Rediff, 11 February 2004 — "Foreign Pros Seeking Jobs in India" · By Madhuri Sehgal · Interview with Anil Mahajane, Talent Hunt Private Limited
Publication Details
When India Became a Destination, Not Just a Source
For decades, the narrative around India and talent was one of outflow — skilled professionals leaving for the United States, the United Kingdom, and other developed economies. By early 2004, Anil Mahajane was observing something different at first hand: professionals from those very countries were now calling to ask about opportunities in India.
This Rediff feature, published on 11 February 2004, was among the earliest online articles to document this emerging reversal in global talent flows. Enquiries were coming not only from the US and UK, but also from Germany, Italy, African nations — and they were increasing week on week.
Observations from Anil Mahajane
Where Foreign Professionals Were Looking
The article noted that foreign professionals were exploring opportunities across a wide range of sectors — spanning both technology-led and traditional industries:
Enquiries were primarily for middle and senior management positions, though interest extended to a range of levels — a sign that India's appeal was broad rather than limited to the executive tier.
India's Unique Combination of Stability and Opportunity
Anil Mahajane identified a specific reason why India stood apart from other emerging market destinations. Singapore and Hong Kong — long favoured by international professionals — were approaching saturation. The opportunities available there were narrowing.
India offered something different: a combination of political stability, cultural comfort for returning diaspora, and rapidly expanding opportunities across both established and emerging sectors. That combination, he observed, was rare globally.
A Prediction Borne Out Over Two Decades
When this article was published, the idea of foreign professionals actively seeking employment in India was still novel. Over the following two decades, the trend Anil Mahajane described quietly became the norm.
India today hosts thousands of foreign professionals in technology, engineering, consulting and leadership roles — precisely the trajectory that Anil Mahajane saw emerging in early 2004. This article stands as one of the earliest records of that shift, captured at the precise moment it began.