Double Whammy

Yesterday Daily News and Analysis (Broadsheet published from Mumbai) carried an interesting news on the front page. Australian employees of a bank refuse to train Indians who would be replacing the locals after an outsourcing deal.

Sounds like another cry against outsourcing now from another part of the world? Give me a break. I mean jobs going to Indians is one thing, but training someone who is going to take away your job three months later.... sounds weird. And if these guys are not already trained and much better than the people they are replacing, why is the company outsourcing its services to them? Because they come cheap [never mind the quality!]

But this is not my story today. My story is more sinister and would blow the heads of many who are rabidly anti-outsourcing, anti immigration etc etc.

The old trend in India has been bridegrooms settled abroad get the best brides! The definition of best those days were moderately educated, extremely good looking, wealthy family etc. But the definition of best is chaging as the global landscapes is filled with footloose fancy free Indian professionals. Increasingly, best brides are being defined by professional qualification: never mind the looks. And these brides too are not like yesterday's happy making rotis at home or at most sitting at supermarket check outs. They are well qualified [sometimes more than their husbands] and looking for a career.

My fear is that this gang in the next five years is going to be a formidable force. And, the "guest country" would have to increasingly provide them with higher and higher jobs. So it will not a single "geek" or banker looking a a job but two of them actually.

I already know a couple of friends who have married Indians abroad and are more qualified than their husbands. At present they are lying low, understating their qualifications and working at sweatshops. But soon, once they have learned the ropes they will let themselves loose and demand their pound of flesh [paneer for the vegetarians]. Till then watch the space...

I wonder how the feminists of developed economists will treat these Indian "brides"....