GS Paper 1
Syllabus: Geography/Society: Population and Related Issues
Source: TH
Context: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a shift of IT and IT-enabled services (IT/ITeS) companies from major cities to smaller towns and cities in India.
- This trend of going back to smaller towns has now become a major trend, and companies are moving their operations to smaller cities and towns to retain talent and bring down attrition levels.
About Migration in India:
| Topic | Description |
| About Migration | The International Organization for Migration defines a migrant as any person who is moving or has moved across an international border or within a state away from his/her habitual place of residence. |
| Factors Determining Migration | Migration can be either voluntary or forced movements as a consequence of the increased magnitude or frequency of disasters, economic challenges, extreme poverty, or conflict situations. |
| Push Factors | Push factors compel a person to leave their place of origin (out-migration) and migrate to another place. These factors can include economic reasons, social reasons, Pandemics and lack of development in a particular place. |
| Pull Factors | Pull factors attract migrants (in-migration) to a destination area. These factors can include job opportunities, better living conditions, and the availability of basic or high-level facilities. |
| Migration – 2011 Census | Number of internal migrants (both inter-state and within state) in India: over 45 crores (37% of the country’s population) |
| Migration – Economic Survey 2016-17 | Relatively less developed states (e.g., Bihar and Uttar Pradesh): High net out-migration; Relatively more developed states (e.g., Goa, Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka): Reflect net immigration; Largest recipient region: Delhi (accounted for more than half of migration in 2015-16); Uttar Pradesh and Bihar combined: Account for half of the total out-migrants |
| Migration in India Report 2020-21 | Female migration is more than male migration. Reasons for female migration: Marriage; Reasons for male migration: Search for employment |
| Migration and its Impacts on Cities | According to a report by the World Economic Forum, smaller cities are rapidly growing but struggling to cope with infrastructure demands due to declining civic revenue resources. |
Reasons for Migration to Smaller Cities in the IT/ITeS Sector:
| Reasons | Example |
| Remote and hybrid work models | Companies like Cognizant allowed employees to work from anywhere (during the pandemic), leading to a shift away from major cities. |
| Companies can establish satellite offices in smaller cities, supporting remote and hybrid work models. | |
| Cost savings | Moving to smaller cities allows companies to reduce real estate costs and invest more in people and R&D. |
| Employees can save more in terms of rental costs and experience social benefits in smaller towns. | |
| Rich talent pool | Smaller cities have untapped talent with a potential talent drain to larger metros, providing opportunities. |
| Higher retention rates | Employees prefer to stay in their hometowns, leading to higher retention rates in smaller cities. |
| Availability of office space and amenities | Smaller cities like Coimbatore offer quality office spaces with amenities at lower costs compared to metros. |
| Rise of co-working spaces in smaller cities | Co-working spaces provide access to high-quality office space at a fraction of the cost in larger cities. |
| Counter-magnet dynamics | Surat and Pune have started acting as a counter-magnet region to Mumbai and attract migrants from the neighbouring districts of Maharashtra |
Insta Links:
Mains Links:
What are the main socio-economic implications arising out of the development of IT industries in major cities of India? ( UPSC 2021)
Discuss the changes in the trends of labour migration within and outside India in the last four decades. ( UPSC 2015)
