As many as 100,000 Indians and an equal number of Chinese will return to their native countries in the next three to five years, a move that will greatly boost their economies and undermine technological innovation in America, a new US study warns.
The study on immigration by a team at Duke, Harvard and Berkeley universities led by Vivek Wadhwa, an Indian-American technology entrepreneur turned academic, says "America's loss is the world's gain".
There are no hard numbers available on how many have returned, but anecdotal evidence shows that this is in the tens of thousands, says Wadhwa, executive-in-residence for the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University and fellow at the Labour and Worklife Programme at Harvard Law School.
"With the economic downturn, my guess is that we'll have over 100,000 Indians and as many Chinese return home over the next three-five years," says Wadhwa. "This flood of western educated and skilled talent will greatly boost the economies of India and China and strengthen their competitiveness.
"India is already becoming a global hub for R&D. This will allow it to branch into many new areas and will accelerate the trend," he says.
"The US has always had the luxury of being arrogant about immigration because it has been the strongest magnet for the world's best and brightest," but as the study shows "there are other strong magnets now".
"We are effectively exporting our economic stimulus. Policies like those which the US just enacted which prevents some banks from hiring foreign workers will have the opposite effect from what they intended - they will send jobs abroad and scare away top talent," Wadhwa said.
The study released on Monday Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, based in Kansas City, Montana, indicates placing limits on foreign workers in the US is not the answer to America's rising unemployment rate and may undermine efforts to spur technological innovation.
"A substantial number of highly skilled immigrants have started returning to their home countries in recent years, draining a key source of brain power and innovation," said Robert E. Litan, vice president of Research and Policy at the Kauffman Foundation.
"We wanted to know what is encouraging this much-needed economic growth engine to leave our country, thereby sending entrepreneurship and economic stimulus to places like Bangalore and Beijing."
The report builds on an earlier Kauffman Foundation report by Wadhwa documenting a queue of one million H-1B holders and their families anxiously awaiting longer-term work visas and growing frustrated with the immigration process.
Until recently, America has been the prime destination for the world's best and brightest immigrants. "Immigrants have made tremendous personal sacrifices," said Wadhwa. "They would leave behind relatives and friends and accept second-tier status in American society.
"Now countries like India and China are providing equal career opportunities and a better quality of life. So the most highly educated and skilled are often returning home."
The two-year study covered 1,203 Indian and Chinese subjects who had studied or worked in the US for a year or more before returning home.
Agencies
Showing posts with label Techies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Techies. Show all posts
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
TCS on a hiring spree; To hire 15,000 employees
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) said on Friday that the company expects to add 15,000-18,000 people to its headcount over the next 12 months, compared with nearly 8,700 in the three months to December. TCS currently has about 144,500 staff.
However, CEO S Ramadorai said in an interview that the company expects to slow its rate of hiring new staff this year, as a broad economic downturn affects its global clientele.
Ramadorai said some contracts and projects were being delayed or cancelled, but the company expected to achieve some earnings growth in 2009 despite the worsening global economic outlook.
"We are confident of some growth, but what that amount is difficult to say," he said. "Yes, we are winning some contracts, but then there are delays in the decision making on a number of contracts," he said, adding there were hold-ups in implementing deals that had already been signed as well as several project cancellations.
"The slowdown is very obvious and very visible, and we think it will continue for the foreseeable future."
TCS, part of India's Tata Group, posted a lower-than-expected 1.6 per cent rise in October-December net profit on January 15.
Agencies
However, CEO S Ramadorai said in an interview that the company expects to slow its rate of hiring new staff this year, as a broad economic downturn affects its global clientele.
Ramadorai said some contracts and projects were being delayed or cancelled, but the company expected to achieve some earnings growth in 2009 despite the worsening global economic outlook.
"We are confident of some growth, but what that amount is difficult to say," he said. "Yes, we are winning some contracts, but then there are delays in the decision making on a number of contracts," he said, adding there were hold-ups in implementing deals that had already been signed as well as several project cancellations.
"The slowdown is very obvious and very visible, and we think it will continue for the foreseeable future."
TCS, part of India's Tata Group, posted a lower-than-expected 1.6 per cent rise in October-December net profit on January 15.
Agencies
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Fourteen Indians commit suicide every hour!
Fourteen people commit suicide every hour in India due to various reasons, ranging from failure in relationships, bankruptcy, illness and social disrepute. One among every three suicide victims is a youth and one among five is a house wife.
These are some of the findings of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) which came out with the latest figures on accidents and suicides in the country.
According to the 'Accidental Deaths and Suicide in India – 2007' report, the country witnessed an increase of 3.8 per cent in the incidents of suicide with 1,22,637 people ending their lives last year. The number of women was 43,342.
Maharashtra has reported the highest number of suicides with 15,184 cases accounting for 12.4 per cent of such incidents followed by Andhra Pradesh with 14,882 (12.1 per cent). The report said 264 deaths came under common pact of mass or family suicides consisting 118 men and 146 women.
The highest number of such cases were reported from Kerala (39), followed by Andhra Pradesh (34) and Madhya Pradesh (12).
