Retailers train sights on Gulf, SE Asia for mid-level execs

Reverse brain drain is slowly picking up in organised retailing. Buoyed by rising incomes in the ever-growing organised retail sector here, Indian professionals working in the organised retailing sector in the Middle East and South-East Asian markets of Dubai, Sharjah and Malaysia are now looking to return home. And Indian retailers, quick to pick up on the trend, are welcoming them. The focus on overseas talent comes as organised retailing in the Middle East and South-East Asia is a very well developed market. Expertise in operations, supply chain, category heads and distribution centre managers and merchandising specialists from these regions are much sought after by Indian players. So sought after, that they're willing to match dollar salaries for their expertise — certainly not a deep-discount strategy.

However, observers believe that the trend is likely to be restricted to seeking specialised expertise from the Middle East. “While there may be lot of Indians looking to come back, the fact is markets like Dubai and Sharjah are still zero-tax regime. That still makes India an unattractive market,” says Govind Shrikhande, CEO, Shoppers’ Stop, adding that like India, even markets like Dubai are expanding at a fast pace, so it is unlikely that there is going to be any dearth of opportunities there. Also, retailers in India have to factor in the cost of hiring talent from overseas.