54 lakh foreigners work in India
Fri Mar 2, 2012 4:58 am (PST)
India in top 10 global immigration hubs....Rukmini Shrinivasan
New Delhi: The number of foreign immigrants living in India is steadily declining, but India continues to be among the 10 countries with the highest in-migration in the world. At the same time, India sends the fourth largest number of emigrants to other countries.
In 2010, there were 5.4 million foreign-born persons living in India, according to new estimates released by the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. These numbers make India home to the ninth largest number of foreign-born persons in the world.
But this number has been on decline since post-Partition migration and an influx of refugees from Bangladesh following the 1971 war. In 1990, there were 7.5 million foreignborn persons in India, and by 2000 this number was down to 6.4 million due to the death of the older immigrants.
In the 2001 census, 97% of all immigrants were from south Asian countries. Three million were from Bangladesh, followed by a million from Pakistan and 600,000 from Nepal.
US home to most immigrants
New Delhi: India is among the top countries when it comes to attracting immigrants. While a source country-wise break-up is not available for immigrants in 2010, past trends indicate that the likes of French diplomats in Delhi, American investment bankers in Mumbai and British techies in Bangalore form a tiny part of this diaspora.
These numbers are de facto and should cover both legal and illegal immigration, a UN Migration Team spokesperson said. However, unnaturally high growth rates for some border districts indicate that undocumented immigration does exist.
"There is a difference between historical migration, such as that from Bangladesh, and new migration flows which we in India need to acknowledge," says Binod Kharia, chairperson of the Zakir Husain Centre for Educational Studies at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University and director of the International Migration and Diaspora Studies Project, co-sponsored by the government of India.
The US remains by far the world's biggest destination for immigrants, and this number continues to grow. Pakistan is at number13.
India is also the world's fourth biggest exporter of people-in 2010, India sent out over 5.6 million people as emigrants. Mexico, China and Pakistan form the top three. Though not the largest group, Indian emigrants sent home more money in remittances-$39 billion-than any other country's emigrants.
URL: http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIM/2012/03/02&PageLabel=1&EntityId=Ar00105&ViewMode=HTML
Friday, March 2, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
An Expat experience
Watch out! An expat speaks out....Ranjini Manian
The expat co-worker is often taken aback by the Indian twist to business communication
The other day I happened to meet a young American sent by a multinational on an assignment to India. Let's call him James.
James is the first Westerner to work in the Indian arm of the company. He manages a team of 10 Indians aged 25 to 40, and reports to the Managing Director of the India operations. James had heard good things about India and the MD. He had come expecting to find his new assignment interesting and challenging.
Well, he found it challenging all right, James told me ruefully. But not in the way he had hoped. Curious, I asked him what his concerns were, and got an exhaustive laundry list of problems, most of them 'small' in the sense of being not directly business-related, but 'big' for someone raised in a totally different work culture.
I divided James' concerns into various categories. Let's deal with them, one by one.
Talking the talk
James had been assured that Indians were well versed in English and communication would not be a problem. This was true for the most part. Yet, there were some hurdles which he found very difficult to cross - telephones, for instance. What about telephones? I asked. "Well", replied James, "when I call someone on his phone, he picks it up and says 'Tell me' instead of the 'Hello' that I'm expecting to hear. That throws me off track completely! When I finally get going, and ask him for information, he gives it to me, but keeps interrupting himself to say 'Hello' every now and then, or else repeats what he has said. I find that terribly distracting."
"While your team member is talking, what do you do?" I asked James. "I listen in polite silence of course," he replied, puzzled that I needed to ask.
"That's why he keeps saying 'hello' or repeating himself," I explained with a smile. "During conversations, telephonic or face-to-face, we Indians expect our listeners to acknowledge that they have heard and understood by making typical sounds such as 'hmmm', 'ah' and so on. When we don't hear those sounds, we wonder whether the other person is still there, or if she has grasped what we are saying."
"Oh, now I get it," said James. "And I also have this problem that people keep breaking into the local language when they're talking to me in English." "Yes, that can be quite distracting," I agreed. "But we Indians are at least bi-lingual if not tri-lingual, and we're used to interspersing our conversation in one language with words from another."
Following the trail
James found communication via e-mail quite a problem too. He kept getting long e-mail chains from his team, with terse messages in the latest mail asking him to read through the trail and respond to some point or the other. He had to go through reams of material and pick out the point that needed his attention.
And then there was the issue of copying people on e-mails. James' mailbox was clogged with e-mails from one team member to another which had no relevance to him, but which he had been copied on. He found this quite annoying.
