1. Your customers are here
U.S. engineers have strong personal and professional ties to some of the world's top electronics companies, many of which are based or have major operations in the United States. Indian design centers, while not lacking in talent, are too far from end customers to play the same role.
2. This is the design hub
As long as the United States remains the hotspot of design activity, employers will need smart, creative engineers for stateside jobs.
3. India's secret is out
Sure, you can still divide the average U.S. engineer's salary by four to find the average salary for an Indian engineer. But experienced engineers in India know they're in short supply, and they're starting to demand big pay raises — or to bolt when a deep-pocketed company comes knocking. Just hired a hotshot designer in Bangalore? Flip a coin to determine the likelihood he'll show up for work his first day. Chief executive officers and engineering managers, take heed before going on a check-writing spree in India. You're not that special anymore.
4. Experience counts
Indian design centers are getting more sophisticated, but that doesn't change their history as low-cost code mills. Many have large gaps of engineering expertise for certain areas of chip design. While there are plenty of talented generalists, companies in India have a harder time finding highly trained specialists. The most-experienced Indian engineers usually manage large teams of less-experienced engineers and are seldom left to come up with big ideas. The United States is still the domain for the most highly trained engineers.
5. India's best simply don't stick around
Though India's EE diaspora has settled down somewhat, many of the best and brightest tend to head to the U.S. for post-baccalaureate degrees or for a job at a multinational company. The brain drain will make it difficult for India to move past its auxiliary role and become a leader in the electronics industry. "The bulk of the high-caliber students are still reaching out for the U.S. That has slowed down recently due to visa restrictions, but it's still a big portion," said Anand Ramamoorthy, director of systems solutions for the automotive business unit at Renesas Technology Corp.
6. You can outsource in the U.S., too
Successful domestic design houses say they've got plenty of work and have earned high marks from customers over the years — and a good reputation spreads by word of mouth. Indeed, customers often consider reputation and quality of workmanship before bid price, they say. Experienced U.S. engineers should take heart knowing that design services firms provide another employment option at a time when many companies are skittish about hiring full-time engineers.
