文：尼基爾·赫姆拉賈尼（Nikhil Hemrajani）
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
過去幾個月，我和我的合伙人一直在孟買班達爾（Bandra）郊區的高檔社區尋找一套舒適的小公寓。
我們經常碰到”涉外住房”這個詞，指的是每月租金在20萬至100萬盧比（3,000至1.5萬美元）的房子。這個數字對多數當地人來說都太高了：在班達爾，一套一居室的公寓租金約為5萬至10萬盧比（750至1,500美元）。但在班達爾、維里（Worli）和Breach Candy等地，這卻並不罕見——這些都是孟買西海岸的高檔社區，有很多咖啡廳、餐館、商場和酒吧。
孟買的這些一流社區的居民都是全世界薪水最高的外籍人士。
Image copyright ALAMY 班達爾殖民風格的小屋——這是孟買郊區的一片高檔社區，那裡住滿了外國人（圖片來源：Alamy）
“我聽一些外國人每月光是住房補貼就高達100萬至120萬盧比（1.55萬至1.85萬美元）”最近剛剛搬回紐約的前銀行家科林·沃爾克（Colin Walker）說，他之前在印度的兩家跨國銀行工作過7年。”擔任高管職位的外國人期望能獲得跟祖國一樣標準的房子。”
孟買的外國人要拿到多高的工資才能住的起這麼貴的房子？根據滙豐銀行最新的調查數據，答案是：20萬美元。他們甚至發現，孟買的外國人獲得的薪水位居全球頂尖水平。
本周，滙豐銀行發布了《2017外籍人士探索者調查》（2017 Expat Explorer Survey）的最新工資數據，這是針對159個國家或地區的2.7萬外籍勞動者展開的調查。結果發現，孟買的外國人平均收入高達21.7165萬美元。而同期的全球外籍人士平均收入為99,903美元，舊金山和倫敦分別為207,227美元和107,863美元。
孟買的外國人平均收入怎麼會比全球平均水平高出這麼多？
年齡更大、經驗更豐富
滙豐外籍人士調查項目負責人迪恩·布萊克伯恩（Dean Blackburn）表示，孟買的外籍人士中，被僱主外派來的比例最高（44%）。”這些外籍人士經常可以獲得安家費，這可以從一定程度上解釋他們在這裡享受的高工資。”他說。他還補充道，孟買的外籍人士就業率極高（高達89%，全球平均為78%），很多人都從事工程類工作。
年齡可能也是重要因素。例如，該調查發現，倫敦有52%的外籍人士是千禧一代。孟買的外籍勞動力年齡較大：35至54歲年齡段的占比為54%，而全球平均比例為45%。很顯然，孟買的外籍人士年齡更大，更有經驗。
跨國獵頭公司Egon Zehnder合伙人威尼特·赫姆拉賈尼（Vineet Hemrajani）感覺，這很可能是孟買在該調查中領先的原因。”我們經常看到外國人身居高級管理職位，例如CEO，或者直接向CEO彙報工作，這都大幅拉高了平均數。”
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES Image caption對世界各地許多行業的外籍人士展開的調查發現，孟買的外國人薪水位居全球頂尖水平（圖片來源：Getty Images）
有人認為生活困難
人力資源專業人士普遍認為，從已開發國家來到印度的外籍勞動者需要因為”艱苦”而獲得補償。
所謂的”艱苦津貼”包括住房成本、配有專職司機的汽車、高端醫療補助、俱樂部會員和教育費用。Ecole Mondiale World School和Ascend International School等印度國際學校一年的學費高達200萬盧比（3萬美元）。
Image copyrightSAKSHI PARIKH Image caption孟買吸引了各行各業的外籍人士——艾利克斯·桑切斯就是一名來自舊金山的行政總廚（圖片來源：Sakshi Parikh）
隨著企業逐步壓縮成本，很多地方的這種外籍人士薪酬包都已經成為過去。戰略性人力資源諮詢公司Banner Global Consulting執行長維斯迪·巴納吉（Visty Banaji）表示，孟買終極職位也是如此。”然而，大型跨國公司的高級管理層不太可能出現這種情況。一家海外銀行的印度負責人很有可能像過去一樣在外派薪酬包里包括’住房、司機、孩子學費’。”
但巴納吉表示，孟買的外籍人士平均薪酬可能被某些人大幅拉高，例如某些獲得長期股票期權獎勵的執行長。
他認為，為了反映更加實際的情況，這項調查應該提供中位數，而不是平均數。”孟買的調查數據之所以比較高，可能是因為其中的執行長、首席某某官和高級技術崗位比例過大。而按照政策，跨國公司可能仍有可能繼續外派這些員工。到了這個級別，在孟買租一套豪華的新房子可能就會將平均薪酬數據大幅推高。”
但並非所有外國人都是拿著豐厚的待遇被跨國公司派到孟買。越來越多的獨立創業者來到這裡的餐飲行業擔任廚師，或者加入寶萊塢的電影公司；有的人甚至開辦了自己的咖啡廳、瑜伽中心和文化空間。
例如，亞歷克斯·桑切斯（Alex Sanchez）7年前就來到印度，在備受讚譽的The Table餐廳擔任行政總廚。他之前在舊金山和紐約擔任廚師。”我不覺得這份調查能夠代表餐飲行業。只有5星級酒店有這樣的預算。我還沒有在美國賺得多。但我有機會對這個行業產生影響。舊金山有100萬家餐館，還有100萬位一流廚師。我在那裡沒有能力實現突破。”
Image copyright GETTY IMAGES 與其他國家或地區的其他城市相比，孟買吸引了年齡較大、經驗較豐富的外籍員工（圖片來源：Getty Images）
一些藝術和文化領域的專業人士不喜歡被人統一貼上外籍人士的標籤——從某種意義上講，這個詞專指富裕、傲慢的白人。在房地產行業，”涉外住房”代表富裕和奢華。
不光經紀人把外國人視作機會。對孟買教育創業公司Clap Global來說，這座城市流動的外國人提供了文化交換的資源。模式很簡單：他們找到來印度的外國人，幫助他們跟附近的學校聯繫，請他們前去介紹自己的國家和文化。
該公司聯合創始人史音·喬哈里（Shiryn Johari）感覺，兒童會在成長過程中不知不覺地吸收很多關於海外文化的刻板印象。這些偏見隨後會成為成見。”當我跟世界各地像我這樣20多歲的人交朋友時，我學會了去掉腦海里的預設。但孩子們為什麼要像我一樣等這麼久再去根除偏見？”她說。
