12 June 2007 - 14:05
Geeks are Good in India
Arranged marriages are nothing new in India but aparently Indian parents are turning to the Internet more and more to find partners for their children.
Indian men want attractive, educated young women (don't we all!) and Indian women are more interested in hard cash. So if you're ugly and making money then you can still drive a hard bargain!
bharatmatrimony.com is a wedding website used by more than 10 million subscribers around India, that may seem a lot but given the population of India is around 1 billion there is still plenty of room for growth.
Mrs Khatoon for example says she is looking for an IT professional for her daughter, preferably based in London, or someone who will be able to work overseas in the future. Good for you Mrs Khatoon, but why on earth people want to live in London (or the UK at all) is beyond me. It's a boring hole! Go to Australia or the US, the quality of life is far better.
Just a decade ago Indian parents put civil servants and accountants at the top of their marital wish list, as they had a guaranteed stable and steady income and a job for life. But the technology boom in India has changed all this.
Mrs Khatoon's eldest daughter is married to an IT professional living in London and she wants the same for her younger daughter. IT professionals are seen as providng a secure financial future
Murugavel Janakiraman, the CEO of bharatmatrimony.com claims this attitude is now widespread and is not exceptional. In recent years India's technology services sector has seen a boom with millions of new jobs. There are not enough engineering and IT graduates to fill the positions available.
According to Nasscom, India's software trade body, there could be a shortfall of half a million IT professionals by 2010 and salaries are going up as a consequence. (I knew I should have studied IT!)
So IT professionals are the hottest property in terms of both employment and marriage. They really are in a seller's market - in fact in two seller's markets at once!
IT workers start their careers with a salary of around $800 a month (around twice what professionals in comparable jobs earn) and their salaries will rise around 20% a year on average.
IT professionals are suddenly cool which comes as a pleasant surprise to them as they have thus far been classified as nerds, geeks or worse .
Anup Gandhi, says "I think it's fabulous that we're now in such hot demand, " - well he would wouldn't he! It's always nice to be popular - but take care Anup they are only after your money! They are not at all interested in your quirky social habits or skills.
"If an Indian woman wants me" he says "I think that's a very good thing!" Hmmm it would be nice to see a picture of Anup.
The latest economic forecasts provide more good news for choosy IT professionals. The Indian economy has expanded by more than 9% and services represent one fifth of that growth.
Technology is expected to contribute almost one tenth of India's GDP by 2010.
So all those boring geeky IT guys have never had it so good - are you jealous? Well lock yourself away in a room for a few years, don't wash, and learn all the latest nerdy computer games, the girls will love you !
Full article here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6723385.stm
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