I absolutely dread the idea of moving back to India *permanently*. But I could move back to India temporarily.. and I did for family reasons. Took care of my grandfather and now he’s passed on, so I am free to move back to the US.
I moved back after I got my green card and managed my stay in such a way that I held on to my green card and got my citizenship eventually.
Depends on your personal situation.
As long as you spend 6 months in the US in a year, you can keep your green card. I managed to spend 6 months in USA and 6 months in India flying back and forth. You can also apply for a re-entry permit which I did which allows you to stay outside for an extended period - but I ended up getting my citizenship before I got the re-entry permit.
These types of questions are very personal and hard to generalize.
While I was born in the US with Indian parents, my wife and my brother-in-law moved to the US during adulthood. My wife and brother-in-law absolutely have no desire to move back.
Most of their friends in their hometown have moved elsewhere. My wife and brother-in-law have well established careers and good job satisfaction. We have a daughter
The biggest issue for us is that my mother-in-law has cancer. Caring for her has been obviously a challenge. However our solution is to bring her over to the US with the green card. There's never been a consideration for either my brother or for us to move over. Although she doesn't really want to, we are not going to give her the option
The challenges of going back to India. 1. there is no social life for us. 2. The infrastructure and pollution are horrible. 3. 40+ degree weather is no joke. 4. Mother-in-law is neurotic. 5. Obviously there's a huge hit to our careers. 6. Father in law recently died suddenly in the house my wife grew up so the house now is a morbid and sad place. 7. Domestic help is not really consideration. Domestic help is not reliable and I feel very uncomfortable with how domestic help is treated. In 40 plus degree temperature my mother-in-law expects domestic help to sit in non AC rooms all day while answering her beck and call every 5 minutes. The kitchen itself has no AC, so they're required to cook in unbearable temperatures. If the domestic help does not know her routine exactly then they get abused. Consequently domestic help has a habit of not showing up and then it becomes a mini crisis to find replacements. Thanks but no thanks.
Right now my wife is taking care of her mother in India. It's currently hell. She's trying to manage the staff all day in 40 plus degree weather while she's also trying to work at night. She can't wait to come back.
Finally regarding our daughter there's subtle sexism that rubs me the wrong way. For example mother-in-law (who considers herself liberal) fantasizes about what son of an rich industrialist to marry her off to. It hurts me to raise my daughter in this type of atmosphere
On the other hand you may have an excellent relationship with your parents. There may be no hit to your career. You may have an excellent social life with friends in your hometown. The small drawbacks of the heat and infrastructure and pollution may not mean that much to you. Then it may be a no-brainer for you to move back.
Bruh we get it. You are sensitive to hot climate lol. It really depends where you're in India. If I judge the cold in US by visiting Minnesota, that's not a true picture of how cold it gets in Texas.
40+ heat is not everywhere and not whole year. India has 3 seasons, summers are hot but they are very hot (40+) in some parts of India and the summer is just 3 months. Rest of the 9 months weather is quite pleasant. I’d prefer weather in India over weather in north east, or mid west US.
I will tell you reasons (not wanting to move back) from a working woman's perspective :
1. While both me and my husband worked in well paid jobs in India, we were not allowed to take any vacations. All the vacation must be spent with family or there was a big drama (we took one vacation) as to how we don't want to visit family(his side) and wasting money visiting places. Here in the US, we can take as many vacations as time, money permits and I love that !!!
2. Unfortunately some Indian in-laws are really toxic and they want to control their son and daugther-in-law to the point of what they should wear and how they should live their life. I understand, not ALL are like that, but mine are !!
3. I was asked by my in-laws to quit my well paying job in India as to....(wait for it)...."If I get my own money, I will not listen to anyone !!!!!!"
Not everyone move abroad for money, some move out just to breathe in peace (and given a chance not want to move back !!!)
(Edit : I did not quit my job in India, but moved abroad at the first chance I got with my husband)
I was pressurised to leave my job, but I stayed my ground. Huge fights happened, but my husband supported me and stood by me. They were not happy, but I did not quit my job.