After listening to James, I wished that I had the power to ensure that basic telephone and e-mail etiquette is made a compulsory subject at the school and college level!
Who's the boss?
Protocol was another issue which James found difficult to understand in India. For one, his team addressed him as Mr James, which he found odd. They called him by his first name, but prefixed Mr to it. "Why do Indians do that?" James asked. I explained that we use Mr as a term of respect, and we don't give the same importance to the first and last names as the West. But I understood his irritation, and thought it was a Watch Out! point to share with readers.
Though there seemed to be a fixed pecking order, James found that people often jumped the line. When someone felt that a matter needed quick attention, they would simply contact a senior person, even in another country, by-passing direct superiors. He found this habit hard to tolerate.
"In India, decision-making is hierarchical, we are conditioned to think that if we go to the top, we'll get the job done, and fast," I told James.
Clock work
Finally, the problem of time management: James found his colleagues an intelligent, hard-working lot. Perhaps too hard working! They worked long at the office, much beyond office hours. When he asked for reports of work done, he got it in minute detail - down to the last nano-second. While he expected brevity and quality, they gave him quantity, eager to please him or prove to him that they were working hard.
"Why don't they realise I don't want a minute-by-minute account, I just want to know how they're progressing in their task? By giving me such reports, they're wasting their own time and mine," said James. "Put it down to our education system which focuses on writing copious pages rather than distilling knowledge in bullets," I said, flagging it as another Watch Out! point.
James' laundry list made me realise that although our people have come a long way on the road to doing business in a globally acceptable style, there are still many kinks we need to be aware of and iron out. So, new Indian managers, let's get our act together.
PS: James was smart enough to realise he couldn't change the work ethics much, because the problem started at the higher levels. He figured out that the best way of handling the situation was to get himself some training in Indian work culture!
The writer is Founder CEO of Global Adjustments, a relocation and cross-cultural services company, and can be contacted at globalindian@globaladjustments.com
URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/newmanager/article2860612.ece?homepage=true&ref=wl_home
The other day I happened to meet a young American sent by a multinational on an assignment to India. Let's call him James.
James is the first Westerner to work in the Indian arm of the company. He manages a team of 10 Indians aged 25 to 40, and reports to the Managing Director of the India operations. James had heard good things about India and the MD. He had come expecting to find his new assignment interesting and challenging.
Well, he found it challenging all right, James told me ruefully. But not in the way he had hoped. Curious, I asked him what his concerns were, and got an exhaustive laundry list of problems, most of them 'small' in the sense of being not directly business-related, but 'big' for someone raised in a totally different work culture.
I divided James' concerns into various categories. Let's deal with them, one by one.
Talking the talk
James had been assured that Indians were well versed in English and communication would not be a problem. This was true for the most part. Yet, there were some hurdles which he found very difficult to cross - telephones, for instance. What about telephones? I asked. "Well", replied James, "when I call someone on his phone, he picks it up and says 'Tell me' instead of the 'Hello' that I'm expecting to hear. That throws me off track completely! When I finally get going, and ask him for information, he gives it to me, but keeps interrupting himself to say 'Hello' every now and then, or else repeats what he has said. I find that terribly distracting."
"While your team member is talking, what do you do?" I asked James. "I listen in polite silence of course," he replied, puzzled that I needed to ask.
"That's why he keeps saying 'hello' or repeating himself," I explained with a smile. "During conversations, telephonic or face-to-face, we Indians expect our listeners to acknowledge that they have heard and understood by making typical sounds such as 'hmmm', 'ah' and so on. When we don't hear those sounds, we wonder whether the other person is still there, or if she has grasped what we are saying."
"Oh, now I get it," said James. "And I also have this problem that people keep breaking into the local language when they're talking to me in English." "Yes, that can be quite distracting," I agreed. "But we Indians are at least bi-lingual if not tri-lingual, and we're used to interspersing our conversation in one language with words from another."
Following the trail
James found communication via e-mail quite a problem too. He kept getting long e-mail chains from his team, with terse messages in the latest mail asking him to read through the trail and respond to some point or the other. He had to go through reams of material and pick out the point that needed his attention.
And then there was the issue of copying people on e-mails. James' mailbox was clogged with e-mails from one team member to another which had no relevance to him, but which he had been copied on. He found this quite annoying.
After listening to James, I wished that I had the power to ensure that basic telephone and e-mail etiquette is made a compulsory subject at the school and college level!
Who's the boss?
