What's a few desi giga-flops when Yankland lies yonder
No one's screaming "Help!" Flight of talent is common in the IT industry Tata Consultancy Services is rumoured to have a 30 per cent turnover each year. But C-DAC's problem is unique in that its whiz-kids are leaving in spite of the prestige involved in the project. And the pleasure of having socked it to Uncle Sam.
Official figures are unavailable. But when reports first appeared on the exodus, C-DAC issued vehement denials. It now accepts its plight with greater equanimity. "We're making no effort to prevent guys from leaving, because it can be more dangerous to retain them," says Bhatkar. Employee No 1 himself has been wooed with 8-figure salaries.
C-DAC is looking at performance-linked incentives and a 10 per cent stake for employees in its proposed corporate, C-DAC Ltd, to retain the best and the brightest. But its bosses know they'll never ever be able to match what the firangi TNCs can offer.
"C-DAC has become a steppingstone to the US," says consultant Deviprasad C. Rao, who's seen at least 50 people, mostly software engineers, leave in the last 15 months. That's why C-DAC is taking no chances. "Key members of the core team have a handle on the design completely," says an insider. "However many people leave, we can always chip in."
C-DAC's success in spite of the continuing loss of skilled manpower, and the fact that three other organisations DRDO, BARC and NAL are also making 'supers' simultaneously, presumably under similar pressures, is testimony to the vast pool of talent in the country. But the implications are obvious.