Over the last decade, as a result of efforts to reduce the size of government, agencies have downsized their design and engineering staffs and relied more on outside consultants for technical expertise.
During the past ten years they have down graded their staff.
In each of the regions, you'll find a city such as Delhi, Mumbai, or Chennai which you can use as a starting point, and which would also be the best place for phoning home and making other practical arrangements.