Protocol was another issue which James found difficult to understand in India. For one, his team addressed him as Mr James, which he found odd. They called him by his first name, but prefixed Mr to it. "Why do Indians do that?" James asked. I explained that we use Mr as a term of respect, and we don't give the same importance to the first and last names as the West. But I understood his irritation, and thought it was a Watch Out! point to share with readers.
Though there seemed to be a fixed pecking order, James found that people often jumped the line. When someone felt that a matter needed quick attention, they would simply contact a senior person, even in another country, by-passing direct superiors. He found this habit hard to tolerate.
"In India, decision-making is hierarchical, we are conditioned to think that if we go to the top, we'll get the job done, and fast," I told James.
Clock work
Finally, the problem of time management: James found his colleagues an intelligent, hard-working lot. Perhaps too hard working! They worked long at the office, much beyond office hours. When he asked for reports of work done, he got it in minute detail - down to the last nano-second. While he expected brevity and quality, they gave him quantity, eager to please him or prove to him that they were working hard.
"Why don't they realise I don't want a minute-by-minute account, I just want to know how they're progressing in their task? By giving me such reports, they're wasting their own time and mine," said James. "Put it down to our education system which focuses on writing copious pages rather than distilling knowledge in bullets," I said, flagging it as another Watch Out! point.
James' laundry list made me realise that although our people have come a long way on the road to doing business in a globally acceptable style, there are still many kinks we need to be aware of and iron out. So, new Indian managers, let's get our act together.
PS: James was smart enough to realise he couldn't change the work ethics much, because the problem started at the higher levels. He figured out that the best way of handling the situation was to get himself some training in Indian work culture!
The writer is Founder CEO of Global Adjustments, a relocation and cross-cultural services company, and can be contacted at globalindian@globaladjustments.com
URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/newmanager/article2860612.ece?homepage=true&ref=wl_home
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Job seekers need to be more creative and flexible
n 2012, creativity and adaptability will be key to landing and keeping a job for many workers, as staff levels remain lean and employees are expected to respond to a wide variety of demands, experts say.
Economists don't expect loads of job growth, but there could be opportunities in areas such as health care, professional services, retail and some manufacturing, says Harry Holzer, a public-policy professor at Georgetown University. Also, continuing churn in the labor market means that even in areas with few new jobs, there will still be openings when workers move around.
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Thomas Kuhlenbeck
Technical knowledge and experience will be required for certain spots. "For professional services you usually need a professional degree. In health you usually need some training," Mr. Holzer says. "Manufacturing needs some occupational training. Retail is different. It doesn't require specific occupational training, but it does often require some interpersonal skills."
In addition to the standard prerequisites, employers will be looking for workers who are able to quickly adapt to new responsibilities as companies respond to changing economic and industry trends. So workers should highlight their creative skills to differentiate themselves, says Lawrence Katz, an economist at Harvard University.
"Firms have so many job seekers per opening. They are going to want candidates with clear credentials, but also a little extra shine in interactive skills and creativity," Mr. Katz says. "They are less willing in a weak labor market to take chances."
Here are other skills experts recommend workers should pick up and enhance.
Technical literacy. It's important for workers at a variety of levels to be familiar with some of the technical, if mundane, processes that keep organizations running smoothly.
Take the health-care industry. Providers are bringing on more technology when it comes to record keeping and billing.
"A knowledge of electronic data handling is just a really big plus. That goes for receptionists to the doctors who are becoming employees of larger hospital systems," says Warren Bobrow, president of All About Performance, a Los Angeles-based skills-assessment consultancy.
Workers also need to be good users of social media. There's a fine line between letting interested parties know about the latest news and bombarding them with too much information. Still, individuals shouldn't be afraid to use networking sites such as LinkedIn to make employment connections.
Business acumen. As companies remain concerned about demand for their products and services, a wide variety of employees need to think about sales, experts say. Even those outside of marketing should care about revenue, and making sure customers are happy.
Mr. Bobrow has clients in Colorado, an orthopedic practice with more than a dozen doctors, and those doctors don't become partners until client-satisfaction surveys are reviewed and good results are found.
"They are in a competitive marketplace because so much of their work is based on referrals," Mr. Bobrow says. "The doctors realize that their revenue depends on all of them bringing in more patients and having patients come back."
Being savvy about pleasing customers isn't about spin, says Ben Dattner, a New York-based organizational psychologist and author. Rather, workers need to illustrate the advantages of their products and services to please employers dealing with an ultra-competitive environment.
"Try to get to know your customer, the market and figure out how you can put things together in a package that adds value," Mr. Dattner says. "Law firms are increasingly recruiting professionals who [bring clients with them]. The actual practice of law is becoming commoditized to some extent, but the ability to bring in customer relationships and be flexible is what companies are increasingly looking for."
