alt Hacker NewsThe problem is that the set of "Indians who can speak fluent English" and the set of "Indians who will work for the absolute lowest bid" are exclusive. And I don't blame them, really.
These execs mistake "English is an official language" for "English is a widespread first language". Only 0.02% of Indians speak English as their first language, while total speakers (of first, second, or third language) are 10.6% of the population.[0]
[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_India#Multilingua...
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While English is not a first language for the vast majority, it is used a lot in daily life because the native languages vary wildly by area and nobody understands them all. English is the common denominator, not just for communicating with foreigners but also to other Indians from other areas.
The focus on primary language makes it seem less used than it actually is.
The last time I had realistic numbers, an outsourced engineer in India cost a bit more than a comparable one in the Midwestern US.
I’d guess they’re more expensive now, despite the obvious timezone problems.
omg I work with some Indian people since 2000, and I canonly understand about 80% of what ONE OF THEM says, the others less than 60%. :(
Also don't forget it's an Indian dialect of English, with words and usages of English words that don't exist elsewhere in the world.