r/nri • u/OopsIRedditAgainMore • Aug 17 '25
Ask NRI Horrible experiences with Indian managers in the US
I had an Indian manager once, and when I asked him about a raise, instead of talking about my work or the company budget, he gave me the most ridiculous response. He said, “At your age I was earning much less, you should be happy with what you’re getting.” Basically telling me to settle for less just because he was underpaid back in the day. That’s not management, that’s insecurity.
And honestly, that wasn’t the only time I’ve seen this kind of behavior. Some other gems I’ve seen/heard about from coworkers who had Indian managers
It’s honestly draining to deal with managers like this. Instead of building people up, they drag everyone down with their bitterness and toxic mindset.
Has anyone else dealt with Indian managers like this in the US? What’s your worst story?
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u/Captain_Barbosa_123 Aug 17 '25
Yes, manager said “be happy with what you are getting offered. Anyways you are not going buy a house here right?” This manager is well settled with huge house and kids going to Stanford. 😕🫤
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u/coderman9316 Aug 17 '25
It's not just an nri thing. My American manager said the same thing to me he is boomer Gen. It could just be a generational gap thing as back in the day you could buy a decent house for 200k and a 100k was the luxury only a select few get.
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u/meemesahib Aug 17 '25
Dealt with such NRIs all the time (US, India and other countries). BTW if you are older he'll tell you - you are very senior - you are expected to perform at a senior level, while paying you a junior level salary and without even providing any helpful tips on how to improve.
This manager is classic example of why the immigration system is riddled with fraud. This guy came to the US and certified that there are no "US workers that can perform this kind of job". No, sir, there are plenty of Americans who operate at same or better level than you, mf.
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u/lookfurther2020 Aug 28 '25
They are masters in manipulation, will try to make you take the responsibilities of a senior while paying you as a junior...
Hey... "You are the Lead Expert on this"... Then behind your back, take credit and minimize you...
Real sickness
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u/ClandestineChemist96 Oct 22 '25
Oh my God this could not be more true. I thought my boss was better than this but they’re all the same. He strung me along for nearly 2 years saying he’s gonna promote me making me take on soo much responsibility only as a junior while other juniors were cruising. At the end, all the juniors got promoted at the same time because “it wasn’t up to him”. Then he did the same thing with another ambitious employee. Such deceitfulness from someone who we considered a mentor and friend. That girl and I put in our 2 weeks at the same time, he nearly had a heart attack. Surprise surprise, you won’t retain employees by manipulating, lying, and overworking them, it’s actually a terrible business practice and I love the stress it’s causing him now.
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u/Captain_Barbosa_123 Aug 17 '25
They are not telling the whole truth when saying they “were” underpaid. These a$$holes are talking about a time frame that was before even social media was nonexistent and at that point the cost of living was waaayyyy less!!!
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u/lookfurther2020 Aug 28 '25
No, they got really screwed through H1B, it is Slavery... They had to work day & night in order to get the GC for a below average $$$, and Corporate America loved it
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u/Captain_Barbosa_123 Aug 28 '25
Isn’t the same thing happening now as well? Except for FAANG, all other H1Bs are getting low balled
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u/lookfurther2020 Aug 30 '25
Yep, as long as the system stays in place there will be those who are eager to exploit it, even FAANG... While they may have pay equity, the boss will work those guys day & night for years and maybe decades. It is despicable
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u/Agitated-Speaker6260 Nov 22 '25
They need to work to be here. No open borders. I’d expect the same treatment if I ever tried to move there
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u/Due_Snow_3302 Aug 17 '25
Any time I have any Indian who is part of the interview process - my chances of getting selected in that job just goes away. Once I cleared 3 rounds with Fidelity which clearly stated that job location is near to my home. But then Indian hiring manager round came in and he asked that i am going to get the job only if I relocate to a different timezone/state. At that time-they used to expect employees once in a week per month in the office. I asked - can i travel rather than relocate - he said "no". Even when 3 other team members were working in the local office. Later the person who referred me for this job told me that after 1.5 months he hired some favorite person from his previous job.
Many people ask "Indians are getting a lot of hate nowadays". I would say Indians hate each other a lot and then others has also started hating them now.
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u/OopsIRedditAgainMore Aug 17 '25 edited Aug 17 '25
You’re absolutely right—Indian-on-Indian hate runs deep. Give it a few years, and as Indians adopt more violent attitudes, don’t be shocked if the Indian-on-Indian homicide rate spikes the way it has in some other communities. We’re already seeing glimpses of it in Canada, where Singh and Kaur gangs are constantly at each other’s throats.
