The last time I had realistic numbers, an outsourced engineer in India cost a bit more than a comparable one in the Midwestern US.

I’d guess they’re more expensive now, despite the obvious timezone problems.

Also don't forget it's an Indian dialect of English, with words and usages of English words that don't exist elsewhere in the world.

Indian dialect is derived from the colonial English. So, lot of words and usage can be found in British English.

I don't think that most of Brits are "doing the needful". Indian English has plenty of expressions that are exclusive to India.

Pretty sure "why did you redeem it?!" is a British English slang from the victorian era :)

While English is not a first language for the vast majority, it is used a lot in daily life because the native languages vary wildly by area and nobody understands them all. English is the common denominator, not just for communicating with foreigners but also to other Indians from other areas.

The focus on primary language makes it seem less used than it actually is.

omg I work with some Indian people since 2000, and I canonly understand about 80% of what ONE OF THEM says, the others less than 60%. :(