HN Explorer

What's the history behind Java and India's engineers?

8 points by xhunterx ↗ HN
Don't let the title mislead you. I'm not looking to start a stereotypical discussion with horrible comments regards this topic. I actually want to know if there was a national academic plan in India to have many graduates around Java and other Sun/Oracle products. My motivation for this comes from my constant interviews with Indian individuals working or wanting to work around Silicon Valley. I'm also new to Silicon Valley. Please bare in mind, that this is total curiosity.

5 comments

[ 3.3 ms ] story [ 29.9 ms ] thread
udkl
In academics in India, you start out with C to learn the language basics and then move to Java. It's like undergrads in the US start out with python. That's the reason why there are many tech graduates with Java knowledge.

As to why Java, well it is arguably the de-facto enterprise language. Many of the outsourcing tech firms need Java skills from a graduate. I'm assuming this is one of the important reasons why Java is taught to grads.

That and minimal hacker/startup culture (not implying it in a negative way) results into most grads not trying out 'in-fashion' languages like node/ruby etc.

aaqureshi
Almost all of what you said, is 100% applicable to Pakistani Software Industry
hemantv
From what I know people learn Java because there are many job opportunities in India. Amazon, Oracle are some examples.
rgovind
Back in 2000s, when companies were hiring Indian talent left right and centre, Java was main language being taught in new graduates. Learning Java, Core Java, Enterprise Java (whatever these words mean) meant you could get a job in US by hook or crook. Many families prospered this way. Back then, mediocre graduates learned only Java and for every kid in immediate family, extended family and neighborhood, Java became equivalent to Software. Today, since there is no other language that dominates the media so much as Java did, it is still being taught by the numerous coaching institutes in back alleys of Hyderabad, Bangalore, etc.

This I believe is where your knowledge comes from.

motyar
In India they teach you. C -> C++ -> Core JAVA -> Advanced JAVA.