Four software developers from India start their jobs in Offenburg

Through the «bridged-IT» programme, four employees from India took up permanent positions in software development at Markant’s Offenburg site in January. This was preceded by many months of preparation, language and cultural courses, and a fair amount of paperwork. However, the effort was well worth it, according to the initial feedback from those involved.
 

Collaboration has been in place for many years

MSI has been working with the Indian company Palnar in software development for many years. «We have around 20 specialists there who develop software for us,» explains Lead Service Owner Reiner Sailer. This includes the four specialists who have now arrived in Offenburg. According to Sailer, this is a major advantage, because: «We already knew who they were and what they were capable of.»

For the four software developers Desly Peter (37), Asif Paralil (32), Abin Joy (29) and Mariya Lukhose (29), it was a major and courageous step: leaving their home country, learning a new language, starting all over again from scratch. However, a structured preparation period made their decision easier, they report.

In the summer of 2025, the four Indian IT experts visited the Markant site in Offenburg for the first time. This allowed them not only to get to know their potential new working environment in advance – from colleagues and managers to the buildings and facilities – but also to get a first impression of Offenburg and the region. «That was a key reason for moving to Germany,» says Abin Joy, looking back.

Language and bureaucracy as the biggest challenges

Since then, the biggest challenges have been learning the language and meeting the necessary bureaucratic requirements, Mariya Lukhose adds. Markant has provided support in a variety of ways, including with finding accommodation, applying for a visa and dealing with other formalities.

Since their arrival in Germany, Desly Peter, Asif Paralil, Abin Joy and Mariya Lukhose have been pleasantly surprised by the high level of helpfulness – including from colleagues. Drawing on his experience in Germany so far, Asif Paralil highlights attractive working conditions and a highly productive way of working.

After a few weeks in a boarding house, all four software developers are now living in their own flats. «The Markant team has also provided us with fantastic support when it comes to finding accommodation, booking GP appointments and dealing with administrative tasks,» reports Mariya Lukhose. As a result, all four feel they have settled in well and are comfortable after their first few months in Offenburg and in their new jobs. Desly Peter is soon to take on a new role of responsibility: he is leading a project to migrate software to a new infrastructure. Although the language barrier has not yet been completely overcome after such a short time, all four are already making great progress.

Project could be repeated

Reiner Sailer is very satisfied with how the project has progressed so far and believes it could be repeated: in this way, Markant has gained four highly skilled, creative and committed employees. The collaboration between the onsite team in Offenburg and the offshore team at Palnar is also benefiting from this, with fewer communication barriers. Alongside the company’s own training of junior staff, the project is one of many measures aimed at attracting qualified IT specialists.