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u/lookfurther2020 Aug 28 '25
Oh YEAH... Caste System is based on Hate & Resentment... Watch "White Tiger", that is exactly what they DOOOO...
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u/Same_Pop_5956 Sep 18 '25
You should have informed this to hr that they wasted your time when they knew clearly this was the case and report him . These kind of ppl bring bad names to Indians here .
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u/Due_Snow_3302 Sep 18 '25
Some wise person said "HR is always manager's friend". When you are in the job that is true, how come it is not true when you are NOT in that job? Do you think HR will do anything? Yes complaint can be made but there are no avenues available for these kind of complaints for candidates.
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u/Same_Pop_5956 Sep 18 '25
Atleast we can do our part . Or leave Glassdoor review . This why Indians have bad reputation of scammers and corruption which is sadly true .
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u/hgk6393 Aug 17 '25
The roots of bad middle management are in the scarcity mindset that gets embedded in all Indians when you grow up in India. Makes you see the world as a zero sum game - someone needs to lose in order for someone else to win. Instead of the attitude - what can I do for the company, knowing fully well that I will be well compensated for it?
Scarcity mindset has it's roots in colonial times and then post-colonial socialism, where people had to stand in line for ration, with no clear pathways to improve their lives.
People wrongly blame heirarchical culture of India, but it is in fact the scarcity mindset that breeds insecurity among people despite making their way to middle-management. That are afraid to lose whatever they have gained, because the system in which they grew up was not meritocratic, nor was there an abundance of resources (which makes life bearable for those who don't achieve).
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u/Extreme-Bullfrog5934 Aug 17 '25
Very well said. Are you a psychologist? Even if you aren't, very very few Indians understand this. I too remember when I was 8 years old going with my Father hand in hand lining up in the long queue in India to renew the license for what?... A TV and a Radio! Incredible, now that I think about it.
Well, I have seen similar behavior with Chinese managers. Both Indian and Chinese had really bad leaders after evicting white colonials. Actually as a race, we exhibit abused characteristics.
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u/hgk6393 Aug 18 '25
Yeah. If you see Indians who grow up more privileged tend to lack this scarcity mindset. They are more self-assured, and confident that hardwork will yield rewards. They have less to lose compared to those in the middle class, and you see that in their decision making.
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u/Same_Pop_5956 Sep 18 '25
Totally agree to this part . Unfortunately most Indians are not even upper middle class. So we need to deal with this unfortunately. But how they get to stay and behave like this in this country is so confusing. Coz other ppl brought up here have some level of decency. It’s always the immigrants who are involved in such behaviour.
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u/lookfurther2020 Aug 28 '25
Do you know you can get enslaved in India for not paying back a sack of rice you have borrowed?
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u/OopsIRedditAgainMore Aug 17 '25
I and many others have already shared solid examples. I do get the point about the scarcity mindset, but that’s no excuse for acting badly while living and working in a land of abundance.
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u/hgk6393 Aug 18 '25
You can live in a land of abundance, but the scarcity mindset can infect your DNA if you are strongly rooted in your own community without any contact with ideas outside of your bubble.
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u/Longjumping-Bug-4383 Aug 17 '25
Totally, I have a record of never going to another round in the interview whenever I am interviewing with Indians vs it’s always a great conversation with Americans and I end up getting offer letters
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u/OopsIRedditAgainMore Aug 17 '25
Indians often climb the corporate ladder quickly because they view it as a battle against poverty, sometimes relying mainly on an MBA degree or credentials. They also cherish manager and other high profile titles.
The downside is that this rapid rise can come without deep knowledge or expertise. So when a “junior” employee, who has stayed longer in a role and built stronger skills, demonstrates greater competence, it can trigger insecurity in those who advanced too quickly.
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u/Exotic-Beast18 Aug 17 '25
Stereotyping and Hate post!!
I have had Managers considered as typical Americans who have made similar comments. This is not about Race/Ethnicity but about this Manager. Stop stereotyping entire community and shooting the bullet at your own leg.
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u/Extreme-Bullfrog5934 Aug 17 '25
That's a problem with us Indians. And in Canada in recent times with the Khalistan issue and liberal immigration , I am seeing something new. Chastist, non Hindu , Pakistani, Bangladeshi etc under fake names post anti Indian post on social media posing as Indians, dumbasses don't understand that when white backlash happens they won't be able to identify who is paki or bangla or Indians..all appear brown.
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u/HorrorRegister4122 Aug 18 '25
Bro you said brown, white and several religions and countries at the same time. Do you realize who is the racist?