General proficiency. Companies are looking for workers who are flexible and can take on functions in various jobs as market demands change, says Greg Barnett, director of product development at Hogan Assessment Systems, a Tulsa, Okla.-based personality-assessment and consulting firm. That is, companies want workers who are "solid organizational citizens"—quick learners who are compliant, Mr. Barnett says.
"People are being asked to do more," he says. "There are concerns when applicants are good workers, but not people who are able to learn and change direction and change their performance."
Dan Ryan, principal at a Nashville, Tenn.-based executive search firm, stresses the importance of project management and communication skills, which also happen to be transferrable. "The ability of people at all levels to clearly communicate is not what it used to be," he says. People "who can do that very well can differentiate themselves."
Write to Ruth Mantell at ruth.mantell@dowjones.com
—Ruth Mantell is a reporter for MarketWatch. Read more at marketwatch.com.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
Nearly 40 % Europeans suffer from mental disorders
Study: Many Europeans have mental disorder
LONDON – Some 38 percent of Europeans, or 165 million people, suffer from mental illness or neurological disorders on a broad spectrum ranging from anxiety to dementia, a new study published Tuesday says. Most are not being treated, though some experts said many may not need psychiatric help.
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Researchers at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology drew on previous surveys of mental health and applied specific criteria to determine how many people had a disorder. The data covered more than 500 million people in the 27 European Union countries plus Switzerland, Iceland and Norway.
More than 90 different mental and neurological problems were considered, including those often found in children, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, to those often found in the elderly, such as the dementia in Alzheimer's patients, according to the study by the non-profit group.
Using such a broad definition of mental health and neurological disorders might artificially inflate the problem, some experts said.
"Not all of these people require psychiatric interventions," said Matt Muijen, a mental health expert at the World Health Organization's European office in Copenhagen who was not linked to the research. "The 38 percent is indicative of stress in society, not necessarily psychiatric disorders."
Because researchers in other areas use varying definitions of what constitutes a mental health problem, it is hard to compare European rates to those elsewhere, he said. In the U.S., for example, the National Institute of Mental Health estimates about 26 percent of adults have some type of mental disorder.
The rates of mental disorders didn't appear to be rising, compared to a similar study in 2005. The most common problems include anxiety disorders, insomnia, depression, alcohol and drug dependence and dementia. Experts estimated only one-third of people receive treatment.
Other experts said the numbers of people with mental health problems appeared higher than what is commonly believed because most patients don't report their illness and because this study includes disorders in children and the elderly.
"Although the figure seems shockingly high, this is the most rigorous study done in Europe," said Graham Thornicroft, a professor of community psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London. He was not linked to the study.
"The real tragedy is that so few people with mental health problems receive treatment," Thornicroft said.
Hans-Ulrich Wittchen, one of the study's authors, said many patients still face discrimination and limited services when seeking treatment.
"Mental health disorders are Europe's largest health care challenge in the 21st century," he said.
The study was published in the group's journal, "European Neuropsychopharmacology," and presented at its annual meeting in Paris on Tuesday. None of the study's authors reported a conflict of interest.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Posted 5d 18h ago | Updated 5d 18h ago
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Thursday, July 16, 2009
Potential Expats have little knowledge of the country they aim to make their own for a little while
Potential Expats are clueless about India, read the following and understand why...the humorous way
The answers are the actual responses to the questions on the website posed by firangis who are planning a visit to India.
I personally liked the last one
Q: Does it ever get windy in India ? I have never seen it rain on TV, how do the plants grow? ( UK ).
A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.
Q: Will I be able to see elephants in the street? ( USA )
A: Depends how much you've been drinking.
Q: I want to walk from Delhi to Goa - can I follow the railroad tracks (Sweden)
A: Sure, it's only three thousand kms, take lots of water.
Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes in India ? (Sweden)
A: So it's true what they say about Swedes.
Q: Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in India ? Can you send me a list of them in Delhi , Chennai, Calcutta and Bangalore ? ( UK )
A: What did your last slave die of?
Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in India ? (USA)
A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe . In-di-a is that big triangle in the middle of the Pacific & Indian Ocean which does not.. oh forget it. ...... Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Goa . Come naked.
Q: Which direction is North in India ? ( USA )
A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.
Q: Can I bring cutlery into India ? ( UK )
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.
Q: Can you send me the Indiana Pacers matches schedule? ( France )
A: Indiana is a state in the Unites States of...oh forget it. Sure, the Indiana Pacers matches are played every Tuesday night in Goa , straight after the hippo races. Come naked.
