HOMECOMING WAVE
India still has a vast diaspora, estimated at around 35 million people living overseas. But as domestic opportunities expand, more professionals are reconsidering the need to build careers abroad.
Recruiters say they are seeing a noticeable uptick in returnees, particularly as India cements its position as the world’s fastest-growing major economy.
Varun Sachdeva, senior vice president at recruitment firm NLB Services, points to strong demand in emerging sectors as a key pull factor.
“Growth opportunities in startups, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and global capability centres being created in India are generating high-quality roles,” he said.
At the same time, rising living costs overseas and growing uncertainty around immigration policies are pushing some to rethink their options.
“There’s a lot of unpredictability, of volatile situations across the globe with changing visa norms. That is also contributing to people thinking about either staying in India or returning,” Sachdeva said.
The shift has been significant enough for his company to launch a dedicated executive search practice focused on helping professionals secure roles in India as they relocate home.
CHANGING MINDSETS
Beyond career prospects, improvements in quality of life are also making India more attractive. Major cities now offer more cosmopolitan lifestyles, better infrastructure and broader career options than in the past.
Sangram Raje is among those who made the move earlier. He returned to India in 2014 after spending six years in New York as a quantitative analyst.
With a background in computer science, he went on to co-found Prodigal, an AI-driven platform for loan servicing and collections. He believes the mindset among Indian professionals has shifted significantly.
“The fascination of going to the US has definitely decreased over the years. I have seen a material shift in people’s (thinking towards) staying in India,” Raje said.
He added that today’s India offers not just professional growth, but also a richer lifestyle: “You can have a much more comfortable, varied, multicultural life, especially in cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad and Delhi.”
Importantly, he noted that the range of opportunities available domestically are far stronger than they were two decades ago, when going abroad was often seen as the default path to success.
But as the country’s economy evolves and new industries take shape, many are discovering that the opportunities they once sought overseas are now closer to home.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/india-reverse-brain-drain-employment-jobs-6048796
