Classic questions about expating...

Hi hi
I apologise in advance for any silly/ previous asked questions, but I have been searching and can´t really find the information I need.
I´m considering an posistion in Pune, which would be my first proper job after college. It´s design based in the textile industry and I guess my role is bridging between the design team there and any western customers. Part of their interest is probably because I´ve the right college behind me.

But I´m confused about what to ask for in salary. Could you expect to get similar to what you would get in the UK or is much less. They are offering an expat package, accomodation -bills, car and driver, 1 flight p/year, and insurance but no pension. How much can you expect in salaries, what do you need to live off to be comfortable? Is there anything else I should look out for when negotiating? Also considering I have only 1 year experience in this field.

Also, I´m 25 year old girl, never been to India before. Anything you should look out for before moving, is it safe etc?

I´d be grateful for any help, been googling like mad but can´t seem to find what I need.

Thanks!!

If you don't associate with other expats you will ultimately adjust much better. Besides, as my late father in law would say, locals know 99% of what is right and forens know 99% of what is wrong..

My thoughts though I might not be an expert in this ...

Find out what do you think you would require for a decent living in India. (Annual expenditure, cost of facilities you cant do without (car, shopping,travell, fuel, driver etc) and any savings you plan per year after all your expenses)
You will get a figure which no company will be able to match up with. Our expectations have no limits.
See how much of is the offer matching to your expectations. Is it worth the compromise? Or you think it would be too much a hardship.
Try searching for cost of livings for an expat with your lifestyle to help yourself benchmark a salary.
Also keep in mind about the tax - (not sure how it will work in your case)

I wonder if Tigerranch is reading the post - He might have a better perspective as he is actually a bit more associted to designing of garments and he will know why the smile. He is in a different segment all together but then he atleast would be better off to have a say than someone like me.

About negotiations - You caould start off with asking for a place to stay along with a company car (driver services included)

your Father in Law said something of great sense in a small sentence. He sure was a knowledgable man and knew how to use his words

@new_traveller - Classic answers to classic questions..
Between, my mind also recalled tigerranch's name while I read this thread

Now coming to your questions..
Basically, it is all about what kind of lifestyle you prefer to live with and how much it would cost in India. Next would be, how much you wanna save out of your earnings taking into account the rupees and pound conversion..

About safety, Pune is pretty much safe as long as you keep away from wrong people!!

Hopefully, we shall see you in Pune.. Best luck for your further decisions..

Thanks for your replies, much apprieciated!

edwardseco: that is very good advise, I´ll definetly keep that in mind in any future travel! Very well put.

I´m working out at the moment what would I would really require vs. what I´d want which is as you pointed out, not necessarily what any companies would put up with. I´m not used to a very extravagant lifestyle so I should be ok with basics. The thought of being driven around is new to me, although based on what I´ve read I´m not sure driving in India is something I´d try in my first weeks there..

Thanks again for your advise.. Hopefully I´ll meet you in Pune one day!

Thanks
-dags

Sorry if this sounds obvious, but do bear in mind that basics in the UK are very different to the basics in India.

Yes you can live without air conditioning, many people don't have the choice, but I certainly wouldn't be very happy healthy or productive if I couldn't escape the heat. Expats often end up paying a premium for accommodation which has a solid electricity supply ie full generator backup that can run AC units and freezer etc. Do look carefully at the costs of rent for such properties, our accommodation (in Delhi) came as part of the package but it would have been outrageously expensive otherwise.

Hmmm... the friend that I visited in Delhi had eleven AC machines and a generator that was big enough to support them all --- and everything paid for by the employer.

However, one judiciously placed AC can make a small flat comfortable. This is what I did in my first place here. There was an AC machine that cooled the bedroom at night (that's when it is most needed) and, when wanted, blew out through the bedroom door and cooled the living room. The AC I had to buy, but the flat was only about Rs.5000 a month (although it is probably thrice that now).

There are all kinds of levels at which we can make ourselves comfortable. It is only those who are determined to replicate life back home who are really going to find life very expensive here.

Very much true.. May be basics in UK could be compared with higher middle class lifestyle in India.. Higher middle class would earn more than 100 K a month, that's what I guess.. Please correct me if that is too low

If you have a family, live in a very posh area and send your children to an international school, one lakh rupees per month doesn't even begin to be sufficient.

