Do we get work, just because we are cheap?

on behalf of my friend Ashwin.
When I started my career as a software professional, I used to think that big Indian companies are very ethical, do high end jobs and get the projects mostly on their capability and not just on cost advantage. I have been a constant supporter of outsourcing as it’s a smart way to do business for both sides, it might be in IT or some other business domain, but something which disappoints me about Indian IT Industry is – manipulating the salary, experience and skillset of their ignorant employees outside and inside India.
I have been outside India since last year and after getting into touch with a lot of consultants, UK/US companies, and UK/US recruiters, I feel that Indian companies are too greedy for the dollars and pounds. Why do they pay Indian employees at onsite with same capabilities/skillset less than the native worker? I wouldn’t just say this, but give some facts to support it :
Salary Given to someone with 4 to 4.5 years IT experience in UK and US by an Indian company:
UK – 36000 GBP
US – 50000 to 55000 USD
Salary Given to someone with 4 to 4.5 years IT experience in UK and US:
UK – 45000 to 50000 GBP
US – 80000 to 90000 GBP
The difference is considerable, and has no rationale behind it ( we do not work cheap at onsite). One more significant drawback of Indian salary structure – You get different numbers on the following important documents:
Appointment Letter/ Appraisal Letter
Pay Slip
Bank Statement
Relieving Letter
Form 16
Why all of them are not consistent, when we are working in India ? Why there is so huge difference between CTC and actual compensation, isn’t something evaded somewhere?We can be indifferent to this, as long as we earn good but this all creates a trouble when you start working as an International Skilled worker.
When you leave a company – on your relieving letter the only thing you get is your designation, your basic salary (which makes you look like a beggar) and duration. A Software Engineer can work on 100 different technologies and may be even on bench all through the entire duration, what assures his skillset and expertise ; nothing?
Your experience certificate in most of the cases – doesn’t mention anything about your projects, skillset, and role in project.
Most of us go to onsite, save some thousands of dollars or pounds and return to India, very gladly considering that we have saved a lot, Yes we do when we compare with an average Indian, but when we are working in US/UK or client site we are working because we have certain skills or because we are needed – or is it always because we are having cost advantage. If it’s not always just cost advantage – are we getting exploited by someone, are the lavish campuses of Indian company just to impress the billion dollar clients who don’t even themselves have an office like this.
Another major issue which plagues Indian IT industry is fake IT professionals – This is something I wrote on a forum few weeks back:
I have been working in IT Industry since last more than 4 years and I used to think that everyone learns things slowly like me, before boasting himself/herself as an expert in any technology. I am working in UK since last one year, and I interacted with so many fake consultants who don’t even know ABC of Datastage or even Software Engineering, similar kind of consultants, Software Engineers exist for other tools and technologies as well. I initially tried being indifferent to it, but then two of my close friends were denied contracts just because they were Indians, and some of the British companies are skeptic about Indian Consultants as most of them are fake. I have personally met at least 25 fake consultants in last one year. I understand that, they need a job, but why to project an experience of 4 or 5 years when you haven’t worked in IT for one day?I request you guys, to give your opinion about it and protest it in anyway you can, me and my bunch of friends have stop cooperating with such guys.