INDIA
For Globe Moving, it’s the large IT firms that form the basis of
most movement both into and out of India, while, according to PM Relocation’s database, the sectors seeing the most corporate moves are telecommunications, automotive, manufacturing, IT, food and beverage, and banking. Many retail start-ups, construction, pharmaceuticals and logistics companies, Aakanksha Bhargava says, have started to realise the benefits of using a service provider for their relocation requirements. For outbound relocations, Raman Narula notes that the UK,
Norway, Sweden and Finland are receiving a large number of Indian assignees. Ajit Venkatesh says, “People mostly move out of the IT centres like Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad and Gurgaon. Their destinations are getting more and more diverse. The USA is still primary, followed by the UK, Australia, Singapore, and Hong Kong.”
Changing assignee profiles When it comes to the types of employee being relocated, Ajit Venkatesh is finding that, though the majority are those with IT skillsets who work on client sites, senior and middle managers are also on the move. Rohini Manian highlights the rising number of returning
Indians. “Mid- to senior-level managers are the majority of moves into India. French and German companies have relocated their own nationals here, whereas US companies have relocated an equal number of returning Indians as US expats into India. In the last financial year, almost 30 per cent of our total assignee volumes were returning Indians. “Nationals of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, at 42.86
per cent, lead the table of our total assignee volumes, followed by returning Indians, then Asia Pacific nationals, at 15.36 per cent, and North American nationals, at 11.43 per cent. We see insignificant numbers of assignees from South America.” Aakanksha Bhargava points out, “Currently, the concept of
employee relocation in India is only done among top global MNCs. Hence, the privilege of relocation funding is limited to top or senior-level managers. With the growing demand for multiple professional services under one roof, the concept of employee relocation funding will soon be extended to all levels of employee.”
Relocation hotspots Ms Bhargava says that more and more companies are looking to relocate from Tier 1 cities to one of India’s eight Special Economic Zones. This is increasing opportunities for relocation companies.
Among Formula Group’s clients, Bangalore, in the south of
the country, and Pune, in the west, are seeing the largest number of inbound relocations. Home to Indian technological organisations Infosys, ISRO
and Wipro, as well as a number of educational and research institutions, the fast-growing and demographically diverse city of Bangalore is India’s leading IT exporter. Global giants Google and Accenture have a presence there, as does Brookfield Global Relocation Services – a sign of the times. Another such sign is that British independent school Repton
is to open a satellite school in Bangalore, in partnership with local developer the VR Group. This, the first such venture in the city and among the first in India, will see the establishment of a Repton international school, with four pre-schools in various locations around the city. Repton hopes to follow this project with schools in other Indian states. Due to open in September 2018 on a 34-acre site in the south
east of Bangalore, the school, which will offer the IGCSE and the IB Diploma, will be co-educational and cater for more than 2,000 pupils. The area, home to a number of multinational IT companies, has a growing population of professionals seeking a quality education for their children.
Gurgaon on the up Saffron Relocation made a strategic decision to choose Gurgaon, approximately 20 miles south west of Delhi and with an ever- increasing population of more than 1.5 million people, as the location of its India headquarters. Mark Proctor explains. “According to the latest figures from the
UK India Business Council, there are currently 533 UK companies based in India, 71 of which are based in Gurgaon, employing nearly 33,000 people. Add to this over 250 of the Fortune 500 companies and it’s obvious why UK companies are increasingly looking at the ‘Millennium City’ as a desirable location and a cost-effective alternative to central Delhi. “Served by the NH8 highway and looped by the Rapid
MetroRail, which links to the Delhi Metro, the location further benefits from close proximity to the Indira Gandhi International Airport.” Saffron Relocation, Mark Proctor says, wanted a location that
was accessible, conveyed a modern, professional image to clients, and offered a social infrastructure to attract and retain the best staff. Cyber City, one of Gurgaon’s main business districts, proved an ideal base from which to service the many expats wanting to live in one of the city’s high-rise condominium complexes or the individual apartments and houses of Delhi’s colonies.
‘Abundant growth’ for relocation sector Aakanksha Bhargava believes that India’s relocation sector, both inbound and outbound, can only grow. “With the political emphasis being on growth and development, overseas companies are looking to gain a foothold in India and are struggling with growing demand for skilled, talented professionals. Therefore, the inf lux of foreign workers will increase significantly. “Still in its early stages, the mobility industry is starting
a fruitful era where companies from different sectors are actively exploring the concept of offering employees additional benef its to relocate from one city to the other. Hence, with the growing awareness of employee relocation funding and the chance to relocate anywhere within India and overseas, the relocation business will see abundant growth in the coming years.”
16 | Re:locate | Summer 2016
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68