MVSFORUMS.com

Ed Goodman · Beginner Joined: 12 Dec 2002 Posts: 10 Topics: 2

I live in Columbus, Ohio, USA and I was watching a 'news' story about some of the programming sites in India. I think someone was trying to make them look bad because they were showing some cramped offices where dozens of people were working shoulder-to-shoulder. I think they were trying to make it look like a sweat shop, which would make their American audience (me) get all up in arms about the topic of offshore ousourcing.

What I want to know is: Is this a typical work space, or was I the victim of a slanted news story?

When I see offices in the IndiaTimes, they look like what I would consider normal. Folks are spread out a little bit with at least a modicum of privicy. Nobody has an office with a door, but that's true everywhere now.

Please let me know,
Ed

SureshKumar · Intermediate Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 211 Topics: 21

What you saw maybe true, there are many start-up's that go thru this process. One of the main reasons is that real estate is a great premium. Startup's cannot afford the luxury of space. Having said that I can also say 'you haven't seen nothing yet'. Faclities of the big'ies are just too good. In fact there is a reverse-migration trend going on. People who came to the US few years ago are going back in good numbers. Some of the offices(in fact many) just cannot be compared to anything, they are fantastic, but offcourse the exterior of buildings are very good in the US, indian companies do not spend money on exterior but the interiors are a world class envy. My brother is a interior decarator for IT companies, on my last visit to india had the opportunity to look at some of the work he had done, it put my local company to shame. The IT offices are a class apart, but for open doors I agree. overall its a very proffesional approach.

Ed Goodman · Beginner Joined: 12 Dec 2002 Posts: 10 Topics: 2

I figured as much. We have to be very careful about who can be believed on TV.

I saw one photo of an office that looked a lot like the NASA control room during the Apollo missions.

Dibakar · Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2003 12:49 am Post subject:

I am not cramped but don't have privacy. If I stretch my arms then my nearest colleague will get hit. Situation was similar in my previous company too. And both are among top ten.

But there is probably a justified explanation too. Space is a problem in India. It is one third the size of USA but population is five times. Moreover, all top companies are in big metros where land is expensive. And laws don't allow high rises.

But if you compare with other industries, then IT buildings are beyond comparison (except for call centres).

In my earlier company, once a Vice President of a client company came to our office and remarked it's impossibe to imagine interiors of the company from outside.

Ed Goodman · Beginner Joined: 12 Dec 2002 Posts: 10 Topics: 2

I found a recent picture in an article. Does this look typical?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3155878.stm

SureshKumar · Intermediate Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 211 Topics: 21

I have to say yes. But not typical of every company. When I started my carreer it was just like that. But now things are different with the big company's.
India is a huge country. India cannot be described - one has to see it to understand it. There are dozens of culture, 15 different languages, largest population, smallest land area per person.
Just because the offices look cramped some people make a negative opinion that India is a sweat-shop fo IT services, its not. The definition of privacy differs from country to country and culture to culture.
Ok, Ed now see the real thing - Infosys is one of the largest Indian software company - the gym at work is one of Asia's largest gyms, Other facilities include pool / snooker tables and dartboards apart from a swimming pool, a sauna and a Jacuzzi. Tell me who gives a Jacuzzi at work. Look at these images and I am sure you will get a better picture of india- regards
http://www.infosys.com/infrastructure/gallery.asp

SureshKumar · Intermediate Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 211 Topics: 21

One more - http://www.wipro.com/newsroom/presskit/picture_gallery_campus.htm

Manas Biswal · Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2003 1:08 pm Post subject:

well..This is where I work at offshore...Frankly, certainly not comparable to the space and privacy that I get in my Client location at US, but still the very best in India.

[url]
http://www.cognizant.com/aboutus/facilities/pune.htm
[/url]

Regards,
Manas

Ed Goodman · Beginner Joined: 12 Dec 2002 Posts: 10 Topics: 2

Thanks for these pictures, it really makes a difference in what I was thinking.

Manas, you might want to tell cognizant that the word 'backside' is a slang term in the US for a person's... um.. place where they sit. A better caption for that picture might be 'back courtyard' or 'employee commons' or 'strolling grounds'.

Dibakar · Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2003 11:27 pm Post subject:

So the real picture is probably between what BBC showed and what is Suresh and Manas have. I myself havent seen anything as bad as BBC, it looks like some training lab.

Suresh and manas, thanks for the pictures, I am updating my resume. In my next interview I will make qym amd pool a pre requisite for joining.

Manas Biswal · Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2003 2:21 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the tip ED. I will certainly write to the custodian of the site.

Regards,
Manas