I can only speak to NY - hours are bad, and probably as bad as India or worse. I do M&A, so its probably the worst in terms of wlb in NY but i do have friends in other practice groups that have a much more relaxed lifestyle and get paid the same obv -- I've heard UK firms in london have better balance but no first hand experience. Don't move for work life balance..

I've spoken to many people working abroad on this issue, and it's clear that if work life balance is what you are looking for, big law in US/UK/Singapore is not where you will find it. Depending on team of course, largely your timings will be similar or worse as in top Indian firms. As a foreign trained lawyer from a jurisdiction that has average respect in terms of training, you will probably have to work harder for initial years, it's also possible much of your experience will be written off, and from what I hear life there is the same before and after becoming Senior Associate in terms of work pressure, much like India.
Money wise also, its only in the US or in plum jobs in Dubai where you will feel a difference, for countries like UK/Singapore, given the salaries and after taxes, you are pretty much in the same position as India. Packages with variables included that you read about online are for the leading lawyers in big law firms, it takes time for an Indian lawyer who's been working in India for 5 years to see those numbers personally, so it's better to be realistic. It will happen of course if you stick to it, it's just not immediate.
Capital markets however is one of the best sectors to be in if you want a job abroad. Firms like Taylor Root etc are regularly hiring for these positions in places like Singapore/UK, some of which you can get from India directly after being persistent with them and having some foreign qualification, so you can try that approach from India as well.
If you want to work in a company abroad, many of the above things will change, but then the money will be lesser too.
I think the reasons to move abroad should be based on better lifestyle, infrastructure and such things, many of these big law firms also have great policies, so things like sabbatical, maternity leave etc are easier to manage. They are also much better managed and expect less subservience compared to Indian firms.
So you need to think if these benefits work for you, talk to more people who work in these sectors to get a better idea.

Your perception by working across from foreign counsel is slightly misconceived. I've worked in several markets - Mumbai, Delhi, London and NY. I can tell you that hours being relatively standard across the board is false. Cravath scale firms have a minimum hour requirement to be bonus eligible (usually a pretty reasonable 1900-2000 billable requirement). After that, you're mostly just working for your own growth and partnership prospects but I know several people who coast after hitting 2,100.

Also, IMO, being treated like an adult who provides their services in exchange for compensation is PRICELESS, which was not my experience working at Indian firms. Hated being treated like a kid. Both firms I worked at had inane policies like half day for coming in late or email if you're going to be more than 15 mins late. Ridiculous. If the works getting done and the client is happy, there's no reason to police your attorneys.

If you really value your time then you just have to figure out a way to not sell your time for money. unfortunately service providers/ employees have nothing to monetize but their time, so while you may move from one country to the other or even from one industry to the other, but largely your life will be the same. build towards monetizing your assets/ brand and exit.

This is an interesting discussion. For my experience (as an associate in Mumbai) of working with lawyers in London, HK and S'pore (both magic circle and US biglaw) the hours there seem just as brutal as us here. Maybe slightly worse, in the sense that on the deals I've worked on - the HK partner has been on negotiation calls until 3:30 AM their time and his associate has then turned around drafts by 8 AM HK and still be functional the next morning. This was Kirkland, but A&O, MoFo, CC, Cravath, STB are no different.

What I am not sure of though, is whether the partners there are sensitive about giving time off to their associates after such exhausting deals close. My sense is that the US firms are worse on this front - leaner teams mean that each associate would get lesser down time. Probably your magic circle teams are better. While our Indian lala firms are obviously shite, my rose tinted perception of gora firms being some paragon of virtue and work life balance has definitely been shattered over time.

The money discussion is also important. A PQE 5/6 in London making 140k GBP probably saves lesser in hard cash than a PA/ MA in Mumbai Tier I. So what's the point?

Timings abroad? What are you smoking?

The only Markets you can go - Singapore, London, NY (additional LLM) has insane working hours. The firms there are well run and more professional, but working hours are same if not more.

Even the places with the lowest working hours per week (France - 35 hrs, Germany - 40 hrs) Corporate Lawyers and Management Consultants work more than 65 + an average week.

If you want wlb, then either change the industry or go in - house.

Shifted to a London firm at 5 pqe. Timings abroad aren't exactly great, mostly depend on team/practice area. My team (disputes) thankfully has good hours, I've noticed a few corp teams do too, individual partners make a difference here. Make SA and then shift, the title gives a small advantage while applying.

I am a 3.5 PQE at a tier 1 law firm in Mumbai. Prior to joining, I was at a T2 for a year. My work timings are pretty bad, my day ends at 11pm even during WFH. I was thinking of venturing abroad in a law firm. I work in the Cap Marks team. Wanted to know if my profile is good enough to move out or is there something missing. Can complete the current year to make it 4.
Further, is the work balance better in the firms abroad or is it the same. Thanks.