Prospects of Environmental Professionals in US who want to come back to India

[Reynold Sequeira]

Since I have been trying to get job in EHS/ Sustainability field in India for sometime now as I want to relocate to India, I was wondering what are the prospects of people like me being able to get back home?? I would like some feedback from people on the network! Please post your comments.

[Krishna Viswanathan]

Hi Reynold,

I've been trying to track this for a while through a similar lens.

This is my take, at least in my field, which is environmental sciences and air quality engineering with a regulatory basis and entrepreneurship in ecological sciences. Experts in India, please correct my impressions. Again, these are solely my impressions.

The environmental movement in India is very broad and has strong proponents that have international voices. There seems to also be a private sector based push into sustainability based on a large amount of hype which is yet to be translated into real earnings. However, there in no national regulatory mechanism or driver or an effective one anyway that motivates such actions.

It also seems like major projects are now required to do more sophisticated EIS/EIA's based on core tools developed elsewhere and packaged in India. There are companies that actually arbitrage the lack of knowledge of publicly available free tools. So there is a market there.

In terms of ecosystem and forest land management, it seems to be a patchwork with several states emerging as leaders with no unified national drivers, again.

There seems to be a wave of MNC's engaged in CDM work based on the UNFCCC principles and a market associated with that. Also some significant number interested in wind/alt energy.

Attempts to transfer knowledge to the public and private sector from other nations have been disappointing. The work interest becomes very technical and in learning how to number crunch rather than to create a systematic approach to sustainability and creating market conditions that support internalizing of environmental costs, and still allowing benefits to the economy and the public.

Long way of saying that, if you are interested in number crunching and project managing EIS/EIA's, CDM development or energy projects, or in being an EHS Manager for large chemical manufacturers, then there is opportunity.

Know thyself and set forth!

Good luck in your quest, and let us know what you find.

Krishna Viswanathan

[Niraj Kumar]

I am in oil & gas sector, working as environment professional. The offers which I have been getting from India is Rs 25 Lacs CTC. In gulf there is no tax. But in India, 30% of salary will go in tax.

In some cases as I heard, the offer is upto Rs 40 Lac CTC also. But I have not come across such an offer so far.

[G UDAYABHASKAR]

Dear Mr. Reynolds

I agrre with Mr. Krishna. Sustainability as a practice is yet to take off in indina industry. Indian Industry environmental mamnagment is regulatory driven. MOEF is still to make any law. very few industries are keen where neitgher regulation insist nor money flow!!.My industry collegues may excuse me, if I am too frank. Specially for you being an industrial engineer back ground, you may find it bit more difficult to penetrate.
All the best and hope to see you in India.

[Rupankar Choudhury]

Hi Reynold,

Well, it is for sure that there is lots of scope in the field of environmental proffesionals in India. But things are still not moving in wel organized manner. To be frank, there is huge margin in renumeration that is offered to EIA/EHS expert than someone from other filed of engineering in the developmen sectors. Again in most of the cases the top chairs are headed by people who are basically from non-environmental background which make the issue much more critical. For example, a expert say from the field of geology is involeved in EIA/EHS there is sure chances of ignoring certain issues related to chemicals/pollutants or ecology in more scientific manner since the environmental science is interdiscplinary in nature. Thats why there is need of a well organized body of expert purely from environment background. Sorry my intention is not to hurt someone from other field but to make the EIA/EHS tool practiced in true way to establish the term sustainable development.

Rupankar Choudhury

[Reynold Sequeira]

Thanks for your reply Krishna, Niraj, Udayabhaskar and Rupankar.
As Udayabhaskar mentioned I am indeed from Industrial background. Hopefully experience in the field would matter more than name of degree.

[Vinodh Valluri]

Thank you everyone, and especially Reynold Sequeira for asking this question. I have delved on similar questions, and these posts help shape my perspectives better. My immediate plan of action is to seek experience in the Sustainability best practices across organizations in the USA, and utilize that expertise in developing a vision for the Indian economy. Currently, I research higher Ed. sustainability, and develop resources to help its progress. I'd love to discuss in detail with professionals who are working on various initiatives in environmental divisions across various other organizations. Please feel free to contact me with ideas and insights on sustainable practices in India for the near future.