An unusual Slashdot interview in which Slashdotters pose questions to Indian developers. The discussion puts a personal face on technology outsourcing, and had some interesting insights into the high-tech workplace in India:
As per Indian Law there has to be at least 14 days of earned leave and 7 days of sick leave. This is excluding the 3 national holidays (Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti); 3 Hindu Holidays, 2 Muslim Holidays and 2 Christian Holidays, Plus 1 State holiday.
Ashvini Vishvakasarma, a consultant with Techspan, feels that American and European companies currently outsourcing work to India won’t hesitate for a second to move their work elsewhere if they find a cheaper alternative. “They will move in a flash,” he says. “They’re leaving for the Philippines already. It’s very disturbing for Indian programmers.”
You can have a decent life in New Delhi for around $12,000 US per year — but to earn that much you’ll probably need to have source of income from another country — like programming outsourced from the U.S. or Europe — because most white-collar jobs there pay $6000 US or less, and burger-flipping there is likely to net you more like $2000, which may not be enough to afford an apartment with electricity and running water.
There was also an interesting feature article on this subject in Wired magazine a couple months back.
DarrenBarefoot.com 