The importation of talent in business is standard practice. Many big companies look outside their borders to seek incredible minds to join their team and add unique qualities to the mix. However, there is a common thread amongst these prominent tech companies – more and more of them have Indian-born CEOs at the helm, so why are big companies such as Microsoft and Alphabet, among many others hiring talent from India?
The recent appointment of Indian-born Parag Agrawal as Twitter’s new CEO after Co-Founder Jack Dorsey stepped down increased the tally of Indian leaders of major tech companies. Agrawal served as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Twitter for four years before taking over on November 29. He joins the likes of Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google since August 2015 and parent company, Alphabet since December 2019, and Satya Nadella, who has been CEO of Microsoft since 2014 and took over this year as Executive Chairman.
There are many reasons why India is such a massive export of talent. The first is that India has one of the largest, fastest, and growing markets for digital consumers, which has resulted in the prioritization of the Information Technology (IT) sector; this has links to why the cost of software development is inexpensive in India. Hiring Indian staff is more affordable primarily since the country produces tens of thousands of management, development, and IT graduates annually, which explains why India has the youngest workforce in the world, which appeals to companies searching for employees who can adapt to fast-paced, ever-changing work environments.
The Indian education system delivers graduates with high-level skills, which these companies actively seek, especially since some Indian universities rank among the top global universities. However, countries such as Canada have a ‘skills gap’ where there is a shortage of native employees with the required skill set.
Many Indians learn English as a second language, so their fluency is a huge advantage for companies as much of the business conducted in English ensures a smooth communication of ideas. Indians are also more open to American culture, which makes it easier for them to integrate and fully immerse themselves in their environment, which would otherwise serve as a barrier. Indians seek better opportunities in foreign countries; therefore, they are open to migrating to countries that offer higher salaries and a better quality of life while gaining valuable experience that will assist in advancing themselves career-wise.
A more recent reason is the pandemic. The rise in reliance on technology and the migration to more digital platforms in response to the social effects of the pandemic has resulted in a boom in demand for IT professionals in India. Kamal Karanth, Co-Founder of Xpheno, a company specializing in tech-related staffing, stated, ‘More companies realize now that the need to be digital and get the talent diversity and scale in India.’
The rate at which Indian natives secure tech-based jobs increases every year. A country regarded as poor now contributes to the most significant number of tech executives globally. However, as mentioned, the quest for a better life plays a role, so there will not be a decrease in Indian emigration soon.