India's Changes

Post staff writer S. Mitra Kalita, who spent eight weeks on assignment in India in October and November documenting the country's evolving economy and blogging about what she found there, answered reader questions about her most recent story and about the experience of returning to her family's homeland in the midst of epic economic change.

While in India, Kalita posted to a blog, India: Tradition Redefined , while researching the following stories:

Hope and Toil at India's Call Centers (Dec. 27)

Fairfax's Point Man in India (Dec. 30)

India's New Faces of Outsourcing (Jan. 11)

A transcript follows .

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S. Mitra Kalita: Namaste, salaam and sat sri akal. Those are just some of the greetings I heard in India during my recent reporting trip there. Now I hope to hear from some of you. Thanks so much for joining us today. I will try to get to as many questions as I can but if I don't get to yours, please do feel free to reach out to me with your ideas and thoughts at kalitam@washpost.com... So here we go....

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Washington, D.C.: Your article seems to print a very rosy picture of India. I just came back from a 3 week vacation in Delhi and let me tell you that even if I get a salary in millions, I would never want my kids to grow up in India. The living conditions, with slums almost everywhere in Delhi, and no toilet facilities for slum dwellers, the whole city stinks. The road conditions and traffic are horrendous. I would not want my kids to go to school in that kind of traffic.

S. Mitra Kalita: Thank you for sharing your experience. I think many returnees do share your disgust but also say they outweigh it with the chance to be near family and the job opportunities. Still, the conditions you mention do mark most Indian urban centers -- and in some places, have been even further exacerbated by the tremendous growth and migration toward cities.

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Falls Church, Va.: Do you find it interesting that both Presidents Clinton and Bush have staked their political legacy to closer ties with India? Why is it, that despite this and the contributions of exceptionally qualified and high-earning Indians in America, India still ranks as middle-tier interest in American foreign policy?

S. Mitra Kalita: Excellent question. I think interest in India has been growing but the fact that India and the United States have never had a historic relationship (say, as India has with Great Britain or the U.S. has had with parts of Latin America) has contributed to Americans' lack of awareness of the country. The two nations' increased economic ties have changed that, but so has China's emergence as an economic power. I can tell you that the awareness of India now definitely trumps that of when I was in first grade and had to tell people where my parents were born!

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Falls Church, Va.: I'm in my late 20s and thinking of moving back to India. I have a good career here, but I'm thinking of following some friends who've moved back to India, to fantastic jobs they couldn't have dreamed of having here -- Imagine, going from being a manager to being a director at a large multi-national based in India! The opportunities are there, but I'm hoping the next 5 years will bring much needed infrastructure improvements to make my move there easier.

S. Mitra Kalita: I have gotten a few questions like this. Let me post a few more and then will answer.

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Rockville, Md.: Admittedly I am not from India, but after 5 years in software I find myself actually planning the family return. Just finish the business degree and it might be time to say "so long and thanks for all the fish".

S. Mitra Kalita: Here's one.

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Washington, DC: Mitra, I followed your India 2.0 blog and found it fascinating! I have a question: taking into account all of the transformative changes that have happened in India over the past few years, is India a place that a born-and-bred American can truly adapt to and feel comfortable in? It seems some things are incomprehensibly different there, such as chauffeurs and unreliable electricity! I'll admit I have a personal interest- I have an opportunity to move there in the next few months...

washingtonpost.com: Blog: India 2.0

S. Mitra Kalita: Thank you

S. Mitra Kalita: So in response to all the questions about how to know whether or not to move back... I actually interviewed a couple from Fairfax County from the story who moved back to Chennai (also known as Madras) and their solution was to move over for about eight months. The woman wanted to work on a book and the man found himself a short-term consulting gig. Their children were divided on the move, but they felt like a short-term move would help them decide. Others just sell the house and cars and say goodbye. But as I reported today, they certainly do look back.

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Washington, D.C.: Did any of the people who went back get a Green Card?? I am an Indian IT Professional in the DC area and my perception is that Indian-IT-professionsals who went back figured out that it will take them too long to get through the Green card process and so they went back before they dug in too deep over here. Nobody says that of course - but that's the behind-the-scenes reason for going back.