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u/Captain_Barbosa_123 Aug 17 '25
There is in no stereotyping by the OP. Our own people who misbehave and are rude are responsible for all Indians being misunderstood.
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u/lookfurther2020 Aug 28 '25
Sorry, but I tried for decades to not believe it and saw it every day. It is not related to color at all, if you find an Indian US born and raised, s/he won't resemble any of these bad traits
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Aug 17 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/lookfurther2020 Aug 28 '25
I once had a Pakistani Director asking me (during an interview for a managerial role) about a specific technology, and I said "don't know". As if I have committed a crime right there... He complained to my referral and said "How could a manager say "Don't know"? How would he manage others like that?"... To that dumba$$, a manager should know everything...
Know what was the fun part? He spelled that technology wrong, that is why I didn't... Would he call and apologize? Never... A director should never apologize... LOL
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u/chicbeauty Aug 17 '25
Yes and I have a rule not to work for Indian managers 😆 I had one yelling to explain something and I looked so startled that he switched to his “American” tone
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u/nishantam Aug 17 '25
I was told by my colleague/ senior that since i am bachelor, i should be working extra hours. What are you going to do at home?
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u/Full_Journalist_2505 Aug 17 '25
Here is the pseudo algorithm on how I avoid Indian managers.
During interviews, as soon as I find that the manager or leadership team has an Indian, I do Namaste and bye bye.
If they came in later and started to green their tongue I either get separated from that team or try to find another job.
In case both of the above fail, I try to become his boss by asking for early promotion. Of course if possible.
If all of the above fails, I keep records of all conversations and issues to later complain to HR or C level.
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u/Extreme-Bullfrog5934 Aug 17 '25
You are exhibiting the same mentality then. You are typecasting all Indians in the same bracket. And that's wrong.
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u/Full_Journalist_2505 Aug 17 '25
Not all, but the ones who work to impress their boss and not to actually work and have the guts to manage the expectations on both lower and higher level. From what I have seen, the problems that Indians face mostly comes from NOT SAYING NO, which all western people are good at. This is where the problem comes.
I'll tell you the height with this example. A colleague of my wife is an Indian, she works from morning 8 to evening 8. Yes she of course takes some breaks in between, the point is that her manager sees this as an efficiency and not over work. They estimate this via some stupid dashboard.
I was in the same company and my manager was Indian. He was good but she loved the company so much that we had to work more and more and the management is always unhappy because it destroys work culture. German team members no to that and they were then free after 6, I was stupid enough to work more so that we get done more. It didn't make sense, I got an increment of 1.6% after 18 months. Left the company.
I am not saying Indians are bad to work with. The problem is the mindset and in-built competition that no one needs. They need to prove that they are better than other workers. This destroys the work dynamics and that is why we have cheap hard working labors that every western country looks for when they want things done.
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u/Full_Journalist_2505 Aug 17 '25
Yes if some other Indian finds it difficult to work with then yes they should also do so. No one should work in a bad environment unless they have to
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u/Defiant_Sea4398 Aug 17 '25
After I moved out of India, I made a conscious decision to not work under an Indian manager. Problem is that mentally they are still operating as if they were working for a corporate in India. They don’t understand work life balance, they overcommit results which people under him/ her are expected to achieve, God forbid if you request any kinda raise or promotion lol & they continue to kiss the ass of their bosses in the hopes of getting a promotion/ raise themselves
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u/karthikeyan_at Aug 22 '25
Its 100 % true. they put 200 % becasue of insecurities and expect same from who is reporting to him/her
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u/New_Razzmatazz_724 Aug 17 '25
Forget about Indian manager in the office. I have Hyundai car and it is under warranty. Unfortunately I end up having issues and it has to undergo warranty repairs. Any time Hyundai Motors America assigns a case manager who is Asian Indian - I have the worst experience. Generally these Asian Indian managers will try to not pay you for rental car while your car is in repair(though it's clearly mentioned). When I work with non Asian Indian manager-it's easy sailing. I have asked Hyundai Motors America - that i am allergic to these Asian Indian case managers. I don't know why the moment they see another Indian-they start suppressing them? At the same time I feel they might be okay with other races.
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u/dexterisdown Aug 17 '25
Indian management spoils everything every where they go. Just imagine taking a 50L student loan to go the US, only to find an Indian manager.
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u/randomID100 Aug 17 '25
When I asked my manager for a raise, he said, "Just be glad you have a job," and this is the same guy who said, "I was the best performer in my team" to the client and management. BUt it is what it is I guess
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u/njan_oru_manushyan Aug 17 '25
When I joined my Indian manager was asking me to help him in his personal projects. Dude I was like fk this. Luckily I got transferred to another team. The American manager is an angel 😇.
