Comments on: Hiring in India http://6ampacific.com/2007/01/22/hiring-in-india/ Basab Pradhan's weblog about business and life in a 'flat world'. 6 AM Pacific is the best time for a global conference call. Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:45:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: anon http://6ampacific.com/2007/01/22/hiring-in-india/#comment-12924 anon Sat, 22 Mar 2008 19:12:57 +0000 http://6ampacific.com/2007/01/22/hiring-in-india/#comment-12924 I have been in Product Management for over 7 years -- some years outside India. The reason Product Managers dont grow in India because US folks dont let them grow. They treat Indian Product Managers as clerks whose ideas can be stolen. This happens at all large companies. People who could be Directors of VPs of Product Management never get promoted in India -- and they have no where to go because small companies cant pay properly or have wierd culture. I have been in Product Management for over 7 years — some years outside India. The reason Product Managers dont grow in India because US folks dont let them grow. They treat Indian Product Managers as clerks whose ideas can be stolen. This happens at all large companies. People who could be Directors of VPs of Product Management never get promoted in India — and they have no where to go because small companies cant pay properly or have wierd culture.

]]> By: Amita http://6ampacific.com/2007/01/22/hiring-in-india/#comment-10698 Amita Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:52:05 +0000 http://6ampacific.com/2007/01/22/hiring-in-india/#comment-10698 Basab - I begin from the beginning. "6AM Pacific" is a great name for a blog and quintessentially reflects the nature of your current and future posts. I am tasked to define the role of a PM (and hire one) in India - this actually led me to your wonderful site. I have a few comments on this post and a question - it would be great if you or anyone who is reading the blog answers. Comments: 1. I have worked with Persistent Systems as outsourcing partners and it has been a great experience. 2. I am from XLRI, Jamshedpur and it always cringes when people omit to mention XLRI in the same spirit as IIMs... I have great respect for my Alma Mater and people, you would do good, if you hire from XLRI as well :) Question: What should be the role and job description of Product Manager, if hired in India for a Product Company, based and having market in the US and Europe? What would be the key responsibilities that would keep them productively engaged? FYI - I am a Product Manager for the same company, based in the US - and to hire a PM is our approach to improve communication protocol. Is this a good scenario to even hire one PM in India? Long shot at that - Thanks, Amita Basab - I begin from the beginning. “6AM Pacific” is a great name for a blog and quintessentially reflects the nature of your current and future posts.

I am tasked to define the role of a PM (and hire one) in India - this actually led me to your wonderful site. I have a few comments on this post and a question - it would be great if you or anyone who is reading the blog answers.

Comments:
1. I have worked with Persistent Systems as outsourcing partners and it has been a great experience.
2. I am from XLRI, Jamshedpur and it always cringes when people omit to mention XLRI in the same spirit as IIMs… I have great respect for my Alma Mater and people, you would do good, if you hire from XLRI as well :)

Question:
What should be the role and job description of Product Manager, if hired in India for a Product Company, based and having market in the US and Europe? What would be the key responsibilities that would keep them productively engaged?
FYI - I am a Product Manager for the same company, based in the US - and to hire a PM is our approach to improve communication protocol. Is this a good scenario to even hire one PM in India?

Long shot at that -
Thanks,
Amita

]]> By: aryan http://6ampacific.com/2007/01/22/hiring-in-india/#comment-9649 aryan Thu, 20 Dec 2007 05:21:53 +0000 http://6ampacific.com/2007/01/22/hiring-in-india/#comment-9649 The Delhi High Court has dismissed the writ petition of CFA Institute. However, the detailed order is not yet available yet. Basically the situation is that the CFAI has lost this particular case. The detailed order should be available soon. Source: http://www.kprofessionals.com/phorum/read.php?8,1159 The Delhi High Court has dismissed the writ petition of CFA Institute. However, the detailed order is not yet available yet. Basically the situation is that the CFAI has lost this particular case. The detailed order should be available soon.

Source: http://www.kprofessionals.com/phorum/read.php?8,1159

]]> By: Arup Bhanja http://6ampacific.com/2007/01/22/hiring-in-india/#comment-6191 Arup Bhanja Thu, 17 May 2007 11:22:22 +0000 http://6ampacific.com/2007/01/22/hiring-in-india/#comment-6191 This is great! I like the idea that software product management is so respected a desig now. I am into my CFA and this inspires me to think that my future role as a product mgr in a financial software product/services company has not yet reached crticial mass and is well respected. Regards, Arup Bhanja ClearWater Tech. Bangalore This is great! I like the idea that software product management is so respected a desig now. I am into my CFA and this inspires me to think that my future role as a product mgr in a financial software product/services company has not yet reached crticial mass and is well respected.

Regards,
Arup Bhanja
ClearWater Tech.
Bangalore

]]> By: Anon http://6ampacific.com/2007/01/22/hiring-in-india/#comment-5557 Anon Sat, 03 Mar 2007 03:04:45 +0000 http://6ampacific.com/2007/01/22/hiring-in-india/#comment-5557 Hello, I feel both sides are to blame for the lack of product managers in India. The US eco-cystem is very well developed to support product managers. Companies in the US value Product managers as an integral part of their long term strategy. Product Management salaries (which are quite high) are seen more as an investment rather than an expense. This is true for start-ups as well as matured companies. On the other hand, INdian companies or companies operating in India want to see immediate results from product managers. They do not understand the value product managers can add in the long term and hence are unwilling to meet salary demands of product managers. Infact, start-ups frequently state their lack of resources to fund product manager salaries. There are very few startups in India that are willing to shell out salaries to product managers because they understand the value in the longer run. As a result of this, product managers stick to companies that value them and seldom leave. Indian companies really need to change the way they think if they want to attract talented product managers. Salaries must be seen as an investment and not a short-term expense Hello,

I feel both sides are to blame for the lack of product managers in India. The US eco-cystem is very well developed to support product managers. Companies in the US value Product managers as an integral part of their long term strategy. Product Management salaries (which are quite high) are seen more as an investment rather than an expense. This is true for start-ups as well as matured companies.