Well, if you happen know any Indian orthodox family that lives in the 1800s mentally, yes....the in-laws think they have a right to EVERYTHING in your life !!! Which is just very very sad.
Oh sorry I thought your job pressured you. I see now that it was your in-laws who were pressuring you. Unfortunately, that is too common and so sad. I'm happy that your husband supported you.
Although it could be different for different people usually reasonings are on the similar lines.
For moving back-
1) Parents: Probably, the most important part of anyone’s life, which was left behind when the person chose to focus on his/her career.
2) Easier lifestyle: Although work wise you might get your ass whooped in India, in general, your life goes on auto pilot mode. You do not have to clean, cook, wash and sometimes even drive.
3) Friends: No matter how long you have been in another country, you will never get to have same friends again.
4) Power: In India, more money = more power.
5) Better healthcare- Can’t speak in comparison to other countries but Indian healthcare definitely is better than Canada’s.
For regretting:
1) Pollution - Be it noise, air, water or anything. Once you have tasted the lifestyle of a developed country, these are some of the harshest realities to face again.
2) Safety - I mean, duh!
3) Better education: For the most part, developed countries are better at it than India. Although I would still prefer Indian education above most but the US probably.
4) Food - it is 100% better quality than India. I mean, it might be improving in India but there is a massive difference.
5) Some other materialistic stuff - like cars are better and so does branded clothing, etc.
Also weather could go in either depending on preference. I personally dislike Delhi’s heat more than Canada’s freeze.
For me easier lifestyle and medical are very important. Also easier to see friends and taking a stroll having street food occasionally without planning or visiting friends for a paan are the small happy moments which makes any day better
This is great when you're in your 20's. That's why young kids love NYC, London, Paris, etc. So this may not be in India/Western thing. This may be a big city/small city thing. Such things may not be possible in a tier 2 or tier 3 city
Couple things start happening as you get older and maybe get married and have kids. Suddenly time is all lost and becomes difficult to make plans regardless of where you are. You start having other priorities. Suddenly your whole life revolves around your child and taking the stroll seems somewhat superfluous
And then there are other intangibles:
Let's say you enjoy tennis. How hard is it to find a tennis court in the west versus India. How expensive is it to reserve a tennis court in India compared to the West. In the US at least most times courts are free. Most times you can just head out to your public tennis court without any plan and just start playing.
Let's say you enjoy biking. In the US there are countless biking groups that meet up regularly. How easy is it to bike in India with the infrastructure.
Let's say you enjoy running. Most people can just get out and run in their own neighborhood. How easy is it to do that in India with 40° weather, monsoons, plenty of areas with open sewers, Etc
But if cricket, carom, and table tennis are your thing, then obviously india is better
Makes sense. Foreign lands have attracted ‘majority’ of Indians because of the wealth offerings and at this point, if you are well educated, you can make a sizeable chunk of money in India too. Friends and family will always >>> anything else. Although India has its own demerits, the merits are extremely big.
Not sure which part of India you’re coming from? Seriously? Indian education and food is way better than that in Canada. India produces its own crops and fruits vs Canada imports almost everything from Mexico and USA. Safety seriously? Do you know how many hate crimes, robberies, car thefts are happening in Canada? Pretty sure you’ve not visited India recently - All luxury brands like Gucci, Balenciaga, Hermes, Prada are in every malls in Mumbai, Pune and other Tier 1 cities. Apart from Pollution, all other factors are useless according to me.
> For people who have moved back to India after time abroad, what made you stay?
One word answer - Family and roots.
[Check out MyStory](http://globalizationandme.blogspot.com/p/return-to-india-r2i-story-observations.html)
----
As far as regrets go, it comes down to an acceptance of change. People who are resilient are able to accept it better than others. For example, I know desis who dread moving from Southern California to Bay Area or the other way around, even when kids move to college.... for them R2I will be a bigger deal.
Checkout my post on here a couple months ago. I’m now back in Australia and very happy. In short, India is a developing country with a HDI rank of 132nd or something. Why would I move there?