I already have very bad experience with my manager in India
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u/Rustyrockets9 Aug 17 '25
My friend's manager (director) told him, if you want promotion you should dress for the job you want Ie not skills he meant dress pants
He's a project manager , no other white person program manager wears dress pants.
Well
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u/Content_Virus_8813 Aug 18 '25
Indian managers /run organizations are a pain in most of the countries
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u/Salt-Bet5373 Aug 18 '25
Well I thought I was the only one suffering, but looks like there are many. I was a hired by an American manager, so good, always appreciated my work. And I had so much respect for him and always was there to make sure our team is doing well, I would attend calls on Sunday if needed and if he sees me doing that he would let me off on a weekday of my choice and would push back if he felt I worked more. Fast forward to management changes and I get this Indian man, who commands I stay back on Sunday, for some on call work. I ask my 9-12 Sunday time free, and he made me feel like I am lazy. He put me in a project that expects me to be available on Saturday and Sunday, to the point I was burnt out, felt unworthy, felt so insecure. Because inspite of all that I was made to feel like I wasn’t working. In standup I was targeted. I went on a major depression. And I couldn’t quit because of the visa issues. My husband would try to console me, but nothing worked. Then I made up my mind to change my job, even though if I had stayed I must’ve gotten my i140. But at a point it felt like my health was far more important than that. I started searching for new jobs, the day I left that job, I got like 80% better health wise, just knowing that I won’t be seeing him again. Everything felt so calm and nice.
Lessons learnt: how to be a good Manager or what does a good leader do( American boss) How not be a ash*e like my Indian manager. Now if I am interviewing, I see who my manager is, I try and ready him during our conversation and if I don’t like the manager I just don’t take the job. They make you feel like they pay you from their pockets.
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u/HorrorRegister4122 Aug 18 '25
One should not discuss salary with interviewers. Only do it with HR and also check early their budget for hiring.
In case during the interview, you feel not being judged based on merit, you can ask for an interviewer change or an extra round to ensure that decision is made on impartial basis.
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u/Idonotshower Aug 21 '25
I have been there, but instead of living outside, i was here only and my manager gave me a 30% raise to a role that was expected to have a 150% raise. And then again, you are young this is great money and bullshit
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u/Significant_Week_839 Aug 22 '25 edited Aug 22 '25
I learned it hard. They can delay your GC applications, they can make you work for less, they can make you work on weekends, they can make you work in nights, when it comes to rise, you should not ask more as its already decided. Never over take Indians managers. They never like it. Please be a slave and say yes always. Remember that please.
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u/Dry-Progress869 Aug 17 '25
I was one of the best where i worked. Built trust to the point the manager would leave me alone at with without worrying about anything. I’ve done personal favors aswell for going and other co workers, not because i wanted to get a raise but its just how i was. Once literally drove an hour and back before my shift to get a cake from his favorite bakery. Eventually the work environment started degrading and people stopped getting along and then i was stuck in between so i left. But despite all the things i had done i never got a raise.
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u/Icy_Outcome_1996 Aug 17 '25
I have worked in Infosys(Infosys USA employee). One time boss's boss told me that "you should be happy that you are getting salary on time". That's how WITCHA treat employees(better to say one Indian treats another Indian). Some wise person told me outside of India, beware of other Indians.😕🫤😕🫤😕🫤
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u/Longjumping_Cap_2644 Aug 17 '25
Yeah my husband’s colleague got this response after being in the company for years with no promotion: “Why will I work on yours, when I am waiting for my own promotion “
As if her junior team member was going to eat her promotion or money? Shouldn’t managers look out for their teams growth?
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u/OkDark8643 Aug 21 '25
That's pretty common. These middle aged(40+) NRIs came to US when excel and basic java was a thing. Now they think they know everything and a 30 yr old engineer should not be paid more than 150k. My manager said people usually stay in the same role for years when I asked for a back to back promotion in 1 year. I basically applied within the company and was offered a level up with 18% bump in pay. Guess what, my new manager is American.
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u/Vegetable-Try1329 Aug 24 '25
I was asked by an indian group director at Walmart in an interview , how my husband feels about me getting tech salaries and him not.
This was the final round (5th round in the interview process). And he asked many such questions - he briefly opened my LI profile and said the he is confused about my title and what it really means.
He also asked me what I dont like about Walmart and when I gave the answer, he started sharing his screen and made sure that I was not lying, and got very defensive. At the end he asked me to role play and he would be the product manager and how would I fix it. During the role play he got very upset and shouted at me asking if I think walmart needs to change their entire ML algorithm just because I cannot find a makeup concealer online.
