Ask Sriram Sethuraman, a technologist at the Bangalore-based Ittiam Systems, about the work culture in India and the U.S. and he can hardly hide his happiness as he finds a similar work culture in India that he experienced in the U.S.

For the past few years, Indian companies have become conscious of their global presence and have built a new work order. This was not a likely situation until just over a decade ago when Indian companies had just commenced tapping into the international market.

This has certainly helped Indian companies develop better products and undertake more crucial projects, which is only an advantage. Earlier, bad services were the tradeoff for international companies to look elsewhere or get only low cost jobs done from India.

The emerging market, fuelled by MNC’s is changing work culture and ethics have assured India a sure ticket to the most preferred destination. Three crucial ingredients contribute to such change in the Indian work scenario. The need to compete globally, second, coupled with the return of Indian professionals from abroad, particularly the U.S. and finally India being the most sought after destination for international firms.

With the influx of foreign companies, beginning when the economy opened up in the early 90s, Indian firms were caught unaware when they found it difficult to match the foreign companies’ marketing and production skills. With the need to catch up, Indian companies adopted the business tactics of the foreign companies to reach out to the world market.

Today, most Indian companies think globally and act locally. As more and more multinationals are coming to India, they bring with them the work culture that is helping India build technology products and serve the world markets through back office on a large scale. State-of-the-art infrastructure exists in all MNCs and Indian companies, giving a head start to their businesses, accumulating foreign talent and blending them with engineering talents in India. Currently, more Indian companies are making products and doing projects that was previously restricted to the U.S. and a few other European and Asian countries. Helping them adopt the best business practices are returning Indian professionals from the U.S.

Second, with more Indians returning to work in India, especially from the U.S., they bring along a more professional work ethic and establish those as practicing norms in their profession. With the most sophisticated work happening here, India has become a place of action. A recent survey concluded that almost 10 percent of Indian-origin IT professionals are returning to India as they find work and product development here as good as in the U.S.

Bhavin Sheth, Engineering Manager, BEA Systems is one such returnee. After having worked in the U.S. for a long time, Sheth returned to India and found a different work culture. Sheth says the urge to go abroad for work has declined in India because of the opportunities India offers. “There is a perceptible positive drift in the inquisitive attitude of the technology workforce all over the country. Supplementing all these, there is the right infrastructure and work environment to develop the cutting edge technology.”

The lack of technology and proper environment was the reason why Indians went abroad for work. But today both are available, which prompts Indians to stay.
Most believe there is more enjoyment working in India than working elsewhere and besides, the work here is similar to that in the West. Today the same technical research can be done in India that is well accepted worldwide. India is the place where the right technology is being developed at the right time. Most returnees say they have always felt at home in India since there is not a major difference regarding work.

The organizational culture, policies and work environment is definitely global. “The work culture is similar to what I have experienced in the West, probably because most of the seniors and managers have been exposed to a different work culture and they are comfortable importing the best practices,” says one of the returnees.
These practices coupled with experienced professionals are attracting companies in India. It’s never difficult for a company to find talented workforce, well versed with corporate etiquette.

A report in a local paper said most foreign workers in the U.S. don’t want to continue working there because the U.S. job market is becoming very management oriented which has made companies from Israel and other countries to look towards India for developing cutting-edge software. Earlier, the U.S. was a haven for their design and product marketing.
India is gradual but has surely gained momentum with people more inquisitive about the opportunities available in the country. They inquire about India and the technology being developed. But most returnees also say there is a change in today’s mindset because the management is providing training sessions for its employees in project presentation to boost their overall confidence level— something urgently required in the Indian work climate.

In India it’s not just the technology but also people management that add value to the work. “If you know the product you are dealing with and also the clients you are going to handle, then it’s an advantage,” says Satya Simha, Senior Project Manager, India Product Development Center, Analog Devices. Madan Nagaldinne, Vice President, Human Resources, Tavant Technologies has a different opinion—he believes there should be a true blending in a work environment. When an Indian manager with a deep understanding of people and technology management works with a returnee-cum-Program Manager who also has an equal understanding of technology and customer management, then there is a homogenous blending, and the outcome will be Program Managers who can manage people, technology and customers.

These are certainly beneficial times for the Indian corporate sector. The old adage “better late than never” appropriately holds true for them. It is no longer a management protected era, the need to survive in a competitive world has brought out the best among companies and even forced them to embrace the new world order. But the question always remains, how can they go with it?