India’s attractiveness as a destination for expatriate professionals has plummeted following the recent proliferation of rape cases and attacks on foreigners a new research report has disclosed.
The survey, which was conducted by MyHiringClub.com, revealed that 72% of the 2,200 expat professionals interviewed in the first half of 2012 who indicated that they were keen to work in India, had now shifted their interest to other countries, including the Philippines, Gulf/Middle East, Hong Kong and Singapore, among others.
According to the study’s authors, the recent shift in expats’ interest in living and working in India can be attributed to recent reports of rape and attacks on expats that have received media coverage throughout the world. Many expatriates are concerned about their safety and no longer perceive India to be a destination that is suitable to their needs. Those that have not been put off by the negative events that have received media attention cited difficulties working alongside the established culture and the lack of developed infrastructure as their main reasons for no longer being interested in India as a potential expat destination.
“Expats were keen to be part of the Indian workforce to not only gain first-hand experience in a global economy but also be a part of the dynamic India growth story, but now they are suffering from safety fear in India.
“The crime and continuous attack on foreigners in India is the major reason where expats are not considering India as comfortable and suitable job destination as of now,” MyHiringClub.com CEO Rajesh Kumar said.
The hiring of expats in India is expected to decline by 15-20% this year, with reductions in opportunities impacting the information technology, automobile, hospitality and manufacturing sectors. This represents a significant fall on the previous years’ recruitment patterns, which saw an overall increase of 18% in 2012 and the recruitment of expat professionals has already declined by 37 per cent during the first quarter of 2013.
There is currently an estimated 39,000 expats working in India at present.
Read the full article: http://www.siliconindia.com/news/general/Expat-Professionals-Shift-Focus-Away-From-India-Survey-nid-146092-cid-1.html
