A whole new world of opportunities back home, in terms of building new processes and systems from scratch, and the excitement of applying their experience in India's $350 billion retail sector is bringing them back, like never before.

India is ranked number one in the AT Kearney Global Retail Index 2006. The organised retail market will grow to $427 billion by 2010 and further to $637 billion by 2015, according to industry estimates.

More than 200 middle and senior management personnel from international retail chains have joined Indian retail companies in the last six months, according to E Balaji, COO, Ma Foi Management Consultants, an international staffing company.

What drew the Mumbai-born Ashesh Amin, advisor, Raymonds, back to India from the US was the idea of tapping the business potential in the 300-million strong aspirational and affluent middle class. He worked with fashion retailers such as J Crew and BCBG Max Azira in the US.

"I had set up a huge business in China and saw it emerge before my very eyes over the past decade. Now it's India's turn and I want to be here in Mumbai, my hometown, where the action is. I know that India is the land of opportunity for the next decade, just like China has been in the past decade," said Ashesh, who advises textile conglomerate Raymonds on retail roll-out of women's wear.

Only a fortnight ago, Suni Mittal's Bharti Retail announced the appointment of Rajeev Krishnan and Hari Abburi to head the medium formats and human resources sections focussing on upcoming retail stores.

Krishnan was with Target Corporation, the second largest retail chain in the US, for 18 years. Abburi was HR director at Baxter (India and South Asia) before joining Bharti, which has announced a $2-2.5 billion investment by 2015.

Mukesh Ambani's Reliance [Get Quote] Retail, which is rolling out nine different formats from autos to footwear, has hired 67 executives to head various operations.

The list includes Gunendar Kapoor, head, foods business, previously with Unilever, Harsh Bahadur, president B2B, from Germany's Metro, Bhavdeep Singh, CEO, Reliance Fresh, formerly with a leading US retail chain. Asitava Sen, vice-president, retail and consumer goods, Technopak Advisors, believes that their understanding of both Indian and foreign markets coupled with their specialisations make them a hot favourite of Indian retail chains, which are expanding aggressively.

"Retail chains prefer these professionals to head visual merchandise, private label development, supply chain, category management and others,'' Sen said.

Amin pointed out that "it is difficult for foreigners to succeed in India as they did not understand the retail market, which is driven by complex socio-economic factors. You cannot sell the same product even in different areas of Mumbai. Those who understand and more importantly respect this will stand a higher chance of success."

India's rapid economic growth is helping the executives to  make up their minds about heading home.

"The markets are saturated and profits are challenging, in the west. Though India is in higher growth stage, we are just scratching the surface of the sector,'' said Purvin Patel, chief operating officer, Radhakrishna Foodland, who spent nearly 18 years with Bentonville-based Wal-Mart in various capacities.

For these professionals, India is no less in providing world-class experience and amenities compared to developed countries.

"I was looking to work with companies which were in a growth stage. When I got an offer to work in India, I thought what better international exposure could I get than come back to my home country, which is undergoing such a massive retail growth," says Patel.

For Nandini Sethuraman, who moved from Swedish home improvement retailer IKEA, Canada, to the RPG group-promoted Spencer as vice president of brand development, the quality of life in India has improved a lot in the last 15 years.

"You get the required foodstuff in stores, access international media and latest technology and communication devises, along with the pleasure of family and friends which is an added advantage," according to Nandini.

Amid all the hoopla over retail, Ma Foi's Balaji pointed out that the trend is likely to get moderated due to the publicity accorded by the international press to the problems faced by retail chains in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Orissa.

"I feel many of them have adopted a wait and watch approach on their comeback due to the resistance faced by retailers back in India. However, in the long run, I feel people will come back and join them," he said.