S. Mitra Kalita: We have a few questions about green cards. Let me post the next question on it and then I will answer.

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Arlington, Va.: Indeed, there is a significant push in migration towards urban cities. Most call centers and BPOs are located in Indian metros. What can be done by the government to stem this rising urban migration. Can they not provide incentives for BPOs/Call centers to set up base in semi-urban areas?

S. Mitra Kalita: That is going on in so-called second-tier cities. The story I did from Pune is one example of a somewhat smaller city boming as a reult of IT. The government of West Bengal has certainly tried to use these incentives to lure companies... There is also development in Nagpur, Chandigarh, even my mother's hometown of Guwahati has two call centers now...

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Fairfax, Va.: Ms. Mitra Kalita,

Does the harassment by DOL's Pennsylvania Backlog Elimination centre, where highly skilled workers are waiting for labor certification from year 2001 and the USICS's visa retrogation issues contributing to IT workers return to India?

Do you think US Government will ever give back the Social Security contributions?

Thanks, a skilled worker (who is considering leaving USA, for good)

S. Mitra Kalita: Here's the question about green card delays again. I did talk to some experts who suspected those who are waiting for green cards might be inclined to go back BUT most of the immigrants I speak to say they really want to wait out the process so they can come back to the United States if things don't work out in India. I am trying to dig up the story I did on delays that I reported in Philadelphia. Hang on.

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Norfolk, Va.: One more q. Are the opportunities only in software, or other sectors also interested in folks with U.S. experience?

S. Mitra Kalita: One area that seemed to be booming was marketing and public relations. Pharmaceuticals, too. Also the retail sector was just deregulated, paving the way for Wal-art and others to enter...

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Washington, D.C.: In response to the previous comment, let me jsut say that the trafiic conditions in Delhi have improved quite a lot over the last few years due to new flyovers, multi-lane toll roads and the metro. Also the pollution is visibly much less compared to say, five years ago because of use of natural gas powered auto-rickshaws and buses

S. Mitra Kalita: Theres another thought. Also I rode the Delhi Metro which was clean clean clean....

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Los Angeles, Calif.: I get a little annoyed by some of the reporting about outsourcing. It seems to be done by newspaper reporters who, by nature, can't have their jobs outsourced. They quote economic analysts who are in the same situation. They rarely focus on people who have had their jobs outsourced or the resulting pain. And they don't seem to realize just how many upper level jobs are increasingly at risk. You should do more balanced reporting on it.

S. Mitra Kalita: Thank you for your comment. Indeed, newspaper reporters have had their jobs "outsourced"; Reuters is one example of that. In the story I did on the connection between Pune and Northern Virginia, I really did try to focus on the upper management jobs you speak of. Thanks again for your feedback.

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Lorton, Va.: Hi, I enjoyed your article. As a son of Indian immigrants, I am proud of the progress India has made in the past decade...India has always been open Foreign Investment in its borders, but what was the government doing to encourage IT professionals to start up firms, which could boost the economy, and add a little "masala" flavor, to the economic boom?

Thanks

S. Mitra Kalita: This is the area worth keeping an eye on in coming years. In the Pune story, again, I tried to focus on employees' emerging confidence and the truly higher level outsourcing going on... With that, I am sure will come a wave of entrepreneurship among young Indians. Indeed, many Indians I met had left large firms and started their own companies - bu retained their American clients. There is also great interest in India's domestic sector; as Indians work to code and program for Americans, who does that kind of work for Indian companies?

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washingtonpost.com: For Green Card Applicants, Waiting Is the Hardest Part , June 23, 2005

S. Mitra Kalita: Here is that story on green card delays.

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Copenhagen , Denmark: In your column and blog you've spoken about every major center in India except the biggest city - Bombay. Do you have anything specific to say about it?

S. Mitra Kalita: I would actually accuse me of ignoring a lot more than just Bombay (also known as Mumbai)! This time around, I did not report from Hyderabad or Calcutta, for example. I have certainly reported from all of the places I - and you - mention when I reported at a different newspaper. But our goal with this round of stories for the Post was to focus on mostly DC-area individuals and companies with ties to India. Those stories happen to lead us to the places I reported from... That being said, would love a week in Bombay, so please do pitch those ideas!

