The first quarter of 2006 saw India’s economy grow at the fastest rate of any other major global economy.  As a result of consistently strong GDP growth India is on the verge of becoming one of the world’s greatest economic nations which is why India is welcoming unprecedented levels of foreign direct investment and expanding as an international employment hub.  Currently the majority of professional expatriates who find jobs in India are recruited directly by a company with a base in India or they are relocated to India by their company. 

The main employers of international staff are companies in the IT, financial services and outsourcing industries and expatriate professionals are often recruited to fill senior management positions or work as training and educational specialists as well.  This article is an overview of the type of jobs available in India, the visas required by international workers and how expatriates moving to work in India adapt to Indian business etiquette and adjust to living in India full time.

As stated the majority of those who move to India to work are moving to take up a secure position – India is not a country that many move to on the off chance of securing a good job!  If an expat has a job offer then it’s usual for the company with which they are going to work to apply for their work permit; alternatively the expatriate in question can begin the application process by contacting their nearest Indian embassy.  There is a general requirement that employers initially look to the local market when recruiting but if they can prove a given vacancy cannot be filled by a local then an expatriate can be offered the job.

While it is not a requirement for a work visa it is usual for the majority of expatriate professionals working in India to be university educated and to have broad experience in the field in which they have been employed.  Talking in terms of employment grades, middle management jobs and below tend to be filled by the local work force and where there is a requirement for senior and experienced leadership it has been typical at least in the past that an employer will bring in an international expat with extensive experience.

In terms of business etiquette in India it doesn’t differ hugely from British and American standard business practice but it is often heard said that middle managers in India are the bane of their colleagues lives as more often than not they are young, inexperienced, promoted too quickly and given personnel responsibilities without training and as a result they can unfortunately believe an inflated sense of self importance!  Other than this general and typical comment, expats living and working in India who have overcome the initial culture shock enjoy a thoroughly fulfilling life in India.

The culture shock experienced by almost all international expatriates in India has a great deal to do with the enormous gulf and discrepancy between rich and poor, urban and rural, professional and unemployed – but the majority of people do manage to get used to it.