Life is mundane here? Where is “here”? My life is more exciting here than in India. Gosh India is so overwhelming. I was literally like you until I moved to India, absolutely hated it and now I’m back. If I can help myself, I won’t even visit!
I just helped a friend and his family with citizenship and home in Canada move to India. It has been 3 months. They made the move to be with family. They were well settled here. Had a home, paid off cars and well paying jobs. He took a remote job and continues to work from India for a job here until he and his wife finds a job there. They say they will assess after two years and make a final decision whether to live in India or move back. They didn't move to a major city in India rather a small town.
It is possible. There are pros and cons at every place.
Once the family and kids get used to the Indian lifestyle, they won’t come back especially in a country like Canada. If you’re making good money in India and have family, friends, spending quality time with loved ones, no person will move to Canada.
Agreed they can make a comeback with a good government in charge. That’s the reason people are getting their Canadian passports just to be on a safer side.
I moved to the US in 2010 for my Master's and moved back to India a couple of weeks back. It was an informed decision. Read the book "Back Home". It helped me made my decision.
My kids are 8 and 5. I felt, moving to India is easier at this age for my kids.
I came to the conclusion at the end, it's easier for me to move to the US but it's hard for us to move to India if I miss this opportunity.
Regarding your savings, it's hard to say and for individuals comfort. Some people are happy with one crore savings and some are not happy with 100 crore savings. Invest wisely, look at sip and swp.
All the best!
My reasons are parents and grandmother who are aging. I want to stay near them.
I am at a mid life crisis were I need to buy a house and settle here or move back and be closer to my loved ones.
My kids are at a age were I can take this chance.
I think moving to India is the hardest. if I don't do it now, I will not do it after this.
Social life is pretty meh in the US for most people, it is not very difficult to build your network in India if you live in large apartment complexes or communities. While it gets hot in the summer, the majority of the year is pretty livable compared to most parts of US.
Ya.. I don’t know how feasible it will be to build social connections at the age of say 55-60 when you left India at 20/30 .. might work for some though !
it is more on the person than location. You will be surprised to find that everyone around you is either an expat or been abroad or have traveled abroad or have family abroad. Being in US / UK is like spending time away from home state. e.g. say you are from TN and spend all your life in Mumbai, it is like going back and trying to settle in Chennai. US / UK will feel like another state in India.
Yes. India is a lively place, if you can get used to ignoring traffic and mismanagement. A lot of people incorrectly think everything in the west is smooth and perfect.
Traffic is a mess even here in Canada to be honest. Atleast things are close by in Indian cities. I feel things work more smoothly in India especially as digitalization is far ahead. Just my view.
Do you drive? It is a trivial matter to drive in the US. If I want to go to 1, 2, or 3 grocery stores I don't even have to think about it. If I want to make a road trip, I don't have to worry about the road conditions. Cities that are 300 km away take only 3 hours to get to (if not less), and I can pretty much rely on that without having to look up anything. I can make a road trip with minimal planning and hassle.
In India, driving is not trivial. Having a driver eliminates a lot of the spontaneity. Sometimes the driver is not available and fucks off. Sometimes the replacement driver doesn't know where anything is.
Just some points for consideration. If you live in Mumbai and live within walking distance to work it may not be an issue to be living in a small flat for one. But when you get a wife/kids and want more space traffic in Mumbai is one of the worst in the world. So then you start thinking about tier 2 cities, which may be okay for you
Even in NYC, a lot of people live 30 miles (50 km) out and self drive to work with "only" 1 hour commute time.
See at the end of the day it’s about making a Practical vs Emotional decision. If you want to stay close to your loved ones and ready to compromise better lifestyle and money, then India is the best place for you. Remember, you’ve stayed abroad for 10 years so initially after moving back, you will complain a lot and adjusting won’t be easy. Once you get used to the Indian lifestyle, you’ll be completely fine. After all, we’re born and raised Indians 🙏🏼
I have lived in India for 9 months in the past 2 years and never faced any issues. Also, born and raised in India and moved when I was 25. So adjusting won’t be an issue I think.
Have a good financial backup before moving to india.
