No, it really is the quality. The issue is entirely the massive pool of unqualified engineers. The single biggest issue most US companies have is they try and hire in India the way they hire in the US. The smart companies actually "hire" as a kind of internship/trial run with no expectation that a new hire will still be around in 6 months and a very high bar for retention. Companies that do not do this end up with staff that are 90% useless. Once the person has proven their worth, then you move them into the real team.

I've worked with people in India for 20+ years. Understanding how to read pushback and identifying issues early are skills you learn pretty quickly, but it is a good point.

As I said, there are awesome engineers there, and the key is to shape your hiring to the actual environment.

The hierarchy issue is humongous, though, even once you are really familiar with it. For me it is often just a blind spot for people who grew up in the US. I have many issues with US culture and the idolizing of titles, celebrities and rich people, but India is so often next level on this topic, coupled with a kind of acceptability of abusive behavior by the people higher up in the hierarchy.

Staying on top of this is both necessary _and an obligation_. You have a responsibility to the people you hire.