A reverse labour flow to India from UK

British MP Vince Cable has thrown down the gauntlet by suggesting that unemployed young Brits be sent to India to find work. Since the economy is booming compared to the recession in the west, this reverse flow of labour appears to make sense. In fact, Cable says he got the idea from Wipro boss Azim Premji who had suggested that young Brits be sent to India to get training in cutting edge technologies.

On the face of it, there is nothing wrong with Cable’s suggestion of a freer flow of labour since we are all equal partners now. In Britain however, the David Cameron government is planning to cut immigration by tens of thousands to increase jobs for locals. A call for reverse migration may backfire on Britain, feel some.

Yet in recent times, plenty of foreigners have been coming to India to work : some of it started with the burgeoning call centre and BPO industry and the rest with the boost in the Indian economy. Recently we have seen more numbers coming in than before. Even if Cable spoke in jest, it will be interesting to see how his suggestion is taken by our own ‘jobs for locals’ political classes.