CHENNAI // Delegates to a summit on the Indian diaspora yesterday warned India must prepare for a possible wave of redundant workers from the Gulf.
"The concerns are real and there are concerns of redundancy across the Gulf, and as you know, a majority of these workers are Indians," said R Seetharaman, the chief executive of the Doha Bank Group, outside the afternoon session entitled Reflections on Current Economic Crisis - Diaspora Concerns.
"But the Gulf economy is well insulated because it is not a paper economy, it is based on commodities and so for now I think we are relatively safe. But the worry is there."
Mr Seetharaman suggested various Indian states look into starting rehabilitation and re-employment schemes that will help those who return.
The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, or Indian Diaspora Event, is a three-day summit in Chennai on issues concerning Indians who live and work abroad.
A number of the participants, mostly Indian delegates from more than 43 countries, expressed concern about the future of those who may be forced to return. In India, GDP projections have been revised downwards from nine per cent to less than eight per cent, and export-based sectors such as IT, textiles, and automotives are under pressure.
Panel members suggested measures to the Indian government.
"One must create a route for small investors," said CK Prahalad, a business professor at the University of Michigan.
"Those who return, for example, even hospitality staff from the Gulf, come with a unique set of skills and are of great value to India. But this is possible only if there is heavy investment in such industries within the country."
Other participants were more sceptical: "We are not afraid of people coming but the question is, who is coming?" said Vayalar Ravi, the minister for overseas Indian affairs who attended, but did not speak at the session.
"There is no sign of any sort. So let there be this exodus that everyone says is coming. When they come, we will look into it."
Although some evidence points to 150 Indians going home daily, mostly from the states of Kerala and Tamilnadu, Mr Ravi said that number was expected every year because of the cyclical nature of careers in the Gulf, where visas expire every three years.
"Every year one million people come back ? because their contract is over," he said.
"But that does that not say that we are untouched by the global recession. There may be something in due course and we are keeping a close watch."
Mr Ravi also said that the Overseas Indian Citizenship Scheme (OCI), which started in 2006, would help professionals who were made redundant.
Earlier Manmohan Singh, the Indian prime minister, announced additional benefits to OCI card holders, of whom there are 3.5 million across the world.
"I am therefore happy to announce that henceforth OCI card holders who are qualified professionals - doctors, dentists, pharmacists, engineers, architects and chartered accountants - will have the benefit of practising their professions here in our country. Further details to operationalise this benefit are being worked out," Mr Singh said.
Mr Ravi said the fact that Indians from abroad could also practise in India meant there would better knowledge transfer.
The chances of large-scale redundancies have also led to fears of a drop in remittances. Of the US$27 billion remittance that flows into India each year, $13bn comes from the Gulf, Mr Ravi said.
The World Bank estimates that the biggest declines in the flow of migrant money next year are expected in the Middle East and North Africa, because of economic slowdowns in the Gulf and Europe.
Mr Ravi did not expect the figures to change in the coming year and said there was added confidence in the Indian economy because it was still strong, despite worldwide recession, and because no Indian bank had collapsed like their US counterparts.
"The Indian banks are safe. They are trusted now," he said.
@Email:sbhattacharya@thenational.ae
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
All or Nothing
Amazon Prime
Four stars
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EA Sports FC 25
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Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The biog
Family: wife, four children, 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren
Reads: Newspapers, historical, religious books and biographies
Education: High school in Thatta, a city now in Pakistan
Regrets: Not completing college in Karachi when universities were shut down following protests by freedom fighters for the British to quit India
Happiness: Work on creative ideas, you will also need ideals to make people happy
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Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
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About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium, Malayisa
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia on October 10
UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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