Phoren whizkids in India's Silicon Alley

IT's an invasion. And the 'invaders' are swooping down on Bangalore from all over the world. Americans, Brits, Spaniards, Japanese, Polish - all in search of digital nirvana while soaking in the Indian experience. Sunday Times catches up with them in the pubs, malls and software parks of the Garden City.

About 108 years ago,a young Winston Churchill came to Bangalore, then a small garrison town where "the sun even at mid-day is temperate and the mornings and evenings are fresh and cool".

Within months, he was plain bored of life in the camps. So he read books by the dozens and collected butterflies. Bangalore then was cleaved into two cultures: the Cantonment where the English set up home, and the City where the natives lived.

Many many decades later, the generals and foot soldiers of the software revolution from Bangalore have invaded the IT world, putting the city in an imperious position.

Today's cosmopolitan Bangalore has a few pockets where you would be forgiven if you think you're not in India. At least so in the software parks, pubs, malls and Em Gees (MG Road). Global Flavour: Digital nirvana is a prime attraction. Almost a quarter of the 10,000-12,000 foreigners employed in the Silicon Capital of India are part of the IT industry. There is a wide cross-section already.

Tokyo girl Miki Chiba, who joined Infosys a year ago as executive sales support for Asia Pacific region,always wanted to come to India.

Joshua Bornstein, 23, left a high-paying investment bank job in Los Angeles to join Infosys as manager (corporate planning and business planning); it fetches him barely 30 per cent of his earlier salary.

Brits Paul King and David Eddison, trainers at ITC Infotech, believe that India offers a unique global and cultural experience. Magdalena Gazewska, 24, has come all the way from Cracow, Poland, for a temporary marketing job at Siri Technologies.

"When I asked around,I was told Bangalore was the most developed city," she says. There are scores of others out here - looking for apartments, waiting for company buses with swipe cards dangling from their necks.

Kris Lakshmikanth,CEO and MD of Head-hunters India, says there is a marked increase in the number of foreigners seeking IT jobs in the city. "Most are from the US and the UK, but the Spaniards and Italians are coming too."

Not all are hardcore techies. Not all have risen from the dust of the dotcom devastation to find a job. And almost no one is looking to pitch tent here.

Joshua, as American as apple pie in his worldview, says three factors determined his career destination choice: "One, global macroeconomic trends are quite favourable to India. Secondly, I knew working with a company like Infosys would get me ample experience with senior management and exposure to the global markets. Thirdly, it's better to explore when you are still young."

Bangalore is happening with a capital H. But does it offer comforts? No. Ambience? Yes. Salary jump? Not for all. Knowledge? Yes. Typically, most foreigners seek jobs - if they are not here on deputation - that will enable them to soak in the India and the IT experience for a couple of years.

Kris says, "Bangalore firms are quite forthcoming too. Many think it's an advantage to have a foreigner as part of their workforce."

Enjoyable Stint: For many,the stint entails a plunge in their incomes. Ask Joshua: "The current job does not permit me to have a great lifestyle. But I like the people out here and enjoy the cultural environment."

He does find time for pubbing, basketball and reading. Miki, on the other hand, feels that life in Tokyo is no comparison to India. Although she does go to the movies and occasionally, a pub, her main pastime is catching up on economics books. Paul and David, the jolly trainer duo, have assimilated well to the local atmosphere, and relish a good Indian meal. Others prefer to go beyond masala dosa and sambar. Within four months, Magdalena has put in a lot of weekend sightseeing.

With an Indian boyfriend and loads of European friends, she is far from lonely. After work, she jams up with friends for a leisurely drink at the pub.

Parks have won Magdalena's heart. "Bangalore is big, crowded and modern, but I love its gardens the best," she says. But is the city global in outlook? Magdalena finds that difficult to answer.

"My Indian boyfriend is quite open-minded and outgoing. But I cannot say the same about the Indian family I lived with for a while. They were quite conservative. It's only in the city centre that I meet a lot of other foreigners."

Perhaps the most popular figure among foreigners here is Dutchman Bob Hoekstra, 58, CEO of Philips Software, whose concern for the city's environment and love for mountain biking are key themes in his book, An Exemplary Family in Bangalore, a compilation of anecdotes.

He even had a typically Indian naming ceremony for his grand-daughter, Kavitha. Celebration of the global experience is high on Bob's list. His best take on such openness: "Visas and work permits should have a strong fragrance of jasmine."

20,000?

And can anyone cinfirm on Churchill living in Bangalore? Methinks something fishy there.

20,000?

And can anyone confirm on Churchill living in Bangalore? Methinks something fishy there.

Churchill, Sir Winston (1874-1965)

"In 1896, Churchill's regiment was sent to Bangalore, in southern India. There he read many books he had neglected in school. The works of Edward Gibbon and Thomas B. Macaulay interested him the most.
In 1897, Churchill learned that fighting had broken out in northwestern India between British forces and Pushtun warriors. He obtained a leave from his regiment, and persuaded two newspapers to hire him as a reporter. Churchill joined the advance guard of the Malakand Field Force and took part in bloody hand-to-hand fighting. After returning to Bangalore, Churchill wrote about the campaign in his first book, The Story of the Malakand Field Force (1898)."

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