Family problems and illness were other causes for suicide, accounting for 23.8 per cent and 22.3 per cent respectively. Failure in relationships (2.8 per cent), bankruptcy (2.7) and dowry dispute (2.6) were other major factors.
Ending life due to ideological affiliations and hero worship, a disturbing trend witnessed in the late 1970s and early '80s, claimed 261 lives.
Out of a total of 27,332 people who committed suicide due to illness, 952 had AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases while 794 had cancer and 496 were paralysed. Among AIDS or STD patients who committed suicide, 334 were women. The maximum number of people who took their life in this category were in the age group of 30 to 44 years.
Seven boys and three girls below 14 years also "committed suicide" as they had AIDS or STD, the report said.
Consuming poison and hanging were the means mostly adopted by those who committed suicide. While 34.8 per cent of the total victims chose to consume poison, 31.7 per cent preferred hanging.
The report said housewives accounted for 55.7 per cent (24,162) of the total female victims which are nearly 19.7 per cent of total who committed suicide.
While government servants were merely 1.5 per cent, private and public sector personnel have accounted for 8.2 per cent and 2.2 per cent respectively.
Source: Expressindia.com
These are some of the findings of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) which came out with the latest figures on accidents and suicides in the country.
According to the 'Accidental Deaths and Suicide in India – 2007' report, the country witnessed an increase of 3.8 per cent in the incidents of suicide with 1,22,637 people ending their lives last year. The number of women was 43,342.
Maharashtra has reported the highest number of suicides with 15,184 cases accounting for 12.4 per cent of such incidents followed by Andhra Pradesh with 14,882 (12.1 per cent). The report said 264 deaths came under common pact of mass or family suicides consisting 118 men and 146 women.
The highest number of such cases were reported from Kerala (39), followed by Andhra Pradesh (34) and Madhya Pradesh (12).
Family problems and illness were other causes for suicide, accounting for 23.8 per cent and 22.3 per cent respectively. Failure in relationships (2.8 per cent), bankruptcy (2.7) and dowry dispute (2.6) were other major factors.
Ending life due to ideological affiliations and hero worship, a disturbing trend witnessed in the late 1970s and early '80s, claimed 261 lives.
Out of a total of 27,332 people who committed suicide due to illness, 952 had AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases while 794 had cancer and 496 were paralysed. Among AIDS or STD patients who committed suicide, 334 were women. The maximum number of people who took their life in this category were in the age group of 30 to 44 years.
Seven boys and three girls below 14 years also "committed suicide" as they had AIDS or STD, the report said.
Consuming poison and hanging were the means mostly adopted by those who committed suicide. While 34.8 per cent of the total victims chose to consume poison, 31.7 per cent preferred hanging.
The report said housewives accounted for 55.7 per cent (24,162) of the total female victims which are nearly 19.7 per cent of total who committed suicide.
While government servants were merely 1.5 per cent, private and public sector personnel have accounted for 8.2 per cent and 2.2 per cent respectively.
Source: Expressindia.com
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Wipro BPO recruitments; Techies protest
Hundreds of students in West Bengal, protesting IT company Wipro's decision to recruit engineers as business process outsourcing (BPO) employees, met state IT Minister Debesh Das to air their problems.
The students, who were earlier selected for engineering jobs by the IT major, say the company is now recruiting them as BPO employees.
“We met the IT minister and he told us that he will look into the matter,” Sayantan Mukherjee, a student of Bengal Institute of Technology said.
"We were promised jobs in the company after we complete our engineering courses in 2009. But last week we were asked to join as BPO employees," he said.
Mukherjee got Wipro's offer in March 2007 for the post of project engineer, but was later asked by the company to join its BPO division.
"Moreover, the company is asking for a bond money of Rs 75,000 for the BPO job, which is unheard of in the industry. Usually project engineers are asked to deposit money, not BPO employees," he added.
However, when contacted, a Wipro official told the media that the decision was taken to give opportunity to graduates to start their work without any delay.
"Every year campus joining is spread out over the four quarters. This is done for logistical reasons of training and seating. Due to current business scenario we estimate delays in joining dates of some batches of recruits," Pradeep Bahirwani, VP (talent acquisition), Wipro, told from Bangalore through an email.
"We are providing them an option of a technical support role in our BPO division. The objective is to let engineering graduates commence work without delay," he said.
Bahirwani added that the employees would have an opportunity to move into the technologies business in 12-18 months based on business demand. "The annual compensation will remain unchanged as per the original offer letter and those not wishing to exercise this option would have to await their joining dates for the technologies division."
Mukherjee said similar things were happening in other states like Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. The students over there were also protesting against the decision, he said.
Source: Agencies
The students, who were earlier selected for engineering jobs by the IT major, say the company is now recruiting them as BPO employees.
“We met the IT minister and he told us that he will look into the matter,” Sayantan Mukherjee, a student of Bengal Institute of Technology said.
"We were promised jobs in the company after we complete our engineering courses in 2009. But last week we were asked to join as BPO employees," he said.