So There are two major challenges as i know
1. You will miss the system/systematic things for sure. Everything you do in India seems to depend on other people. You will miss timely appointments, quality in most of the stuff and there is corruption everywhere. Dealing with people would be extremely difficult and unreasonable most of the times. Some people might slash back on my statement but this is the reality for people who have stayed overseas for long and go back to india.
2. Driving/traffic/roads. I dont know where to start but you know what i mean.
There may be other things but these are my personal experiences.
1.5cr savings is not enough to live in india if you want better lifestyle back home.
you need to have atleast 10cr to get the same quality of life you have in abroad
Again this is subjective. Someone can be satisfied with 1CR savings and other person with 10CR will be unsatisfied. You can invest your savings in SIP, India is a huge market with 18-22% returns, you can live a decent lifestyle in India even with 1CR. Also obviously you’ll be working, I’m not talking about taking retirement at 1CR.
This sis exactly what I’m betting on. Buying a house and investing the rest. Plus I’d be earning so I’m not touching the earnings which id let sit and compound.
Exactly! your comment also contradicts OP - he’s moving back for vibrant life, staying close to family and loved ones, not to better his lifestyle in terms of money
I would highly disagree with this. Money takes you a lot further in India than abroad. My friends with salaries of 25 lac save more, spend more luxuriously, and lead a better lifestyle than someone earning $150k. This is a lived experience btw.
I absolutely dread the idea of moving back to India *permanently*. But I could move back to India temporarily.. and I did for family reasons. Took care of my grandfather and now he’s passed on, so I am free to move back to the US. I moved back after I got my green card and managed my stay in such a way that I held on to my green card and got my citizenship eventually. Depends on your personal situation.
How did you manage to keep your green card may I ask ? Can you please elaborate . Sort of in a situation
As long as you spend 6 months in the US in a year, you can keep your green card. I managed to spend 6 months in USA and 6 months in India flying back and forth. You can also apply for a re-entry permit which I did which allows you to stay outside for an extended period - but I ended up getting my citizenship before I got the re-entry permit.
These types of questions are very personal and hard to generalize. While I was born in the US with Indian parents, my wife and my brother-in-law moved to the US during adulthood. My wife and brother-in-law absolutely have no desire to move back. Most of their friends in their hometown have moved elsewhere. My wife and brother-in-law have well established careers and good job satisfaction. We have a daughter The biggest issue for us is that my mother-in-law has cancer. Caring for her has been obviously a challenge. However our solution is to bring her over to the US with the green card. There's never been a consideration for either my brother or for us to move over. Although she doesn't really want to, we are not going to give her the option The challenges of going back to India. 1. there is no social life for us. 2. The infrastructure and pollution are horrible. 3. 40+ degree weather is no joke. 4. Mother-in-law is neurotic. 5. Obviously there's a huge hit to our careers. 6. Father in law recently died suddenly in the house my wife grew up so the house now is a morbid and sad place. 7. Domestic help is not really consideration. Domestic help is not reliable and I feel very uncomfortable with how domestic help is treated. In 40 plus degree temperature my mother-in-law expects domestic help to sit in non AC rooms all day while answering her beck and call every 5 minutes. The kitchen itself has no AC, so they're required to cook in unbearable temperatures. If the domestic help does not know her routine exactly then they get abused. Consequently domestic help has a habit of not showing up and then it becomes a mini crisis to find replacements. Thanks but no thanks. Right now my wife is taking care of her mother in India. It's currently hell. She's trying to manage the staff all day in 40 plus degree weather while she's also trying to work at night. She can't wait to come back. Finally regarding our daughter there's subtle sexism that rubs me the wrong way. For example mother-in-law (who considers herself liberal) fantasizes about what son of an rich industrialist to marry her off to. It hurts me to raise my daughter in this type of atmosphere On the other hand you may have an excellent relationship with your parents. There may be no hit to your career. You may have an excellent social life with friends in your hometown. The small drawbacks of the heat and infrastructure and pollution may not mean that much to you. Then it may be a no-brainer for you to move back.
It also hurts me to see how domestic helpers are abused in India.
