Skills shortages and brain drains: Indian high-tech talent

More than a few commentators have suggested one of the obvious sources of talent is the growing number of high-tech workers in India.

In September, Home Office minister Barbara Roche admitted the UK is competing with other countries to attract the best workers and immigration policies should be relaxed to reflect this.

But what if Indian workers simply don't want to come to the UK?

It's not something the government - or even industry - really wants to admit, but as far as many Indian IT professionals are concerned, Shangri-La lies across the other side of the Atlantic.

The US is perceived as offering greater opportunity and rewards. And however hard European countries are currently working to attract inward investment, they started ten years behind the States.

It's a problem that John Higgins, director general of the CSSA, recognises. "Indian software programmers want to go to the US not the UK," he said. "You can't just expect to ship programmers over to the UK - it's an over simplification."

And there's another thing to consider. Do we really want to try and steal the best IT workers from a country just finding its high-tech feet? India has suffered for years from a brain drain to the US. Now successful entrepreneurs are just starting to return they'll need a skilled workforce to help build on India's promising high-tech economy.

For the sake of both countries, it's time to stop thinking of India as a source of programming fodder and see it as an equal partner.