I couldnt help commenting... So, i hear a lot of lamentations in the comments section about the Brain Drain. So, As a person who worked in both places, these are my comments: 1. I worked in a certain place in India, I found that the employees were pushed, but there is a lack of motivation as the superiors did not know how to inspire someone to work. Also, the superior is rarely concerned about the future of his subordinates and only look to improve his standing. 2. As someone said, you get screwed over by other people that did not come in by merit. This is I think what affects India the most. If you see a peer who is promoted or comes to your position not by merit, that is the best inspiration killer. 3. Most of the 'engineering' done in India is not new, exciting work but repetitive, drab work service level kind of work. This includes companies like Infy and Wipro which provide service rather than trying to write an operating system or compiler or game. In contrast, I find that most companies in US have this entrepreneurial outlook. Why should I be in India providing service jobs until I retire when I can work on exciting things outside? 4. Corruption. People who are inspired and think are put off my corruption. 5. Most importantly, the government must take an active role in research, esp funding it. This is the only thing that makes USA as strong as it is. Ex: the internet (funded by Defence, DARPA), because of funding flowing into research.
RE:About working in India and the US
by Welcome on Apr 15, 2008 10:54 PM Permalink
Good point to discuss. Overwhelming majority of the H1B are contractors. They have no stake at workplace business and most of the times they are treated as outsiders. They only take the orders and are never part of the decision making. Sometimes they are off-limits from the office parties and casual discussions as well. No one talks about their growth and the hiring company has no clue about what these H1s do. There is absolutely no career path. If they are jobless for 2 months than they run for the cover in every other direction. Today they work for a pharmaceutical company, next project they work for a finance company and later they work for a transportation company.
RE:About working in India and the US
by on Apr 24, 2008 11:59 PM Permalink
As a life long Republican who has taken the Republican's word on policy issues - until this year. I am SHOCKED at the level of manipulation. The Clintons and the Bushes have been doing what can be called nothing but stealing. They are taking our livelihoods and giving them away for big business. The justification is that "Anything that helps big business helps America.". OH MY GOD! The Clintons get $10,000,000 bulk book deals in exchange for these "Free Trade" policies. Right now Bill Clinton is in South America pushing another Free Trade Agreement. And Bush is in the same boat. The only hope I see for our present political system is for me, and other white professional Americans like me, to admit that the old Republican guard and the old Democratic guard are corrupt. We need to admit that a half black man named Obama brings the hope that we need. And he's tough enough to make it happen. Please join me in making small contributions to this cause. I'm just tired of watching my country go down hill. And PLEASE, don't take the attacks for granted. Obama's father was goat herder. He's from poverty, and made it big. He can't help it if his ex-preacher said contraversial things when Obama was not in church! His ex-preacher is an idiot - SO WHAT! Obama's no elitist, and he's no racist - for goodness sake he's part white! Those are CLINTON LIES. Please break free from "Bigotry in America" and stand up for what is right - for your own sake.
RE:About working in India and the US
by N on Apr 15, 2008 11:29 PM Permalink
You mean to say work done in India is out of the world? There is no career path defined for H1-B mazdoor. Most of the time colleagues working in IT departments and Indians and if they are in US since last 5 years then they are worst people to work with. They think having Green Card or US passport gives them a right to discrimante and give tought time to the H1-B mazdoor.Every one is bugged up now with the politics at work by the fellow indians and everyone cribs about it. if you have H1 and working for Indian biggies like Infy / Wipro then u are screwed big time as there is no limit to the number of hours worked in a day. Imagine being at west coast and calling India every night for meetings. H1-B is all messed up. No point in leaving parents / family / relatives / friends / stable career and wasting time and energies for thankless US employers. H1-B mazdoor suffers at the hand of his employer who takes own time to file for Green Card and everything. With $ all time low it is even less lucarative to be in US.
RE:RE:About working in India and the US
by patriotsunite on Apr 15, 2008 11:49 PM Permalink
So, it seems that H1B has become a tool to exploit workers. i agree completely. When I wrote that comment, I was talking about those companies in US where innovation is still the driving force. There seems to be a lot of companies capitalizing on the helplessness of H1B's. I have a friend, who finished his Masters degree, being paid less than another friend(Greencard) who just finished his bachelors. I would also like to call attention to the fact that big Indian software companies are not in the business of innovation themselves. They milk the youth by making them work as service to some other international company. It is no surprise that these companies would be ready to exploit Indians on the H1B. Although these software companies are often touted as India's saviors, they are often in just for the money. On H1B, unless the US govt defines exactly what H1B's are supposed to do, there will be further exploitation. In theory, H1B is supposed to have a job where no American was available.
