Vantaggi
Some of the warmest, most capable people I've worked with worked at HCL. This is an Indian company and, as a non Indian, one of the most wonderful cultural experiences I've ever had. I was able to meet some of the warmest human beings I've ever known. I would say pretty much everyone at middle management and consultant level strata is top notch. In my experience, it's a company of giants at this level. Another benefit is that HCL works with some top-tier F500 clients, so you will get to work with very large projects. However, sometimes this can be a problem if you get the "wrong account" - many times they're just as dysfunctional. Typically pay and benefits are pretty good. But make sure whatever you are promised upon signing is clear. In my experience bonuses rarely happen, so be happy with whatever salary you've negotiated 'cause you'll probably be making that for the next 5 years
Svantaggi
I am sharing my experience as a "white American" working in a predominantly In Indian company. As I see it, there are a lot of subtle "class" type of divisions that seem to be rooted in cultural norms. This makes it hard to navigate as a non Indian. It's clear that managers and executives are compensated based on sales rather than results. This structure permeates and directs all decisions. So, in effect, it's more important than someone gets their bonus than it is making the right decision. These are typically the people with the greatest authority, so it's also the biggest problem because the client's best interest should be first priority. Of course there are exceptions to every rule, but for the most part it feels like there's an inherent lack of respect top-down that is returned as a lack of concern bottom up. Also there's a huge strata of leadership that's primarily Indian, and then a "worker class" doing all the development. Any managers caught in between those two layers is going to have to bridge the gap in priorities and it's impossible. HCL an agile based software production machine that is sold to the lowest bidder. They try to pretend they are strategic or creative, but that's not their value proposition. It's not a fun culture for someone who is actually trying to influence meaningful change. If you have to travel for your job you're going to have to deal with a nightmare process that makes no sense.