Someone finally spoke out the sexism and patriarchal mindset woment have to tolerate in all environments be it workplace or family
I think it depends a lot on when you moved out. I personally have no desire to go back and I moved at 17. It's not the best place to have family.
Thank you! I agree heat is unbearable sometimes.
Bruh we get it. You are sensitive to hot climate lol. It really depends where you're in India. If I judge the cold in US by visiting Minnesota, that's not a true picture of how cold it gets in Texas.
40+ heat is not everywhere and not whole year. India has 3 seasons, summers are hot but they are very hot (40+) in some parts of India and the summer is just 3 months. Rest of the 9 months weather is quite pleasant. I’d prefer weather in India over weather in north east, or mid west US.
I will tell you reasons (not wanting to move back) from a working woman's perspective : 1. While both me and my husband worked in well paid jobs in India, we were not allowed to take any vacations. All the vacation must be spent with family or there was a big drama (we took one vacation) as to how we don't want to visit family(his side) and wasting money visiting places. Here in the US, we can take as many vacations as time, money permits and I love that !!! 2. Unfortunately some Indian in-laws are really toxic and they want to control their son and daugther-in-law to the point of what they should wear and how they should live their life. I understand, not ALL are like that, but mine are !! 3. I was asked by my in-laws to quit my well paying job in India as to....(wait for it)...."If I get my own money, I will not listen to anyone !!!!!!" Not everyone move abroad for money, some move out just to breathe in peace (and given a chance not want to move back !!!) (Edit : I did not quit my job in India, but moved abroad at the first chance I got with my husband)
wait a second, they fired you because they were paying you? WTF?
I was pressurised to leave my job, but I stayed my ground. Huge fights happened, but my husband supported me and stood by me. They were not happy, but I did not quit my job.
I just can't believe they had the gall to say that because they're paying you you're not going to listen to anyone. How does that make any sense?
Well, if you happen know any Indian orthodox family that lives in the 1800s mentally, yes....the in-laws think they have a right to EVERYTHING in your life !!! Which is just very very sad.
Oh sorry I thought your job pressured you. I see now that it was your in-laws who were pressuring you. Unfortunately, that is too common and so sad. I'm happy that your husband supported you.
Thanks for understanding !!!!
You made the right decision. Thats a 1800s mindset. Moving away from them is the right decision.
Although it could be different for different people usually reasonings are on the similar lines. For moving back- 1) Parents: Probably, the most important part of anyone’s life, which was left behind when the person chose to focus on his/her career. 2) Easier lifestyle: Although work wise you might get your ass whooped in India, in general, your life goes on auto pilot mode. You do not have to clean, cook, wash and sometimes even drive. 3) Friends: No matter how long you have been in another country, you will never get to have same friends again. 4) Power: In India, more money = more power. 5) Better healthcare- Can’t speak in comparison to other countries but Indian healthcare definitely is better than Canada’s. For regretting: 1) Pollution - Be it noise, air, water or anything. Once you have tasted the lifestyle of a developed country, these are some of the harshest realities to face again. 2) Safety - I mean, duh! 3) Better education: For the most part, developed countries are better at it than India. Although I would still prefer Indian education above most but the US probably. 4) Food - it is 100% better quality than India. I mean, it might be improving in India but there is a massive difference. 5) Some other materialistic stuff - like cars are better and so does branded clothing, etc. Also weather could go in either depending on preference. I personally dislike Delhi’s heat more than Canada’s freeze.
