Growing levels of crime in India aimed at expats and tourists, particularly sex crimes against women, has seen the number of foreigners willing to move and work in the country plummet, according to a new survey.
In addition, growing problems within the Indian economy is seeing demand for expat expertise also decline and looks set to drop by nearly 20% this year, despite an 18% rise in 2012.
The survey asked for the views from 2,200 expat professionals and found that 72% of respondents who wanted to work in India in the first half of last year are now looking towards other countries instead.
Those expats are looking for opportunities in Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines and the Middle East.
Many of those in the survey pointed to the growing number of rape cases and attacks on foreigners being reported in the media as being the main reason for their boycotting of the country.
Professional expat numbers down a third
However, 38% of respondents said they were still willing to take up work opportunities in India.
Those expats may find opportunities harder to come by with news that the recruitment of foreign professionals dropped by 37% between January and March this year, compared to the same period last year.
Experts in the industry say there are around 40,000 expats currently working across various industries and sectors in India.
In addition to a growing number of attacks and rape incidents, expats are also pointing to difficulties with India’s work culture and its infrastructure problems as being other major reasons for their choosing not to work there.
Rajesh Kumar, whose site MyHiringClub.com conducted the survey, said many expats had said they were keen to become part of the Indian workforce and be part of its dynamic growth story.
Personal safety worries
They also expressed an interest in gaining first-hand experience of a country trying to grow its part in the global economy but now they are worried about their own safety in India.
He added: “The main reason why expats are no longer considering India as being a suitable and comfortable job destination is because of crime levels and continuous attacks on foreigners in the country.”
Despite the numbers of expats being hired in India falling by 20% overall this year, Mr Kumar said many Indian firms were still keen on hiring foreign professionals even though they are finding that increasing numbers of expats are unwilling to work in the country.
In particular, he said, the lack of expats and their expertise is going to badly affect a number of sectors, particularly in manufacturing and hospitality but also in the car making industry and information technology.
