India’s economic boom has made the Gulf less of an El Dorado for its workers who used to earlier flock there for jobs, say company heads in the region.

At a function in Qatar's capital Doha to celebrate the 60th anniversary of India’s independence, employers said that though they were extremely happy for India the economic expansion did pose a problem in getting skilled workers, the Gulf Times said in a news report.

Wrong price
“It is extremely difficult to get the staff we want from India at the price we are offering,” U Achu, general manager of Dyarco International, who went to India recently to recruit financial professionals but had to come back disappointed, was quoted as saying. Tareq Abdullatif Taha, general manager of Regency Travel and Tours, said Indians were now “very choosy” about taking jobs in the Gulf.

“Why should they come when they can earn almost the same amount of money and be with their entire family?”

“Gone are the days when you could take a flight to India to recruit staff with specialised skills at the pay scales that were on offer in this country,” added Ravi Narayan, financial controller of Mannai Group.

“The economic boom in India and the generous pay packages offered by companies there have changed the scenario completely.

Today, Indian companies like Reliance are paying more money to skilled staff than companies in the Gulf,” he said.