Mukherjee got Wipro's offer in March 2007 for the post of project engineer, but was later asked by the company to join its BPO division.
"Moreover, the company is asking for a bond money of Rs 75,000 for the BPO job, which is unheard of in the industry. Usually project engineers are asked to deposit money, not BPO employees," he added.
However, when contacted, a Wipro official told the media that the decision was taken to give opportunity to graduates to start their work without any delay.
"Every year campus joining is spread out over the four quarters. This is done for logistical reasons of training and seating. Due to current business scenario we estimate delays in joining dates of some batches of recruits," Pradeep Bahirwani, VP (talent acquisition), Wipro, told from Bangalore through an email.
"We are providing them an option of a technical support role in our BPO division. The objective is to let engineering graduates commence work without delay," he said.
Bahirwani added that the employees would have an opportunity to move into the technologies business in 12-18 months based on business demand. "The annual compensation will remain unchanged as per the original offer letter and those not wishing to exercise this option would have to await their joining dates for the technologies division."
Mukherjee said similar things were happening in other states like Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. The students over there were also protesting against the decision, he said.
Source: Agencies
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Techies turn to social media to reach consumers
Recognizing the limits of traditional advertising, established technology companies are diving headlong into the sometimes chaotic landscape of social media to promote their products.
Companies ranging from PC maker Dell Inc to storage equipment maker NetApp are increasingly turning to outside blogs, viral videos and websites such as FaceBook, Twitter, FriendFeed and Digg — and their tens of millions of users — to reach consumers.
These social networking sites harness the age-old power of the word-of-mouth recommendation and can be potent marketing tools. If nothing else, they demand a higher level of consumer engagement than conventional ads.
“This is 180 degrees from that sort of advertising,” said Debra Aho Williamson, a senior analyst at eMarketer. “Having a conversation with them (consumers) is a very new skill.”For tech companies with big marketing budgets, the shift to social media is an implicit acknowledgment that television and print are not necessarily the most effective ways to reach buyers, particularly younger ones.
In addition, with a recession looming, corporate budgets are being slashed. UBS has forecast global ad spending will fall 3.9 per cent in 2009. In such an environment, social media could prove to be a cost-effective way to sell to consumers.
But the strategy is not without some risk. While every company wants to generate buzz, online backlash can be brutal.
Consumer healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson learned that the hard way with a recent Web video ad for its Motrin painkiller. While apparently trying to be irreverent about the pain of wearing a baby in a sling, the ad offended many mothers who savaged it on Twitter, the wildly popular “micro-blogging’’ site where users communicate with short “tweets’’ of 140 characters or less. J&J was forced to apologize on Monday.
Brian Keeler, a vice president at media consultancy VShift, said the key to social media is credibility and enlisting consumers in the act of marketing itself. But if you upset your audience, it can mean trouble. “With the online media, things can go viral and spin out of control really fast,’’ he said.
Dell has a dedicated team of around 40 people that interacts with consumers through its blogs, community forums and third-party sites. The company began its social media push last year as it moved to repair its public image.
“There’s been a realization over the last several years that your customers are going to talk about you online and you have a choice to join that conversation,’’ spokeswoman Caroline Dietz said.
Companies ranging from PC maker Dell Inc to storage equipment maker NetApp are increasingly turning to outside blogs, viral videos and websites such as FaceBook, Twitter, FriendFeed and Digg — and their tens of millions of users — to reach consumers.
These social networking sites harness the age-old power of the word-of-mouth recommendation and can be potent marketing tools. If nothing else, they demand a higher level of consumer engagement than conventional ads.
“This is 180 degrees from that sort of advertising,” said Debra Aho Williamson, a senior analyst at eMarketer. “Having a conversation with them (consumers) is a very new skill.”For tech companies with big marketing budgets, the shift to social media is an implicit acknowledgment that television and print are not necessarily the most effective ways to reach buyers, particularly younger ones.
In addition, with a recession looming, corporate budgets are being slashed. UBS has forecast global ad spending will fall 3.9 per cent in 2009. In such an environment, social media could prove to be a cost-effective way to sell to consumers.
But the strategy is not without some risk. While every company wants to generate buzz, online backlash can be brutal.
Consumer healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson learned that the hard way with a recent Web video ad for its Motrin painkiller. While apparently trying to be irreverent about the pain of wearing a baby in a sling, the ad offended many mothers who savaged it on Twitter, the wildly popular “micro-blogging’’ site where users communicate with short “tweets’’ of 140 characters or less. J&J was forced to apologize on Monday.
Brian Keeler, a vice president at media consultancy VShift, said the key to social media is credibility and enlisting consumers in the act of marketing itself. But if you upset your audience, it can mean trouble. “With the online media, things can go viral and spin out of control really fast,’’ he said.
Dell has a dedicated team of around 40 people that interacts with consumers through its blogs, community forums and third-party sites. The company began its social media push last year as it moved to repair its public image.
“There’s been a realization over the last several years that your customers are going to talk about you online and you have a choice to join that conversation,’’ spokeswoman Caroline Dietz said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)