Q: Can I wear high heels in India ? ( UK )
A: You're a British politician, right?
Q: Are there supermarkets in Bangalore , and is milk available all year round? ( Germany )
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter/gatherers. Milk is illegal.
Q: Please send a list of all doctors in India who can dispense rattlesnake serum. ( USA )
A: Rattlesnakes live in A-meri-ca which is where YOU come from. All Indian snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets.
Q: Do you have perfume in India ? ( France )
A: No, WE don't stink.
Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you tell me where I can sell it in India ? ( USA )
A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.
Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in India ? ( France )
A: Only at Christmas.
Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? ( USA )
A: Yes, but you'll have to learn it first
Q: Can I see Taj Mahal anytime? ( Italy )
A: As long as you are not blind, you can see it anytime.
Q: Do you have Toilet paper? ( USA )
A: No, we use sand paper. (we have different grades)
The answers are the actual responses to the questions on the website posed by firangis who are planning a visit to India.
I personally liked the last one
Q: Does it ever get windy in India ? I have never seen it rain on TV, how do the plants grow? ( UK ).
A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.
Q: Will I be able to see elephants in the street? ( USA )
A: Depends how much you've been drinking.
Q: I want to walk from Delhi to Goa - can I follow the railroad tracks (Sweden)
A: Sure, it's only three thousand kms, take lots of water.
Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes in India ? (Sweden)
A: So it's true what they say about Swedes.
Q: Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in India ? Can you send me a list of them in Delhi , Chennai, Calcutta and Bangalore ? ( UK )
A: What did your last slave die of?
Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in India ? (USA)
A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe . In-di-a is that big triangle in the middle of the Pacific & Indian Ocean which does not.. oh forget it. ...... Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Goa . Come naked.
Q: Which direction is North in India ? ( USA )
A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.
Q: Can I bring cutlery into India ? ( UK )
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.
Q: Can you send me the Indiana Pacers matches schedule? ( France )
A: Indiana is a state in the Unites States of...oh forget it. Sure, the Indiana Pacers matches are played every Tuesday night in Goa , straight after the hippo races. Come naked.
Q: Can I wear high heels in India ? ( UK )
A: You're a British politician, right?
Q: Are there supermarkets in Bangalore , and is milk available all year round? ( Germany )
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter/gatherers. Milk is illegal.
Q: Please send a list of all doctors in India who can dispense rattlesnake serum. ( USA )
A: Rattlesnakes live in A-meri-ca which is where YOU come from. All Indian snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets.
Q: Do you have perfume in India ? ( France )
A: No, WE don't stink.
Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you tell me where I can sell it in India ? ( USA )
A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.
Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in India ? ( France )
A: Only at Christmas.
Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? ( USA )
A: Yes, but you'll have to learn it first
Q: Can I see Taj Mahal anytime? ( Italy )
A: As long as you are not blind, you can see it anytime.
Q: Do you have Toilet paper? ( USA )
A: No, we use sand paper. (we have different grades)
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Expat Experiences
Rivan Sanzilay, has been in Mumbai,India for more than a year yet she finds herself being stared at to the point where she feels a faint twinge of fear. It wasn;t that way when she first landed in Mumbai. The crowds were enormous( at least to her), the throng of people overwhelming and the smells assailing! It was an experience that the faint hearted might have found difficult to cope with.but cope she did. A year down the line, she still feels disoriented by the throng of humanity but she's learnt to deal with it. It no longer affects her as intensely as it used to before. But the fear remains.Stories of foreigners being raped in Goa and Delhi have made her wary. Though she doesn't seek out the protection of the expat crowd, she does have some friends among them nevertheless. But most of her friends are true-blue Indians and she has learnt to mingle freely among them. Of course, Language in India is not much of a problem. English is universally used unlike China where it's even difficult to find someone to converse with in the international toungue. rivan is beginning to get the hang of life in Mumbai. She enjoys herself over the weekends with her husband and friends while during the week she is busy tending to her upcoming tourism business. She has to survive here, it's an expensive city afterall especially for foreigners. She gets incensed easily at the prices quoted when she goes to buy stuff from the market so now she's decided to let her bai(maid) do the purchasing. At least she wont get fleeced that way! The only places she finds foreigners getting reverential treatment are restaurants, pubs and other entertainment joints. t disheartens her to see people being treated unequal, and she realises that even market driven societies have class barriers. Something that might not have come to light in a non-asian country!
As told to Johnson Thomas
As told to Johnson Thomas
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