London: Indian techies have now taken over the IT industry in the UK.
And the latest figures from the UK Home Office reflect just this.
Indian techies are worrying the British software industry by their sheer numbers. Latest figures show that more than 18,000 of the 22,000 foreign IT workers coming to the UK last year were from India.
85 per cent of all foreign IT workers entering the UK in 2004 were Indians. The US was a distant second with 5 per cent.
The data also shows the number of work permits allocated has doubled in the last five years.
Ann Swain, Chief Executive of the Association of Technology Staffing companies or ATSCo, says there is no skill shortage in the British IT market. So these statistics are quite worrying.
"Our concern is twofold ? people being bought over, not being paid appropriately and then when they head back, their skills are not enhanced and the experience is not good enough," Swain said.
"We have UK IT contractors sitting at home and training to be plumbers to seek employment," Swain added.
"We have a situation where IT is not looking like an attractive profession for the people coming through the education system," Swain said.
Employers find Indian IT workers cheaper than their western counterparts and they always go back after completing their assignment.
"We have people onsite and offsite from India. We have 2000 IT associates in 40 locations in the UK. All of them are here for a period of time and go back to India. This is not a one way emigration we are talking about," Keith Sharp, Marketing Director, TCS UK, said.
ATSCo is working with the British government to monitor the visa system and also invest in IT training. Till then it is destination UK for Indian techies.
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