A freelance editor called out the casual racism Indian professionals face from international clients who only see them as "cheap labour" but expect top-tier work. Taking to Reddit’s r/StartupIndia forum, the woman stated that she blocked a potential client as she was tired of hearing that “India is for cheap labour". She said that an American client reached out to her, but once she quoted a fee of $29 or ₹2,500 for a 20-minute YouTube script, the tone drastically changed.
“India and Pakistan are for cheap labour. That’s why we outsource,” the client said, adding: “You guys scam us Americans.”
While she added that she could have easily negotiated for more pay, she found his words out of line. “He wanted me to do it for $7 (600 rupees). That's what he pays his editor too for a 20-minute video. He literally debated my worth. Told me I wasn’t ‘thinking smart.’ Said I was overpricing. Like my time, effort, or skills don't matter," she added.
With five years of experience, she said that she did not need to prove her worth and face disrespect. “I didn’t block him because of the money. I blocked him because of the mindset, and the choice of words. Why do people feel so comfortable telling us we scam them, when all we did was quote a fair price?… Some people just want the best quality at the lowest price and still act like we’re the problem," she said.
Indian users offer support
Her post resonated with many other freelancers and creators, especially those from South Asia who face similar prejudice and unreasonable expectations.
{{/usCountry}}Her post resonated with many other freelancers and creators, especially those from South Asia who face similar prejudice and unreasonable expectations.
{{/usCountry}}"God, this infuriates me to my core. Why do some people think “outsourcing” is just a fancy word for “exploitation”? Like they’re doing us a favour by offering crumbs and expecting gourmet service in return," said one user.
Another remarked, "You did the right thing by blocking him. Your rate wasn’t the problem; his ego and racism were. Keep your standards intact."