On the other hand, if one is single and happy to live in a smallish place in a half-decent area, generally money will go much further in India than in the UK.

For instance... It is an entire generation, in UK, since the middle class employed domestic staff: here it is fairly easily affordable.

As an englishman myself who came to India while 28 and now work between Chennai and Pune - here's my tuppence worth;

To maintain the lifestyle you have in the UK (no matter how basic) will cost you significantly more in India. For example, as a student - a cheap meal was pasta in a jar of Dolmio. A jar of Dolmio here will set you back 4-5pound and pasta of a standard you are used to will be 1.50 a bag. yes there are Indian produced versions, but you will notice a difference.

Other things that cost? Proper crisps, in proper flavours. Proper chocolate - India chocolate has a lot of preservatives to stop it melting as its not refrigirated...if you want a Crunchie or a Dairy Milk - expect to pay over a pound. The same for a tin of beans.
Its funny how the things you cant get, or struggle to get become those you want the most.

I assume you'll also want to see some of India, and this can be cheap - it costs me a fortune as I do alot of it!

When I first arrived in India, I was earning about a thousand pounds a month with fairly basic accommodation paid for (a/c, 2 ring kitchenette) which was fine. Nothing else. I was comfortable, but very quickly renegotiated a package (within 4 months) that more than doubled my Salary.
I still manage to save nothing!

My reccommendation would be - ask for what you would expect to get paid in the UK, plus 20%. Its normal for a osition abroad to be better paid than that in the UK. Your employers sound like they know the score...the rest of your package is fairly standard.
When you get to Pune, contact the people at everything expats - they organise meetups etc. I appreciate the comment above, but trust me, you will be gagging for western company after not too long. India presents its own stresses and only other expats can truly relate.

K

I agree completely with this. I lived in West Midlands for about 4 years and moved back last year. Things you like would be expensive than ones you don't. However you can manage with more liking of those available and are of good quality. Food prices in India are on rise and so is cost of living, gas etc.
Also bear in mind Indian taxation if that is applicable, medical expense relevant to you ( you don't have GP here)

You need to review these

Your current take home in UK
Expected life style i.e. Electricity/AC/food/Outings/ etc
Your experience in your field and comparable salary in UK & India ( Expat should get more)
And always ask 20% more of what you will settle at.

Cheers!

Wait... if you live on Dolmio in UK because it is cheap, you would not live on it here because it isn't! You'd pick something else! It was flexibility, ruled by budget, that made Dolmio part of the diet in the first place, something else would replace it here.

I regularly eat Chicken, fish, mutton (goat) and fat tiger prawns. Whilst I've been here too long to be able to compare prices, I do not think any of them cost as much as the same thing would in London. That's all good food, cheaper. Even though rents have gone up a great deal in the past few years, I don't think they are anywhere near those of London. You can get a taxi all day for about £12, and employ a part-time maid for about £20 a month. You can get your clothes ironed for a few pennies per piece.
In fact, you can have a significantly higher standard of living for much less money. What is expensive is trying to replicate your lifestyle. I love roast lamb (sheep): I hate to think how much it would cost here.

I'm no expert on Pune as I have only spent a month there apartment hunting in readiness for relocating there for three years next month.

I do know something about expat packages though.

From your initial post, it seems that your employer is providing a fairly standard expat package, will be providing you with accommodation, car and driver and so forth. So, most of your larger living costs that you would have in the UK are taken care of before you ever get to using your salary.

What you need to determine is what your job should pay in the UK and that should be your base salary. On top of that then comes expat allowances and accommodation and so forth.

The company I work for uses an external service that compares living costs for expats, living conditions and a host of other things and then advises what extra allowance should be provided as a 'hardship' allowance for uprooting yourself and moving (in this case) to India. I'm guessing that you will have something similar. For the record our standard expat package is a 15% premium of base salary and for India there is an additional 25% premium.

On medical matters, if they don't provide an allowance for medical costs, or BUPA or similar, as well as a medivac service in the event of catastrophic illness or injury, then you should negotiate for that.

If you plan to eat at good restaurants or eat western brand foods every day then it will be expensive but if you buy local brands, fresh foods then you should be able to live pretty well and save money.

I'm a Brit living in the US currently and decent chocolate carries a premium here too!!

Have fun in Pune, we plan to!