Reverse Outsourcing

If there can be reverse racism, can reverse outsourcing be far behind? According to a story in LA Times the Indian Embassy is going to outsource some visa-related work to an American firm.

This is a good "man bites dog" story. For a moment I thought as if I have coined a new terminology "reverse outsourcing" but a quick Google check put my excitement to rest.

LA TIMES India to outsource paperwork to American firm

India has taken thousands of American jobs through outsourcing. Now it's giving a few back.The Indian government plans to outsource processing of visas (visitor documents, not the credit cards) from its embassy in Washington to an American based company. A top embassy official wouldn't say whether the 40 staffers who do the jobs now would be laid off. Many of them are Indian nationals. "We are not going to let too many go," said Gautam Bambawale, head of political affairs at the embassy. UC Berkeley professor Harley Shaiken, who specializes in labor issues, said the move "is really a man bites dog kind of story. It's a small irony in an otherwise serious situation." He said outsourcing of tech help lines, accounting work and even medical procedures played a significant role in the $11.7-billion U.S. trade deficit with India last year.