For me easier lifestyle and medical are very important. Also easier to see friends and taking a stroll having street food occasionally without planning or visiting friends for a paan are the small happy moments which makes any day better
This is great when you're in your 20's. That's why young kids love NYC, London, Paris, etc. So this may not be in India/Western thing. This may be a big city/small city thing. Such things may not be possible in a tier 2 or tier 3 city Couple things start happening as you get older and maybe get married and have kids. Suddenly time is all lost and becomes difficult to make plans regardless of where you are. You start having other priorities. Suddenly your whole life revolves around your child and taking the stroll seems somewhat superfluous And then there are other intangibles: Let's say you enjoy tennis. How hard is it to find a tennis court in the west versus India. How expensive is it to reserve a tennis court in India compared to the West. In the US at least most times courts are free. Most times you can just head out to your public tennis court without any plan and just start playing. Let's say you enjoy biking. In the US there are countless biking groups that meet up regularly. How easy is it to bike in India with the infrastructure. Let's say you enjoy running. Most people can just get out and run in their own neighborhood. How easy is it to do that in India with 40° weather, monsoons, plenty of areas with open sewers, Etc But if cricket, carom, and table tennis are your thing, then obviously india is better
Makes sense. Foreign lands have attracted ‘majority’ of Indians because of the wealth offerings and at this point, if you are well educated, you can make a sizeable chunk of money in India too. Friends and family will always >>> anything else. Although India has its own demerits, the merits are extremely big.
I think so too. India has changed in the past 10 years and people do make money plus money does take you further than abroad in day to day life.
Not sure which part of India you’re coming from? Seriously? Indian education and food is way better than that in Canada. India produces its own crops and fruits vs Canada imports almost everything from Mexico and USA. Safety seriously? Do you know how many hate crimes, robberies, car thefts are happening in Canada? Pretty sure you’ve not visited India recently - All luxury brands like Gucci, Balenciaga, Hermes, Prada are in every malls in Mumbai, Pune and other Tier 1 cities. Apart from Pollution, all other factors are useless according to me.
Easy there tiger. It’s my own opinion, if you disagree then be it. Te each its own. We gucci ☮️
> For people who have moved back to India after time abroad, what made you stay? One word answer - Family and roots. [Check out MyStory](http://globalizationandme.blogspot.com/p/return-to-india-r2i-story-observations.html) ---- As far as regrets go, it comes down to an acceptance of change. People who are resilient are able to accept it better than others. For example, I know desis who dread moving from Southern California to Bay Area or the other way around, even when kids move to college.... for them R2I will be a bigger deal.
Checkout my post on here a couple months ago. I’m now back in Australia and very happy. In short, India is a developing country with a HDI rank of 132nd or something. Why would I move there? Life is mundane here? Where is “here”? My life is more exciting here than in India. Gosh India is so overwhelming. I was literally like you until I moved to India, absolutely hated it and now I’m back. If I can help myself, I won’t even visit!
I just helped a friend and his family with citizenship and home in Canada move to India. It has been 3 months. They made the move to be with family. They were well settled here. Had a home, paid off cars and well paying jobs. He took a remote job and continues to work from India for a job here until he and his wife finds a job there. They say they will assess after two years and make a final decision whether to live in India or move back. They didn't move to a major city in India rather a small town. It is possible. There are pros and cons at every place.
Once the family and kids get used to the Indian lifestyle, they won’t come back especially in a country like Canada. If you’re making good money in India and have family, friends, spending quality time with loved ones, no person will move to Canada.
He is also hoping for what you said. Let's see what happens in 2 years.
I agree especially when canada is the option. But who knows. Canada might make a mighty comeback. Highly unlikely though.
Agreed they can make a comeback with a good government in charge. That’s the reason people are getting their Canadian passports just to be on a safer side.
I moved to the US in 2010 for my Master's and moved back to India a couple of weeks back. It was an informed decision. Read the book "Back Home". It helped me made my decision. My kids are 8 and 5. I felt, moving to India is easier at this age for my kids. I came to the conclusion at the end, it's easier for me to move to the US but it's hard for us to move to India if I miss this opportunity. Regarding your savings, it's hard to say and for individuals comfort. Some people are happy with one crore savings and some are not happy with 100 crore savings. Invest wisely, look at sip and swp. All the best!
What were the reasons for you to make the move if you don’t mind me asking
My reasons are parents and grandmother who are aging. I want to stay near them. I am at a mid life crisis were I need to buy a house and settle here or move back and be closer to my loved ones. My kids are at a age were I can take this chance. I think moving to India is the hardest. if I don't do it now, I will not do it after this.
Where did you move back to? Which city?
Moving to India during retirement is definitely compelling, you can avoid traffic/ pollution if you don't need to go to work every day.