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Roger, McLean, Va.: Great article. Question is, have you looked at the percentage of the diaspora returning to India due to the love of the motherland/family ties versus people who had the visa issues and other work sponsorship related issues forcing them back?

S. Mitra Kalita: Another visa question. For those of you who are asking for informaton on data... The number of returnees is very hard to gauge and both NASSCOM (the main software industry group) and the Indian Embassy had no numbers to offer. The RNRI Association estimated between 30,000 and 40,000 in Bangalore alone.

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Los Angeles, Calif.: Did you find time to interview any Americans who have found their lives turned upside down when their jobs were outsourced to India? Or is that not deemed sufficiently interesting?

S. Mitra Kalita: That story is certainly of ongoing interest to the Post. My colleague Ellen McCarthy did a front-page story recently on efforts to keep jobs in rural American areas. Someone is digging that up as I type...

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Dayton, Ohio: Wonderful article! Did you get any sense from the NRIs and RNRIs that they were aware of and concerned about the geopolitics? Is the large community of RNRIs going to help dampen some of the residual anti-American feelings in India that date from decades ago (Pakistan conflicts, cold-war politics, non-aligned movement, etc.). I think a strong alliance between India and US would be beneficial for both countries, and for the world, and not just for the obvious China threat. And I think these Indian entrepreneurs and world travelers could do a lot to accomplish that. Thanks again for a great article.

S. Mitra Kalita: Good question. Certainly a lot of South Asia watchers hope the economies of India and Pakistan will help bring them closer together -- and I saw some evidence of that. Among Indians in their 20s and 30s, who did not live through the bloody partition that separated the two countries, there seemed to be a feeling of looking beyond national identity and religion and toward business prospects. Tata, a large Indian conglomerate, opened a training center in Pakistan recently.

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Arlington, Va.: Did you find that people who lived here and moved back were more concerned about the gapping holes between the haves and have nots. I know when I visit, I'm amazed at how much poverty there is (and right next to big homes), but my relatives are used to it and it doesn't seem to phase them. And in your travels did you see any change in how India is working to make sure "all the boats rise" with its new prosperity?

S. Mitra Kalita: Good question. To be honest, some of the Indians I interviewed seemed content to roll up their windows and exist in air-conditioned oblivion of the conditions that were described in an earlier question. The RNRI Association, which I cited and quoted in today's story, attempts to link the returnees up with service opportunities. Almost all of the major companies have foundations or charitable arms -- but your point is a good one and worth highlighting. India is still a very poor country.

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Virginia: What do you think about the structure of Indian civil society? Is it changing from collectivist to individualisti?

S. Mitra Kalita: I do see some elements of this, for sure. Fewer people seem to be living in extended families, for example. Sons and daughters are moving far away from their parents for work in cities. Nursing homes exist. But I find it peculiar when Indian emigres say all this accusingly and long for more nostalgic times -- when they themselves moved thousands of miles away from India. Some element of this seems to be inevitable. Other thoughts?

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Newtown, Pa: I wanted to say something about the first post. When I grew up there was traffic and slums in India. It did not interfere in my upbringing or my education etc. My strong urge to come to the US in those days is far less than my urge to go back to India now. If it was good for me than it will be good for my kids.

Thx

S. Mitra Kalita: Thanks for your comment.

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Washington, D.C.: Another poignant article. How has the infrastructure improved in India? There was a budget presented today that set aside approximately $4.0 billion for infrastructure improvements.

S. Mitra Kalita: Thanks you for your question. Anecdotally, every time I have been to India in recent years, I have seen more flyovers (elevated highways) and new roads and new malls and more development than the visit previous. But despite more airlines starting up, flights into and out of some airports (namely Pune) seem out of touch with the demand. The same can be said for hotel rooms. I found it very very hard to find affordable (under $100) yet comfortable accomodations in Bangalore, Chennai and Pune. For a country that touts its low-cost advantage, I think that is a challenge.

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Boston, Mass.: In the past few years many of my close relatives and friends have gradually trickled back to India. My sibling who is a software professional in Canada is seriously examining the possibility of return. Various reasons motivate us, but primarily closeness to our families, religion, increasing immigration bottlenecks, and post-9/11 issues, growing job opportunities in India beckon us back.

