r2i forum

One might be in a super comfort zone in the US at this time, but looking forward into ensuring long term comfort...

considering that IT is continuing to grow leaps and bounds in India, it appears to do so in the foreseeable future, if you R2I and take up an IT job in India, you have better chances of living in one city with probably no job worries for the next 10 years..

as opposed to looking at your peers getting laid off every now and then in the US, with more off-shoring news everyday, knowing that your job is good only as long as it lasts, and at somepoint you may have to relocate within the US where your new job might take you..

so, in summary, if you are in the IT field, and 10 years or more away from retiring, if your kids are still young and if you still have an opportunity to R2I at this time...then is the above a valid reason to justify R2I ?

Please share your thoughts.

In my view if someone R2Is out of fear of a situation in one place and not because they want to be in India, then they will always end up finding reasons to doubt their decisions. R2I if you want to be India and not because you are worried of how the scene in US might turn out to be. It is OK to base the decision on chances of better growth in India but not because you are scared of what MIGHT happen in the US.

Completely agree...., if you get scared and make decision to R2I it is quite possible that if situation in India turns up-side down in IT then it is very much likely that you will be looking to move to some other country. R2I means you want to Return To India for other important reasons than just the job and of course there are some who forcefully Return To India (even though they are not at all interested to return) because of the following reasons:
1. Lost Job and not able to get a break-through in getting another job.
2. Career Growth, they see their peers doing extremely well in India.
3. Not able to see light at the end of the tunnel with respect to their Green Card Processing, frustrated with working for the same company they see no other option but to give up and R2I.

mkngtrbl;268897In my view if someone R2Is out of fear of a situation in one place and not because they want to be in India, then they will always end up finding reasons to doubt their decisions. R2I if you want to be India and not because you are worried of how the scene in US might turn out to be. It is OK to base the decision on chances of better growth in India but not because you are scared of what MIGHT happen in the US.

It looks like you think India's IT is seldom growing without any dependency on US. Take a look at the numbers. Our majority of the IT services are done for North America and around 17-20% APAC region. Didn't you see the impact with Appraisals on your Indian counterparts when the 2008 recession happened ? Some companies did marginal hike but most others issued a letter quoting the slowing ecomony and thanking everyone for supporting during this tough time etc..

It almost looks like we are getting into an another recession (may be double dip)... For apparent no reason, market has recovered and went up and gave a false signal that economy seems to be actually recovering ... but it is a false signal.. Another fall is coming around the corner..

Just the RUPEE valuation going up against DOLLAR itself is enough to bring enough trouble to all top IT companies in India. They will have to run here and there to meet their numbers and will finally blame it on market condition.

I agree with back2desh, R2I means you want to Return To India for other important reasons than just the job. It is something you can't really describe in words.. For even making a plan, you need to have a passion for the country as well as a strong driving force (other than job) like taking care of ailing parents..

Bringing parents to US on Visitor Visa or getting GC is, in my opinion, taking a fish out of ocean and putting it on the fish tank. They will enjoy for sometime but they will regret mostly (they can't tell you they are regreting or feeling lonely because they know that might make you worry)
because of losing their own zone.

If we really need to pay our debt to our parents in this lifetime, whatever conflicts we may have had with them, whatever generation gap that exists between - we are from a country where we are indebted to take care of them no matter what for whatever the sacrifices they did to bring us up..

Sorry I know I took this thread to a different direction.

I think many people are going thru the same phase and you are not alone and rightfully so. If IT in US looks shaky due to outsourcing, then Manufacturing is being completely swallowed by China. I have faced similar situation twice where the company shut down operations in US and moved APAC. People are trying to switch to industries like healthcare and pharma which are less susceptible to outsourcing. Since I come from manufacturing, the job scene and work culture in India sucks, so I am thinking twice thrice to make any big decision. The outlook in IT in Indian companies is very different. I have seen many people move back because of a secure job and the pay scale is also good.

I think OP is talking about IT professionals in their late 40s or 50s. For younger folks all these fears may look imaginary. Again you have to be in that situation to feel the problem. There are few IT folks I know who lost their jobs in late 40s and had to relocate to keep the medical insurance. Problem is more severe for single income families. At that stage of life r2i will be difficult or impossible as the kids may be in HS or college. You may feel like staying in US to support them but if your job is not stable due to age factor, then you are in trouble.

There was one member who is planning to r2i at 56 as the monthly bill for medical insurance is $2200. If you have savings to cover insurance, daily expenses and college fees, then LIA is not an issue. What is good for someone at 20 may not be good for someone at 50.

I will take a different stance, and support scotchlvr. He is not talking about reverse culture shock & responsibilities towards parents. He is only asking about job prospects in IT industry down the line. So let's address only that issue:
1. I myself survived 2 recessions in USA in last 10 years. But I saw some talented senior folks (mid 40s) losing their jobs, and taking 1 to 2 years to get back in the game. This issue was applicable to both managers & engineers.
2. Even when there is no recession, the career growth & salary hikes have reduced in USA. Some desi folks I know had come to USA in early 1990s. They made so much money off stock options that by 2000, they were taking trips to India in business class. I doubt if many folks in IT can make that kinda money in USA anymore. And if you can't, it becomes challenging to bring parents to USA, and provide them medical insurance. In fact your own retirement in USA can become a challenge.
3. Whenever there is cost-cutting, the first thing companies are doing is to stop hiring in USA, and continue hiring in India. Whereas the salary hike may not be great, it does give Indian job seekers a chance to find opportunities within their city.

Yes, the globalization also means that US economy impacts the whole world. But the impact is felt differently across the globe. It does remain hard to predict what will happen in 10 years, and you cannot justify R2I based on the current conditions. However the present job outlook does warrant considering R2I when your kids are still young.

scotchlvr;268892

so, in summary, if you are in the IT field, and 10 years or more away from retiring, if your kids are still young and if you still have an opportunity to R2I at this time...then is the above a valid reason to justify R2I ?

Please share your thoughts.

It is a valid reason - as long as you are willing to move back to US for the very same reason should that corresponding economic change happen down the line. Else, you are just trying to convince yourself to believe that reason to r2i, when r2i is your bigger goal.