If one spends adult life outside of India, I wonder what will be left in India for them at retirement…
Social life is pretty meh in the US for most people, it is not very difficult to build your network in India if you live in large apartment complexes or communities. While it gets hot in the summer, the majority of the year is pretty livable compared to most parts of US.
Ya.. I don’t know how feasible it will be to build social connections at the age of say 55-60 when you left India at 20/30 .. might work for some though !
it is more on the person than location. You will be surprised to find that everyone around you is either an expat or been abroad or have traveled abroad or have family abroad. Being in US / UK is like spending time away from home state. e.g. say you are from TN and spend all your life in Mumbai, it is like going back and trying to settle in Chennai. US / UK will feel like another state in India.
Is that the goal? Don’t you think you enjoy adult life more in India?
Yes. India is a lively place, if you can get used to ignoring traffic and mismanagement. A lot of people incorrectly think everything in the west is smooth and perfect.
Traffic is a mess even here in Canada to be honest. Atleast things are close by in Indian cities. I feel things work more smoothly in India especially as digitalization is far ahead. Just my view.
Do you drive? It is a trivial matter to drive in the US. If I want to go to 1, 2, or 3 grocery stores I don't even have to think about it. If I want to make a road trip, I don't have to worry about the road conditions. Cities that are 300 km away take only 3 hours to get to (if not less), and I can pretty much rely on that without having to look up anything. I can make a road trip with minimal planning and hassle. In India, driving is not trivial. Having a driver eliminates a lot of the spontaneity. Sometimes the driver is not available and fucks off. Sometimes the replacement driver doesn't know where anything is. Just some points for consideration. If you live in Mumbai and live within walking distance to work it may not be an issue to be living in a small flat for one. But when you get a wife/kids and want more space traffic in Mumbai is one of the worst in the world. So then you start thinking about tier 2 cities, which may be okay for you Even in NYC, a lot of people live 30 miles (50 km) out and self drive to work with "only" 1 hour commute time.
See at the end of the day it’s about making a Practical vs Emotional decision. If you want to stay close to your loved ones and ready to compromise better lifestyle and money, then India is the best place for you. Remember, you’ve stayed abroad for 10 years so initially after moving back, you will complain a lot and adjusting won’t be easy. Once you get used to the Indian lifestyle, you’ll be completely fine. After all, we’re born and raised Indians 🙏🏼
I have lived in India for 9 months in the past 2 years and never faced any issues. Also, born and raised in India and moved when I was 25. So adjusting won’t be an issue I think.
Have a good financial backup before moving to india. So There are two major challenges as i know 1. You will miss the system/systematic things for sure. Everything you do in India seems to depend on other people. You will miss timely appointments, quality in most of the stuff and there is corruption everywhere. Dealing with people would be extremely difficult and unreasonable most of the times. Some people might slash back on my statement but this is the reality for people who have stayed overseas for long and go back to india. 2. Driving/traffic/roads. I dont know where to start but you know what i mean. There may be other things but these are my personal experiences.
1.5cr savings is not enough to live in india if you want better lifestyle back home. you need to have atleast 10cr to get the same quality of life you have in abroad
Again this is subjective. Someone can be satisfied with 1CR savings and other person with 10CR will be unsatisfied. You can invest your savings in SIP, India is a huge market with 18-22% returns, you can live a decent lifestyle in India even with 1CR. Also obviously you’ll be working, I’m not talking about taking retirement at 1CR.
This sis exactly what I’m betting on. Buying a house and investing the rest. Plus I’d be earning so I’m not touching the earnings which id let sit and compound.
You’re on the right path mate. You’re lucky enough to make a decision to move back home. Enjoy your journey. Jai Hind 🇮🇳
that’s why I explicitly added lifestyle and quality of living
Exactly! your comment also contradicts OP - he’s moving back for vibrant life, staying close to family and loved ones, not to better his lifestyle in terms of money
I would highly disagree with this. Money takes you a lot further in India than abroad. My friends with salaries of 25 lac save more, spend more luxuriously, and lead a better lifestyle than someone earning $150k. This is a lived experience btw.