I am in fairly secure teaching position and there is not a day that goes by that I examine the possibilities of a return.

Of course, the inevitable India being India, traffic, public health, and lack infrastructure and the skyrocketing real estate is a big concern.

S. Mitra Kalita: Another comment. Thank you for sharing.

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Ashburn, Va.: I find that most of the people who have decided to move back to India have their US citizenship. For them, it is the best of both worlds - enjoying Indian life while retaining the American benefits in the long run. While meeting with RNRIs in India, I could not find people with green cards moving back. Did you meet people with green cards quitting US life and going back to India for good while doing research for your story?

S. Mitra Kalita: Just passing this along. From my understanding, a green card would also enable the holder to freely travel back and forth to live and work.

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washingtonpost.com: Mining Coal Country for Tech Workers , By Ellen McCarthy, Jan. 2, 2006

S. Mitra Kalita: Here is the story I mentioned.

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Chicago, Ill.: Did you find the RNRI keen on political activism (U.S Style). In India the middle class stays away from politics. Did you find that the dollar rick NRIS keen on taking a plung in Indian politics or working for Issues connected to liberalization and democratic values?

S. Mitra Kalita: Yes the man in the photo in toda's paper - Bala Raman - said he wants to run for office eventually. I think the middle class in India definitely have political views and a certain level of activism. (And if anyone has been following the recent clashes between politicians and developers in Delhi, I imagine they will get more involved!) But their votes cannot be counted on as easily as those of slumdwellers and the poor. What a difference from voting patterns in the United States, no?

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Fairfax, VA: Great article - I can relate to it because a couple of my friends/relatives did exactly that - move to India. The reasons they gave were all the things that you mention in your article plus the main reason being "children's future" (better education at elementary level plus closer cultural ties and hence upbringining).

Only thing is that both of them came back to the US in less than a year! I guess it's one thing to say you will go back and its another to actually know how many have stayed back after say two years ...

S. Mitra Kalita: The returned RNRI? I think even acronym-loving India would have a hard time with that one.

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Washington, D.C.: Are there any good online resources to learn more about some of the issues you discuss in the article, magazines, or blogs even?

S. Mitra Kalita: One I turn to often is indianeconomy.org - run by a Washington, D.C., resident and businessman actually. I also turn to rediff.com, India's largest news portal.

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New York, N.Y.: Did you find that men and women had different experiences moving back to India? I'm a young woman working in the U.S. (of Indian origin) and I wonder what kind of work atmosphere I will face as a young, ambitious woman in India. Also, is it difficult for young people to meet other young professionals and make friends, given the emphasis on family in India?

S. Mitra Kalita: There are a number of American expatriates living in India now, working for companies, call centers, nonprofits. They seem to fill the hotel bars of most of the cities I went to... Women in India seem to have made rapid advancements in the workplace, finding call-center hours family friendly, for example. And a very cursory comparison to a reporting trip in 2001 yields many more women in senior management positons this time around.

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Harrisburg, Pa.: Did you discuss the situation in the Kashmir with people during your trip? If so, what are various people currently thinking about the Kashmir situation?

S. Mitra Kalita: I am sorry I did not formally interview people about Kashmir this time around. I imagine we will be hearing more about the region during Bush's visit though.

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Washington, D.C.: Thanks for your excellent article -- a young (late 20s) Indian-American, I'm actually contemplating moving to India, a thought that even 5 or 10 years ago, wouldn't have crossed my mind! Your article provides an interesting look at the 'cost' of having a lot of household help -- no time to yourself. Besides that, can you tell us how the work life is in India, and how the multi-national company work ethic differs from that in the US?

S. Mitra Kalita: In the Pune story, I tried to detail how the workplaces are similar and different. Quick summary. In India: More holidays, louder wall and cubicle colors, perhaps a stronger adherence to management hierarchy but informal atmosphere among workers. Overall, the trend seems to be that American companies want their workplaces in India to feel, well, American. No calling bosses "sir," for example.

