao

See Also:
Section 5a.  India’s economic growth, compared with the West’s, is impressive
Section 5b.  Lack of talent in middle and senior management
Section 5c.  Demographics
Section 5d.  Venture opportunities
Section 5e.  Employment opportunities - Work for a captive

If you worked for a few years in India before immigrating to the west, you already know that the Indian working environment is vastly different from that of the west.  Most NRIs would agree that the west’s more open work environment with an emphasis on results is superior to the more task-oriented, hierarchical nature of work in India. Compensation is much higher and generally more straightforward in the US for the same kind of work performed in India.  Flexible work schedules, working from home arrangements, excellent benefits (health, dental), labor-friendly laws (such as the Family and Medical Leave) tip the scales towards working in the US.

Office politics in India further tilt the balance towards the US.  Long-term employees in India are accustomed to seeing connections, favoritism and even nepotism work in the favor of people who are otherwise less competent and able.  Many office environments continue to not promote women to leadership positions and when women are reporting to men as is often the case, they are open to be professionally abused in what continues to be a strong patriarchal society.  Companies maintain that things have greatly improved in the last 15 years with the entry of India into the global economy and with western firms influencing management practices in Indian companies.

Long-term employees in the West can also attest to seeing a different kind of favoritism at work, so this issue tends to cut both ways.  The proverbial glass ceiling where the corner office is limited to white males is still true in many businesses, although less so in the last two decades.

Working in India, nevertheless, has its advantages.