Cisco

The work-life balance in general is pretty good (of course, that may vary depending upon the team and management). Engineering deadlines are not very aggressive, and Cisco puts enough resources so that employees do not have to sacrifice personal commitments for projects. The growth is good, especially if one joins from outside with 5+ years of experience.

Senior leaders from across the globe frequently visit India and hold "All Hands Meets" to give market updates and the position of Cisco and its products in the market.

If one is interested in corporate social responsibilities, then Cisco provides ample opportunities. There are about 20+ NGOs to which Cisco India contributes.

The salary package offered to new hires (even from top universities in India) is not competitive compared to many other companies with the same brand value. If one joins Cisco from outside, the salaries can be pretty high, depending on one's current salary.

Most of Cisco's core products (routers & switches) are stable; there is more maintenance work than new development.

I would not recommend someone who intends to start their career at Cisco India. This is a good place to work after gaining some experience in another company working on new products, which provide ample opportunities to work on new product development.

I think Senior Management is doing a fairly decent job in trying to create opportunities in India. They have been very transparent in their policies. But I think the problem lies in lower management circles in some of the Business Units. Most of the first & second level managers have moved from the US to India. I would expect them to use their contacts in bringing challenging work to India. They seem to be content with what they have achieved technically and tend to show little interest in exposing their teams to better opportunities by playing the role that is expected of them.