Sigrid
Hello everyone! Today at Plus Forty Nine we have with us Sukesh Das, co-founder of My Relocator. How are you doing, Sukesh?

Sukesh
I’m good, thanks for having me.

Sigrid
I loved how your name was introduced to me, because I kept saying “Sukej” in my head. How do you actually pronounce it?

Sukesh
It’s Sukesh – that’s the correct pronunciation.

Sigrid
I love it. Do you know where it comes from?

Sukesh
Honestly, I don’t really know how my parents chose it.

Sigrid
Same here. My name is Sigrid, it comes from Sweden, and I still have no idea why my parents picked it. But here we are and we are both migrants in Germany.

How did you end up here?

From Indian markets to German expertise

Sukesh
My wife moved to Germany first to study, and I followed her. Before that, I’d already been working with European markets. I worked for a Dutch company and was responsible for developing business in Germany, especially Berlin.

So I’ve actually been working with the German market since around 2010.

Sigrid
So Germany was already familiar territory for you – and that’s part of what led you to start your own company here?

Sukesh
Yes. It really started when we saw how much support international professionals need when they move here.

I co-founded My Relocator (a brand of N-II GmbH) together with my German co-founder, Ulrich. We started after Covid, when a lot more people began relocating to Germany. The first big need we saw was relocation support.

Then immigration laws changed, especially with the introduction of the Opportunity Card. Suddenly, we were getting a lot of requests from professionals via LinkedIn and our website asking for help with not just moving, but also finding jobs in Germany.

Because both my co-founder and I have experience in recruitment in India and Germany, we expanded our work: we now provide recruiting services to German companies – but not just “classic” recruiting. We train international talent and then connect those trained candidates to German employers.

Right now, one of our main initiatives is training Opportunity Card visa holders and linking them with companies. At the moment we mainly focus on software engineers from India and will expand to other fields later.

Hiring is step one. Retention is the real challenge.

Sigrid
Your work sits exactly in the middle of a contradiction we hear all the time: politicians say “Germany needs more skilled workers,” but once people arrive, the integration part gets messy.

So hiring is one thing. Getting people to stay – in the company and in Germany – is another. What do companies need to understand about that second part?

Sukesh
We always tell our clients: hiring is just step one. Retention is the real challenge.

Many excellent engineers leave not because they can’t do the job, but because no one really thought through integration.

The companies that do it well usually:

-Offer German language support

-Provide mentors or buddies at work

-Train teams in cross-cultural collaboration

-Show clear career development paths

Most importantly: they see international hiring as a strategic initiative, not a side project or experiment.

The companies that treat it strategically and invest in integration see much better retention.

Advice for migrants thinking: should I stay or should I go?

Sigrid
Let’s switch to the migrant perspective. For someone who’s already here and is torn between staying and leaving – not feeling fully integrated – what would you say?

Sukesh
First, I think Germany is a great country with a lot of opportunity for international professionals. But if you’re coming from a non-EU country, you have to accept that things will be very different from home.

For me, it starts with acceptance:

Every country has its challenges and its positives.

If you accept that, you can focus more on solving problems than worrying about them.

The second thing is: find your community.
Isolation is a huge issue. When you’re connected – to other migrants, to locals, to any kind of supportive network – you get practical help and emotional support.

So:

Accept that Germany works differently.

Don’t do it alone – actively build your community.

Sigrid
We’re recording this on a beautiful autumn day, but tomorrow it might be gray and raining. That’s when the depression creeps in – especially for those of us from sunnier countries.

I always tell people: build your own first-aid kit for rough days. A playlist that lifts you up, a mood board, a list of small things that bring you comfort – like your favorite café where they know your order and your name.

For many of us, that “third place” really matters.

What German companies are struggling with

Sigrid
Let’s go back to the company side. What are the main challenges German employers face when they try to hire abroad – especially in India?

Sukesh
One big pattern we see is what I call the “hope strategy.”

Many companies still hope that local recruiting will somehow start working again. But the skills shortage in Germany is not a short-term issue – it’s structural. Reports show tens of thousands of open positions that can’t be filled. Behind each number is a real business problem.

Imagine: you have funding, you’re ready to scale, but your crucial AI engineer role stays vacant for months. That’s the reality.

When German companies start thinking about hiring globally, for example in India, they usually have very valid questions:

-Where do we even start?

-How do we make sure candidates actually have the right skills?

-Will cultural differences cause problems in the team?

-Who handles visas, relocation, and all the paperwork?

-How do we integrate people once they arrive?

-If they try to figure all of this out alone, it can be overwhelming.

This is where having a recruitment partner who understands both sides makes a big difference:

-Someone who knows the talent market in India and the business culture in Germany

-Who can audit their hiring strategy

-Who has trusted networks of candidates

-Who supports evaluation, visa, and relocation

-With that kind of support, German companies can actually turn this from a stress factor into a strategic advantage.

Founding a company in Germany as an international

Sigrid
You’re not just working with German companies – you also created your own company here, as an international. That’s no small task. How was that journey?

Sukesh
I was very fortunate to have a German co-founder. That solves a lot of challenges for an international founder.

It helps with navigating bureaucracy

It helps with sales and marketing, where cultural nuances are very important

It builds trust faster with German clients

That said, I don’t think the issues are only for international founders. In general, founding a company in Germany is still too bureaucratic and complicated.

But Germany also offers a lot of potential for founders – including international ones – if you have the patience to navigate the system. And if you’re lucky enough to find a German co-founder, you’re in a much better position.

How to reach Sukesh and My Relocator

Sigrid
For anyone listening – whether you’re a company that wants to hire international talent or a professional looking for guidance – how can they find you and My Relocator?

Sukesh
The best way to contact me personally is LinkedIn – just search for Sukesh Das and you’ll find my profile.

For companies or professionals who want to know more about our services, you can visit myrelocator.de – all our contact details are there.

Sigrid
Perfect. Thank you so much, Sukesh, for your time and your insights. You always have a home here at Plus Forty Nine whenever you want to share updates or ideas.

Sukesh
Thank you again for having me.