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MUMBAI: As the Western economies continue to remain in deep freeze, more and more foreigners, mostly from the US and Europe are looking at India for jobs, a trend that has seen up to 20 per cent spurt this year, according to head-hunters.
 
According industry estimates, there are as many as 40,000 expats working in various industries in the country today.
 
"Hiring of expats has picked up by 15-20 per cent at all levels since last year, mainly on account of India being one of the fastest growing economies offering huge job opportunities," recruitment process outsourcing firm Elixir Consulting manager for International Practices Ratnesh Kumar said.
 
Increasing number of expats are seeking jobs in the country on account of job cuts in their home countries, coupled with rising outsourcing and high taxes, he said, adding that this is happening more in the US and Europe.
 
The Indian experience also adds values to the expats’ resume, reflecting an individual’s ability to adapt and deal with diversity, he explained.
 
These professionals are mainly being hired in banking and financial services, automobile, pharma and retail sectors, apart from areas, where the domestic industry does not have competency like alternative energy, complex infrastructural sector, etc he said.
 
"While CXOs are generally offered around $2,50,000 per annum, mid-manager level employees get $80,000-1,25,000 per annum," he said.
 
The number of foreigners seeking jobs in the country are no longer limited to the middle and senior levels, but is spreading over to beginners as well, he said, adding that at present, there are around 40,000 expats working in the country and the number is still growing.
 
What is interesting is that these expats are given compensation almost at par with what is being paid in foreign countries.
 
"Expats, with specialised skillsets, which are not available in the country due to financial or technology constraints such as molecular research, are being offered highly attractive packages," Kumar said.
 
Companies are also offering attractive leadership positions to experienced expatriates ranging from mid-level managerial roles to departmental heads. However, the attrition rate of expats is around 10 per cent annually mainly due to difficulties in communication and cultural differences, Kumar added.
 
Echoing similar view, Globalhunt director Sunil Goel said some global companies have their largest centres in the country on one hand, while on the other, many local organisations are also going global.
 
"So, the expat hiring is becoming the need of the hour, where foreigner from various parts of the globe are taking up multiple roles and are recruited as experts in sectors like infrastructure, healthcare, power and energy, oil and gas and automotive," he said.
 
According to TeamLease vice-president Rituparna Chakraborty, the country is seeing an increased demand in expats across various industries, especially post the 2008 recession in the developed economies.
 
"Professionals from Europe, Southeast Asia and the US mostly are being hired mainly by sectors like travel and tourism, retail, aviation, education and sports, where we see maximum traction," she said.
 
Talking about salary, she said, for most levels it is at par with industry standards, unless they are being brought in for a particular skill, which is niche and is non-existent within the country.

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DARBHANGA: In a bizarre incident, a man allegedly beheaded his wife and carried the severed head through the streets in Bihar’s Darbhanga district, a delayed police report said.

Hira Yadav (30), who was locked in quarrel with his wife, had on October five picked up a fight with his wife who allegedly hurled abuses at him making offensive comments on the mother-son relation at Thakania village, the police said.

In a fit of rage, Hira picked up a sharp-edged weapon and beheaded his wife Rina Devi (25) and started behaving abmormally.

He grabbed her severed head with the hair and started moving around with it in the village, they said.

On getting information, police arrived and arrested Hira, the police said.

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Maharashtra Police are trying to trace the whereabouts of a suspicious white chopper which landed on the shore near a village in coastal Maharashtra and flew away minutes later. “It has not yet been traced. We have informed all the ATCs (Air Traffic Control) in the area,” police officials at the State police headquarter told The Hindu on Saturday night.

Ratnagiri Superintendent of Police Pradeep Raskar said, “According to police patil Prakash Babu Vaghje of Harne Palde village here, a white helicopter landed on the sea shore in the sand, a little way from the village at 16.30 hours (4.30 pm) today. He said that two persons came out of the chopper, strolled out, and flew back after 17 minutes. The helicopter flew back towards Anjarle in Raigad district.”

As the chopper landed away from the village, no one else has yet reported to have sighted it. Mr Raskar denied reports that two persons disappeared in the forest after getting down from the chopper. “It is not true. According to what the police patil saw, the two persons went back in the chopper and flew away,” he said.

He said that the policeman immediately informed his police station, after which higher officials were informed. “He informed the police station immediately, but till the time police reached there, the chopper had flown away,” he said. No other details of the chopper are known.

“We are in contact with ATC Goa, ATC Mumbai, ATC Kolhapur. We have not received any further information as yet,” Mr. Raskar said.

It is not yet clear whether the chopper had landed for surveillance or for any other purpose. “We have not been able to trace why the chopper landed there like that and where it went off later. Till we do not get any information on that, it will be suspicious. We are inquiring into it. The probe is going on,” he said.