Ignoring Indian high-tech talent was a mistake: Chinese state media

Global Times expressed concern over the high-tech firms moving to India for its low labour costs.

By: News Desk |
February 24, 2017 3:50 pm

Stressing on the need to attract Indian talent for maintaining its innovation ability, Chinese state run media has said that Beijing made a mistake by ignoring science and technology experts from India. “China has made the mistake of ignoring Indian talent, and instead has attached a greater importance to talent coming from the US and Europe,” says an article in state-run Global Times.

The tabloid that has often been critical of Indian policies was rather effusive in its praise for India. “China has perhaps not been working hard enough to attract science and technology talent from India to work in the country,” said the article in the daily.

“Over the past few years, China witnessed an unprecedented boom in tech jobs as the country became an attractive destination for foreign research and development centres.” it added.

The daily expressed concern over the high-tech firms moving to India for its low labour costs.

“However, now some high-tech firms are turning their attention from China to India due to the latter’s relatively low labour costs. Attracting high-tech talent from India could be one of China’s options for maintaining its innovation ability,” it said.

It has carried out a lot of measures, including increasing research spending and creating a favourable investment environment for high-tech firms, to enhance its innovation capability.

“However, one issue has become increasingly prominent: The talent pool in China is not large and flexible enough to meet demand for the rapid expansion of innovation capability,” the article said.

Arguing that the talent pool in China is not large and flexible enough to meet demand for the rapid expansion, the article underlined the need to create an atmosphere like Silicon valley.

“In Silicon Valley, a considerable number of software developers working there are born outside the US. China should also strive to attract more foreign talent into the country as it aims to build itself into a world-class research hub,” it said.

“A total of 1,576 foreigners were granted Chinese permanent residence in 2016, registering an increase of 163 per cent from the previous year. It seems that China is aware of the importance of tapping into international talent,” it said.