Indian graduates from the infamous India Institute of Technology (IIT) are increasingly shunning western IT jobs, preferring to stay at home rather than head for traditional targets like the US and UK, according to growing KPO provider Evaluserve.

In a recent survey of 667 IITians (as they’ve been coined) there has been a significant change in the number of graduates heading west. Between 1964 and 2001 64 percent remained in India while of those that graduated since 2002, 84 percent have remained in India.

While wanting to stay near homes, family and culture was cited as the most common reason for staying in India, there was an increased perception that the US held less job opportunities for IITians; 28 percent thought that the US had limited possibilities for them. Interestingly 19 percent of graduates since 2001 thought that India had substantially increased job opportunities and living standards. Also, 72 percent of the students thought that India held the most promise for IT 10 years down the line.