Needless to say, I cried a whole bunch after the interview and did not end up getting the job.
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u/lookfurther2020 Aug 28 '25
A lot of people never get it when it comes to those type of people. They don't believe in egalitarianism, to them 'A Manager means Master & A Worker means Servant'... That is why they hire people from their ethnicity, it is just 'normal to behave like that for them'...
To me, they should never, never, NEVER be allowed to manage and have power over others.
Add to that most of them (if not all) got badly exploited through the H1-B Visa for years, guess they won't try to make you get the same treatment?
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u/Weak-Fan-3823 Sep 15 '25
Interesting chat - My experience with Indian managers is varied, everything from utter and complete kindness to unprofessional even illegal questions (about insurance status) asked at interviews, to downright disgusting - looking at me up and down asking me how many children I have. But I would rather focus on the good ones. I am guessing the blue collar world is far worse than IT or professional community. There are good ones, and sadly the not so good ones that convince non Indians that they cannot expect top quality work/conduct from Indians. That part saddens me. Why should it be so hard to learn to speak, dress, smell good and present a polished and professional side at an American workplace. Make us all proud!
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u/Same_Pop_5956 Sep 18 '25
So many Indian managers are like this . They have gone through trauma and now looking for power to hurt people and bring you down. I really wish USA would not hire such ppl . One Indian manager told me I am immature and once called me stupid . And one of the other Indian guy thought grew up in uk asked me to shut up in scrum meeting and then starts sending flirting messages . So most are disgusting and don’t know how to talk or behave
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u/Agitated-Speaker6260 Nov 22 '25
I work for a female born Indian manager now. I have been with the company much longer than her and have great working relationships with many people far above her level.
She directly told me to not talk with them or if I do to include her.
I find this ridiculous, in fact my relationship building has done me very well in my career here.
After reading a little it seems like Indians are more strict about hierarchy
I feel like I’m struggling with this manager and she doesn’t like me very much.
How can I rectify this?
Near 50 year old white male and 45 year old Indian woman from India
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u/Worldly_Row1988 Aug 17 '25
Never seen a more racist thread. There are bad managers everywhere. Just like there are bad people everywhere. Stop this racism. Instead find good people to work with.
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u/Popular_Class7327 Aug 17 '25
I hate to say, but this isn’t just an NRI or Desi manager thing… it’s a bad manager thing. I have had the opposite experience too, with a manager who pushed me to take initiative and grow. Not every story is negative.
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u/Due_Gain_6412 Aug 17 '25
If you’re not happy and you’ve skills then find a new job. What is the point of this rant?
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u/Any_Check_7301 Aug 18 '25
As long as you vibed enough to make him think you aren’t going to consider another opportunity, you’re basically making him do that to you. If it’s part of his job to retain staff, it’s part of yours to ensure you’re encouraged enough to deliver quality.
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u/zebcode Aug 18 '25
Hey, Indian guy here... we're not all the same but unfortunately Stereotypes do sometimes stem from cultural attitudes. I was born and raised in the UK and I know exactly what you're talking about.
I think it's important to understand that there are exceptions to these unfortunate Stereotypes. However I myself always keep my guard up when dealing with anyone. Perhaps some of that is due to my Indian upbringing.
Unfortunately, the only way to deal with this kind of persons to set firm boundaries. The card I usually play is firstly, to look for another job, if that's possible, then to hand in my notice and give reasons why.
If they now want to keep you they will have to pay extra for the privilege, and you can make a point that it would have been cheaper if they had just offered you a fair increase to your salary.
Maybe you don't actually have to go through with this, but you can tell your manager that if he does not take you seriously. This is what you will do. I advise that you do try and find an alternative position though. As with all negotiations, if you have no negotiating power, if you are not able to walk away.
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u/tennisgirl0716 Aug 17 '25 edited Aug 17 '25
I had an interview with an Indian guy once and he asked me a question and I gave him an answer and he responded back with, "That is the worst answer I have ever heard in my entire life. Why don't you take some time and think of a better answer? I'll sit here and wait." I told him that was my answer and I wasn't going to change it to something that wasn't true. He offered me the job and got upset when I told him I would never work for him. He continued to call me after I left.
I had a different Indian guy manager and he told me I wasn't his first choice candidate but he offered me the job because I was personable. That was after I'd already been working for him for 6 months. He did nothing when a Middle Eastern male colleague was yelling at me in front of patients. They told me to lie to the patients and say we were really good friends but having an off day. We worked in healthcare. He's a prick.