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Fairfax, VA : Hi,

Am a big fan of your recent articles -- am in my mid-20's and a Pakistani native but the opportunities in the India IT sector just seem too exciting to pass up. Would you know if there's an equivalent of a monster.com or a job placement service that can help with finding an opportunity for foreigners with no ties to India?

Thanks!

S. Mitra Kalita: Stay tuned for a link to a story I did on outsourcing in Pakistan... The one web site I heard of over and over was naukri.com. And someone out there correct me if I am wrong, but I thought monster also did postings for companies in India... Isn't it called monsterindia.com?

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washingtonpost.com: Virtual Secretary Puts New Face on Pakistan , May 10, 2005

S. Mitra Kalita: Here's the story about Pakistan.

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Partha Gogoi, Fairfax, Va.: How do you envisage the 1st generations of Indians and their integration into the mainstream American life? Many of the 1st generation folks tend to remain away from the limelight. Will a greater relationship between the US and India help in this direction - towards more involvement of the Indian community here at different levels?

S. Mitra Kalita: There's a group here in the Washington area that a lot of people - not just Indians - pay attention to because it is a who's who of business leadership in this region. The Indus Entepreneurs' web site is www.dc.tie.org. Past president Aneesh Chopra was just named Virginia's new secretary of technology.

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Los Angeles, Calif.: That's it? A story about building a tech center in coal country? That's not exactly talking to an American whose job is now being done by someone half a world away.

S. Mitra Kalita: I hope you continue to send in your ideas about how to better cover this divide. I get a fair amount of anti-outsourcing email and I read all of it. I am going to have to wrap up soon...

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Potomac Falls, Va.: How did you feel about the level of corruption in India. I left India in 1992 at the age of 23. What I have noticed is that you have to fight to get very basic services, which you do not when you're living in Canada/USA.

S. Mitra Kalita: Yes, that is true. Many curent leaders were elected into office on anti-corruption platforms and more media and web sites have devoted themselves to policing the every-day corruption that you describe.

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Arlington, Va.: This question is inspired by your most recent article as well as by the first question posted. To what extent are the "RNRI's" interested in contributing to a holistic kind of development as opposed to simply technological competitiveness (or even superiority) to the USA? It seemed to be you painted a positive picture of this return-- and I agree, to some extent. But how do you see the return of NRIs who live in posh areas of the city and live somewhat gated lives as ultimately transforming India?

S. Mitra Kalita: I answered a variation of this earlier but let me try it a bit more directly. If someone returns to India and treats his or her servants as human and pays them a living wage, if children are taught to give back to their communities, if the family attempts to challenge paying bribes, if an RNRI boss motivates employees to speak up for themselves and perhaps develop the confidence to go start their own companies ... Maybe those are some ways. This is entirely based on speculation though - I am not an RNRI or even an NRI, for that matter. Call me an Indian-American or an American-born Indian but I am an American. On that note, I am so sorry our time is up. Please do stay in touch with your ideas and feedback. It has been wonderful to hear from so many of you today and throughout my journey!

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S. Mitra Kalita: Sorry to interrupt my swan song, but I promised someone on email I would post his comments. Here they are, all the way from Overland Park, Kansas:

In regards to your article "A Reversal of the Tide in India," it's just a tad offensive that Mr. Kalluri thinks that technology is simply consumed in the United States and actually developed in India. I am a very successful information technologist here, and just like Mr. Kalluri, I am also in the top five percent of earners, albeit here in the US. However, I just can't afford to have a driver and a cook and a housecleaner, even on the combined salaries of my wife and myself. My family and I have to take care of these kinds of things (cooking, cleaning, driving to work, etc) ourselves while we both continue to work 45 plus hour weeks. But even while doing that, I still manage to do outstanding "development" on relational databases, helping my telecommunications firm become richer and richer (without a raise in over 4 years, by the way). I have worked directly with many, many people from the nation of India and I have always enjoyed working with them and find them to be very pleasant. But I think Mr. Kalluri is selling America short. He comes over here, gets all kinds of real world corporate experience, and then goes back to India to what I guess is a very high paying position - and now he has personal servants to take care of him and his family. Give me a break. There's no need to insult the United States when you've built your career on working here and then exported your skills back to your home country.

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S. Mitra Kalita: OK, all, this time I am really out of here. Thanks again for tuning in.

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