By Caroline Anderson

The blue Skype icon bounces on the bottom of Lekha Katti’s* computer screen. When this Information Technology [IT] professional’s verse of the day arrives via an inter-office instant message, she copies the verse to her Facebook profile. Katti hopes her coworkers will also notice the Bible verse on her desktop when they pass her cubicle so she can share her new favorite Bible story: Daniel and the lions.

Bangalore is known internationally as the Silicon Valley of India because it holds a position as India's leading IT exporter.

This young believer, who works for a major IT company in Bangalore, India, has a heart for sharing the gospel with her peers in the IT business. IT professionals often feel torn between traditional Hindu culture and Western culture because they’ve had so much exposure to the West.

Katti’s coworkers are well-educated, high-caste Hindus. (Castes in India define social, financial and religious status.) Katti’s Indian peers work for top international IT companies like Hewlett-Packard, Siemens and Infosys. Many grew up speaking English and have worked abroad in the U.S. or U.K.

While at work, women who work in the IT business dress like Westerners in jeans and T-shirts. Outside of these insular neighborhoods of IT professionals, however, the women forsake their jeans for saris. “It’s like they are living in between two worlds,” says Margot Gladding,* an IMB representative in Bangalore.

On the surface, the IT community has a Western mindset. Many claim to be agnostic, but most turn back to Hindu gods in a crisis or to find a spouse. Many high-caste Hindus come from the priestly caste, so leaving their heritage isn’t easy.

“[These people] are a third culture and they’re a changing culture,” Gladding says.

IT companies in India employ two million workers, and the country has 10 million IT-related jobs, Britain’s New Statesman reports. Katti’s demographic is therefore an important group of people for Christians to understand and address. That’s why Margot Gladding and her husband Carver* share the story of Daniel and the lions’ den.

Everyone loves stories

The ministry of the Gladdings, native Texans, focuses on storytelling and on equipping other IMB representatives to share Bible stories with the people of South Asia.
“Hi, I’m your new neighbor,” Gladding says to a neighbor, offering an egg-less cookie — most high-caste Hindus are vegetarian.

In addition to making friends face-to-face, Gladding also ministers using technology. She sends mp3 files of Bible stories to Katti and other believers’ cell phones using Bluetooth. Katti and other IT professionals often listen to the stories and podcasts on the community bus to work.

The increasing ease of digital file-sharing means that a growing number of Katti’s coworkers also now listen to Gladding’s stories on their commute — and share with their friends in turn.

Katti is becoming bolder with every Skype chat and Facebook wall post. She knows she can make a difference in her nation just like Daniel did in his.

*Name changed.