On the other hand, INdian companies or companies operating in India want to see immediate results from product managers. They do not understand the value product managers can add in the long term and hence are unwilling to meet salary demands of product managers. Infact, start-ups frequently state their lack of resources to fund product manager salaries. There are very few startups in India that are willing to shell out salaries to product managers because they understand the value in the longer run.

As a result of this, product managers stick to companies that value them and seldom leave. Indian companies really need to change the way they think if they want to attract talented product managers. Salaries must be seen as an investment and not a short-term expense

]]> By: Sudhi http://6ampacific.com/2007/01/22/hiring-in-india/#comment-5348 Sudhi Sun, 28 Jan 2007 18:45:43 +0000 http://6ampacific.com/2007/01/22/hiring-in-india/#comment-5348 I still feel that product management is in a very nascent phase having been working for a product company myself.We have been so engineering centric that recruitng product managers is a daunting task.We should look at more FMCG and manufacturing companies to fill in this demand. -Sudhi I still feel that product management is in a very nascent phase having been working for a product company myself.We have been so engineering centric that recruitng product managers is a daunting task.We should look at more FMCG and manufacturing companies to fill in this demand.
-Sudhi

]]> By: Basab http://6ampacific.com/2007/01/22/hiring-in-india/#comment-5345 Basab Sat, 27 Jan 2007 19:27:34 +0000 http://6ampacific.com/2007/01/22/hiring-in-india/#comment-5345 Some great ideas in the comments. @Old Hand, you are correct. Product Engineering doesn't automatically provide the quals to go in for Product Mgmt which is more business oriented. I think the impetus for Prod mgt as a career will come from all the tech startups coming up in India. Some great ideas in the comments.

@Old Hand, you are correct. Product Engineering doesn’t automatically provide the quals to go in for Product Mgmt which is more business oriented.

I think the impetus for Prod mgt as a career will come from all the tech startups coming up in India.

]]> By: Sameer http://6ampacific.com/2007/01/22/hiring-in-india/#comment-5338 Sameer Thu, 25 Jan 2007 22:57:47 +0000 http://6ampacific.com/2007/01/22/hiring-in-india/#comment-5338 It's interesting to read that there are not many takers for PM roles.Perhaps one way to increase interest is to talk about the future benefits of being a Product Manager in charge of a product or product line.I see the role as being a much better stepping step to more strategic roles and general management roles and opportunity to diversify from there into product marketing,corporate business development etc. Perhaps adding a P&L twist to it if applicable and talking about the benefits above could draw more interest. It’s interesting to read that there are not many takers for PM roles.Perhaps one way to increase interest is to talk about the future benefits of being a Product Manager in charge of a product or product line.I see the role as being a much better stepping step to more strategic roles and general management roles and opportunity to diversify from there into product marketing,corporate business development etc.

Perhaps adding a P&L twist to it if applicable and talking about the benefits above could draw more interest.

]]> By: Anuradha http://6ampacific.com/2007/01/22/hiring-in-india/#comment-5336 Anuradha Thu, 25 Jan 2007 06:36:46 +0000 http://6ampacific.com/2007/01/22/hiring-in-india/#comment-5336 About 10-12 years back,when IT companies starting establishing in India, no II professionals (developers, analysts, Project Managers) existed, no schools churned them out, so the industry had to innovate its own ways of creating the IT population. They did it by having their own tarining programs which not only prvided skilld to the people but also contributed to the scalability of operations. Can product companies think on similiar lines, as number of people with Product Management experience in India is very limited and going forward the demand is going to increase with more and more product development outsourcing and offshoring happening. I like Grooming idea as well by Old Hand. -Anu About 10-12 years back,when IT companies starting establishing in India, no II professionals (developers, analysts, Project Managers) existed, no schools churned them out, so the industry had to innovate its own ways of creating the IT population. They did it by having their own tarining programs which not only prvided skilld to the people but also contributed to the scalability of operations.
Can product companies think on similiar lines, as number of people with Product Management experience in India is very limited and going forward the demand is going to increase with more and more product development outsourcing and offshoring happening.
I like Grooming idea as well by Old Hand.

-Anu

]]> By: Satyajit Parekh http://6ampacific.com/2007/01/22/hiring-in-india/#comment-5334 Satyajit Parekh Wed, 24 Jan 2007 06:26:20 +0000 http://6ampacific.com/2007/01/22/hiring-in-india/#comment-5334 Very interesting article. I am in total agreement with you when it comes to points you have raised about the dilemma in a young IT manager's mind about entering product management. Though product management sounds interesting the doubts that you have mentioned definitely crop up. I thought you would have written about the future for a product manager's career in a services-oriented industry. I am interested in knowing your views on the same. Satyajit Very interesting article. I am in total agreement with you when it comes to points you have raised about the dilemma in a young IT manager’s mind about entering product management.

Though product management sounds interesting the doubts that you have mentioned definitely crop up. I thought you would have written about the future for a product manager’s career in a services-oriented industry. I am interested in knowing your views on the same.

Satyajit

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