Microsoft, Oracle, Google step up hiring in India

US firms are seeking Indian engineers to work on technologies similar to their global counterparts

Microsoft, LinkedIn, Oracle, Facebook and Google are increasing their staff in India triggering a talent war with Indian information technology (IT) services providers.

These US-based firms are seeking Indian engineers to work on technologies similar to their global counterparts even as they face rising protectionism in their home market.

“Facebook, LinkedIN and other companies are increasing headcount in India. Some of them doubled the number in the last four months,” a source said.

Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Oracle and Apple did not comment for this article.

Sources said Indian delivery centres of these companies were on a par with global resources and they were trying to create competence instead of acting as backend offices.

Other US-based companies like Target and Lowe’s are hiring engineers in India in areas like machine learning, big data analytics and networking.

“India is a hotbed for experimentation in digital technologies,” said Anand Subramaniam, engagement manager, Zinnov, a management consultancy and research firm.

Target India, which has 2,500 employees in India, will hire professionals in technology and areas such as marketing, supply chain and animation.

“We will hire talent with Java and Open Source capabilities and  for niche areas with expertise in machine learning and neuro-linguistic programming. In addition to technology, India has a talent pool in computer-generated imagery and animation. Our marketing team is looking to expand our CGI capabilities and tap this pool,” said Shalini Natraj, head of HR at Target India.

A Bain & Company report published last month said global in-house centres (GICs) in India would play a bigger role for enterprises.

“Indian GICs will play a more active role in driving top-of-mind investment priorities of global C-level executives at Fortune 1,000 companies in the next three to five years. In addition, more senior leaders of the enterprise, particularly those two levels below CEOs, will operate out of Indian GICs over this period,” the report added.

Lowe’s, a $65 billion home improvement company that has 1,000 employees in India, said its IT and analytics capabilities in the country would amplify its growth strategy.

“We are hiring people in e-commerce and digital technologies, retail and supply chain technologies, core engineering and infrastructure such as networking, virtual infrastructure and containerisation, analytics and big data, and project management,” said James Brandt, managing director, Lowe’s India.

Subramaniam said the India centres of global companies would want to create new capabilities for the parent organisation and build competence in niche technology areas.

Photograph: Jason Reed/Reuters