Global Indians are wooing and are being wooed by top Indian corporates to return home to India. It is not just techies but Indians working in different sectors of industry are homeward bound to be part of a booming Indian economy. The number of returning non-resident Indians (NRIs) has swelled in the past one year as expatriates fi nd better job offers in India.

‘Moving back’ has always been a much-debated topic of conversation at NRI gatherings, but it has now taken on an added piquancy with the buzz about the kind of jobs and opportunities being offered in India. Indian expatriates are in demand because of the huge growth in some sectors that has led to a shortage of skilled and trained professionals. The demand extends to entry-level jobs as well. A few about-to-graduate youngsters travelling to India to visit their families this summer were surprised at the ease with which they could line up job interviews at a couple of leading newspapers, market research agencies and NGOs.

Placement agencies and Web sites that specialise in fi nding jobs for NRIs have sprung up in recent months. One such site proudly claims to have located about 200 senior and top management jobs for NRIs. Job fairs in British and American towns for jobs in India have proved highly successful and evoked great interest in the NRI community. Prime salaries, company accommodation, comfortable lifestyle in familiar surroundings and an all expenses paid relocation for the family are some of the attractions bringing home the expatriate Indians.

New sectors or those that have opened up in recent times such as retail and realty have been looking at the global Indian community for recruiting experienced professionals. If it was IT professionals who were returning to India to work or set up on their own earlier, it is now managerial and white collar jobs that are on offer in India.

Indian expatriates as well as people of Indian origin have found or been head-hunted for jobs in the middle and senior echelons of a wide variety of companies in India in sectors as varying as construction, shipping and the newspaper industry. In healthcare, specialised marketing, biotechnology, aerospace and defence-related areas, companies are looking for people with experience in specifi c fi elds of operation.

The expatriates are valued for their international exposure and knowledge of work practices abroad by companies competing in the world market. Business enterprises looking to set up shop in India have also turned to the global Indian community as a rich source of professionals familiar with the conditions in India. Multinational companies such as Motorola, which have development centres in cities around the world including India and China, have set up ‘Return to India’ programmes for their development centres.

Desis who have lived abroad for several years have for some time been returning home. Delays in obtaining a work visa or green card have also contributed to this process. According to an estimate by the Returned Non-Residents Association, over 30,000 IT professionals returned to Bangalore in 2007. Said an HR consultant at a placement agency: “There is a buzz about India’s economic rowth. Top international companies are operating in India and Indian fi rms are competing worldwide. It is a good time to come to India. It is mainly people in the mid-30s or 40s who are considering a return to India.”

As the number of Indians returning home has increased, it has led to a sharp increase in the Websites that deal with the problems associated with moving back to India and blogs that offer advice to prospective returnees. The animated exchanges on Web sites such as garamchai, return 2india and business4india are indicative of how the question of return is exercising the expatriate community. Indians list several reasons for their move to India: attractive remuneration packages which allow a comfortable lifestyle comparable with life overseas, greater opportunities of advancement, and family reasons such as aging parents or growing children. Sometimes it is a combination of all these reasons that triggers the homecoming.