Paper short abstract:

This proposal addresses the meanings and practices of return migration among Indian highly skilled migrants working in the IT sector. It is based on two different studies: one conducted among 45 returned migrants in Bangalore in 2004 and one conducted among 45 returned migrants in Hyderabad in 2011.

Paper long abstract:

This proposal addresses the meanings and practices of return migration among Indian highly skilled migrants working in the IT sector. It is based on two different studies: one conducted among 45 returned migrants in Bangalore in 2004 and one conducted among 45 returned migrants in Hyderabad in 2011. These two studies consisted of interviews meant to collect life narratives and provided material to analyze in a detailed manner the migratory histories and experiences of these migrants. The migrants benefit from a vibrant online community of returnees and returnees-to-be who share on Internet Forums and blogs, their tricks and experiences of return. With return migration turning into a well-travelled path, experiences are shared and contribute to build a common "know how of returning", i.e. a set of information and practices aimed at making the process smoother. One can also observe the development of a collective discourse on the meanings and values attached to return, that dilutes the individual trajectories and their ambivalences. For instance it looks as if, neither the year of return (1990s, 2000s, 2010s) nor the destination (Bangalore, Hyderabad) would have made any difference, either on the decision-making process or on the experience of return. The storytelling developed by the migrants on their return insist on the idea of continuing to circulate, and attributes positive value to mobility. This contribution will give a critical analysis of these discourses and develop a constructivist perspective on the hardships of circulation for this highly skilled, mobile yet disposable workforce.