作為南孟買一家協作辦公空間的聯合創始人，荷蘭人馬里斯·布羅門達爾（Marlies Bloemendaal）並不把自己當做外國人。”我來這裡不是為了錢，我沒有與外界隔離，我來這裡是因為我喜歡這座城市。藉助好奇心和街頭智慧，我學會了這裡的一切。”
“事實上，我現在看到來這裡創辦自己公司的年輕企業家比以前多了很多，他們不再像以前那樣進入企業擔任員工。”
What makes Mumbai the best-paying city for expats?
By Nikhil Hemrajani
2 March 2018
For the last couple months, my partner and I have been scouting for a small and cosy apartment in the suburban upmarket neighbourhood of Bandra, Mumbai.
We have regularly come across the term 『expat housing』, where rentals range from 200,000 to 1 million rupees ($3,000-$15,000) per month. This amount is exorbitant for most locals: in Bandra, an average one-bedroom apartment rents for around 50,000-100,000 rupees ($750-$1,500) a month. But it is far from uncommon in areas such as Bandra, Worli and Breach Candy, prime residential areas on Mumbai’s western coast that have their fair share of cafes, restaurants, malls, and pubs.
And living in those desirable neighbourhoods of Mumbai are some of the best-paid expats in the world.
Colonial bungalow in Bandra – an upscale suburban neighbourhood in expat-filled Mumbai (Credit: Alamy)
「I』ve heard stories of expats who would get huge allowances in the range of 1-1.2 million rupees ($15,500-$18,500) per month just for housing,」 says Colin Walker, a former banker who recently moved back home to the US after a seven-year stint in India at two multinational banks. 「Senior-level expats expect to be provided with a house of the same standard as theirs back home,」 he adds.
What kind of salaries must expats earn in Mumbai to afford such expensive housing? More than $200,000, according to new survey data from HSBC which found Mumbai expats to be among the highest-paid in the world.
This week, HSBC released new salary data from its 2017 Expat Explorer Survey, drawing on responses from 27,000 foreign workers in 159 countries. The survey found Mumbai expats earned an average of $217,165. The global average wage among expats sits at $99,903, while expats in San Francisco and London weigh in at $207,227 and $107,863 respectively.
How can it be that expats in Mumbai earn so much more than the global average?
Older, more experienced workers
Dean Blackburn, head of HSBC Expat, says Mumbai had the highest percentage (44%) of expats sent by their employer. 「These expats often benefit from relocation packages, which goes some way in explaining the higher salaries expats enjoy in the city,」 he says. He added that employment for expats was very high in Mumbai (89% versus the global average of 78%) and many work in engineering.
Age may well have something to do with it. For example, the survey found 52% of the expats in London were millennials. Mumbai’s expat workforce is older: 54% were aged 35-54, compared to the global average of 45%. Clearly, expats in Mumbai seem to be older and more experienced.
These expats often benefit from relocation packages, which goes some way in explaining the higher salaries expats enjoy in the city – Dean Blackburn
Vineet Hemrajani, a partner at global executive search firm Egon Zehnder, feels that this is very possibly the reason why Mumbai is currently leading the charts. 「We tend to see many expat positions in top managerial roles, such as CEO, or those directly reporting to the CEO, which warps the average.」
A new study that surveyed expats in many industries across the world found that foreign workers in Mumbai are among the best paid (Credit: Getty Images)
Some think it’s a hard life
The general opinion among HR professionals is that foreign workers coming to India from more developed countries need to be compensated for the 『hardship』.
The term for this is 『hardship allowance』, which can include housing costs, a chauffeur-driven car, premium healthcare packages, club memberships and educational fees. Some of the international schools in Mumbai such as Ecole Mondiale World School and Ascend International School have annual fees as high as two million rupees ($30,000).
Mumbai attracts expats across various industries – Alex Sanchez is an executive chef who moved from San Francisco (Credit: Sakshi Parikh)
In much of the world, such expat packages are becoming a thing of the past as firms cut costs. And it’s true in Mumbai for mid-career positions too, says Visty Banaji, CEO of strategic HR consulting firm Banner Global Consulting. 「However, it’s unlikely at very senior levels in large MNCs (multinational corporations). The India head of an overseas bank is very likely to have 『housing, chauffeur and school fees for children』 as part of their expat package.」
But Banaji says Mumbai’s average expat wages can get badly skewed by some specific remuneration cases, like those of CEOs that include long-term incentives like stock options.
The India head of an overseas bank is very likely to have 『housing, chauffeur and school fees for children』 as part of their expat package – Visty Banaji
He suggests that the survey should provide the median figures (as opposed to the mean), for a more realistic picture. 「The Mumbai figures in the survey may be higher because they have a disproportionate representation of CEO, CXO and top technical positions that MNCs, as a policy, may continue to staff through expats. At these levels, rents in posh new housing complexes in Mumbai may push its average compensation figures still higher,」 he says.
But not all expats are sent here by multinational corporations with all-access passes. A growing number of independent entrepreneurs come seeking roles in the hospitality industry as chefs, or in Bollywood film business; some even start their own cafes, yoga centres, and cultural spaces.
Alex Sanchez, for instance, came to India seven years ago as the executive chef of award-winning restaurant The Table. Before that, he worked at kitchens in San Francisco and New York. 「I don』t think this survey is representative of the hospitality industry. Only five-star hotels can have such budgets. I was offered less than what I』d make in the US. Instead, I had an opportunity to make an impact in this industry. In San Francisco, there are a million restaurants and a million great chefs. I wouldn』t have the ability to do something ground-breaking there.」
Mumbai attracts older, more experienced workers as expats compared to other cities in other countries (Credit: Getty Images)
Some professionals working in the field of art and culture don』t like being labelled as expats altogether – to some, the word can serve as a shorthand for white, rich and arrogant. In the real-estate world, the term 『expat housing』 is shorthand for affluent and luxurious.
I was offered less than what I』d make in the US. Instead, I had an opportunity to make an impact in this industry – Alex Sanchez
It’s not just the brokers that see expats as an opportunity. For Clap Global, a Mumbai-based education start-up, the city’s floating expat population is a resource for a cultural exchange. The premise is simple: the company reaches out to foreigners visiting India and connects them to nearby schools, for guest sessions on their country and culture.
Co-founder Shirin Johari feels that children unconsciously tend to imbibe many stereotypes about foreign cultures as they grow up. These biases can later lead to prejudices. 「As I befriended people in my 20s from around the world, I learnt to un-condition my mind. But why must children wait for as long as I did, to eradicate their biases?」 she says.
Dutch national Marlies Bloemendaal, co-founder of a collaborative workspace in South Mumbai, doesn』t consider herself an expat. 「I didn』t come here for the money and I don』t live in a bubble, I came here because I love this city. I』ve learnt everything here by being curious and streetwise.
「In fact, I now see many more young entrepreneurs who come down and start their own businesses, as opposed to typical corporate workers.」