Expatriates and NRI's in India - Experiences and Perceptions

chillibreeze writer — Rrashima Swaarup Verma

It was six thirty p.m. on a Friday evening and I was waiting for the elevator in the lobby of my twelve-story apartment complex in Mumbai. As I tapped my foot impatiently, eager to get home after a gruelling day at the office, I noticed a man, laptop in one hand and briefcase in the other, standing next to me.

As we waited together, I couldn’t help sneaking a surreptitious glance at him. He was white, anywhere in his late thirties, dressed in a crisp, pin striped business suit with a very efficient air about him. He saw me looking at him and offered me a friendly smile. I smiled back almost immediately. I was new to this complex and very eager to meet and get to know people. “It’s hot isn’t it?” I remarked, keen to start a conversation “Nice and sunny, yes,” he said amiably as we got into the lift. “New around here?” he asked in a European accent as I nodded “Yes. I’ve just moved from Delhi. What about you?” “Oh, I’ve been in Mumbai nearly four years now. I’m from Germany but we’ve been here long enough to call this amazing city our home. Don’t worry, you’ll like living here. Everyone’s really nice and friendly and the groceries get delivered to our doorstep.” “That’s lovely,” I answered politely “But that’s true of most Indian cities.” “Really?” he asked, seemingly surprised by this fact. “I didn’t know that. Anyway, it was nice meeting you. Why don’t you come over to our house some time? We’ve lived in India long enough to say ‘Drop in any time.’ My wife would be happy to introduce you around.”

It took me a few minutes to get over the shock of being assured by an expat living in India about how easily I would be able to adjust in a different city in my own country! A different city yes, but nevertheless my own country. I have to admit, his assurance did reassure me - he seemed to know what he was talking about.

Why are people flocking to India?
So, what is it about India that attracts people from all over the world in spite of problems like overcrowding, traffic mismanagement, infrastructural issues, and bureaucracy? Why is it that people still grab the opportunity to travel and live here even though housing prices in major cities of India have gone through the roof and getting a work visa can be challenging thanks to all the terror alerts?

Admittedly, most major Indian cities, just like any other big city in the world, are facing a plethora of issues. “Terrorism is prevalent everywhere today,” says the Country Head of a leading European chemicals company. “If that is the factor that determines whether you would travel to India or not, then I suggest that you stay at home because no country or for that matter, no city in the world is safe today”, he says.

In fact, there has recently been a surge in the number of Indians who, in spite of having travelled, lived, and worked all over the world, have now set their sights on India and are curious to see why everyone seems to be heading here.

Is it the fact that in spite of our strong bond to our own culture, we are able to not only welcome and embrace, but also adopt other cultures with open arms? Or is it the comfort of knowing that your laundry, cooking, cleaning will all be taken care of by the easily available domestic help or could it be simply the ease of living in a country which has long recognized English as its official language? Is it that with the building and construction and real estate industries booming, there is now an abundance of luxury apartments, clubs, shopping malls and commercial complexes which promise a luxurious and comfortable lifestyle? Or could it be just that the fact that India is indeed a hot destination can no longer be denied or even debated?

The return of the native
Every year, the size of the expatriate population as well as the NRIs who are returning to India is increasing steadily. These people come to India for a host of reasons and from a range of countries and professional segments. In fact, it is now becoming increasingly difficult to count the number of expats and NRIs who are constantly pouring into this country. There were about 30,000 expats living in India in 2008 and this figure is expected to go up to 50,000 by the end of 2010.

It is no wonder then, that organizations and support groups like Mumbai Connexions, American Women’s Association, Newcomer’s Club, Delhi Network, Bangalore Expatriate Club, and Pune Expat Club are becoming so popular. These support groups and organizations, other than being a huge emotional support to the expat and NRI community in their respective cities, also help in making their stay comfortable and enjoyable by helping them to relocate, organizing numerous events like regular coffee and dinner meets, book and film clubs, bridge clubs, Halloween and Christmas parties as well as urging their members to engage themselves in social and charity causes.

Adjusting to life in India
“You have to do away with your expat filter and integrate with the mainstream. Every new place looks different at first. We took about 6 months to adjust to life in Gurgaon,” says Pierre Verneulem, a gentleman from the Netherlands who works with LeasePlan, the car leasing firm owned by Volkswagen. “Now we love it! There is nothing you cannot get here. Anyone from anywhere in the world can live here,” he gushes “Even Gouda Cheese, a typical Dutch cheese is now being manufactured by Amul.” He has been living in Gurgaon for over two and a half years and his wife has even started a business of travel guidebooks here. The couple have recently had a baby boy and can’t think of a better place to have started their family. “India is the best place to start a family,” says Pierre with a laugh “Back home we have to do everything ourselves but here we get so much support. We’ve made some lifelong friends here, we make it a point to attend all the social events in our condominium, and the people are warm and welcoming.”

I like to get both sides of the coin and strongly believe that no place can be perfect. So I urge him to tell me what he doesn’t like about living in India. He frowns as though trying to think of something and I realize that I will have to rephrase my question to elicit an answer out of him. “What do you miss about home?” It seems to work because he responds quite fast. “Well, I miss cycling. You know, back in the Netherlands, I used to just pick up my cycle and head off anywhere. I wish the roads were a little better here, particularly for people who want to walk or cycle. Traffic is another problem,” he adds thoughtfully “My wife doesn’t like driving here. And I don’t like the dependence we have on cars. Particularly in Gurgaon. But, he added quickly “I do love living here.”

I then went on to ask him about his three favourite haunts in the city and he was quick to rattle them off. “Lodhi Gardens, you can get everything from history to a park, to people watching to a lovely restaurant there,” he started “We love shopping at Sarojini Market and eating at Diva, one of the best Italian restaurants in the city and oh yes, don’t forget 56, an Italian restaurant on the Golf Course Road. The food is divine. And we love Chole Bhature and Jalebis in spite of the calories.”

India – an attractive option
“India just throbs with life,” says Jim Howland, an American professional who works for an electromagnetic test and measurement solutions company. Jim is married to an Indian and the couple live in the US but spend a considerable amount of their time every year in India as well. “Yes, India can be overwhelming at times, but there’s just something about it! It tends to just grow on you. I particularly love Jaipur, it’s so colourful.” “Would you like to relocate and live here some day?” I ask him then “Yes, absolutely,” he nods “In fact, I would love to live and work here. I have noticed that people are professional when it comes to work and the opportunities are limitless.”

I would tend to agree with the fact that the opportunities in this country are endless for almost anyone from any walk of life. The economy is booming which is clear from the fact that in the year 2009, India’s GDP was around US$1.2 trillion. This, on a purchasing power parity basis, equates to US$3.1 trillion, making India the fourth largest economy in the world. This is also evident from the fact that a huge number of NRIs are now applying for overseas Indian citizenships so that they can invest in real estate in one of the fastest appreciating real estate markets.

Plethora of opportunities
“Economic and business opportunities are the main reasons for this sudden inflow of expats and NRI’s into India,” says Prerna (name changed to protect confidentiality) who works with a relocation company for expats and their families. “But while they are here, most of them do take the opportunity to give themselves what they call, the best cultural experience they can get.

Many expats do, however, talk about a ‘Sensory Overload’ when they first arrive here but most of them adjust well and are very happy to be in India. The important thing is that most of them feel they get treated very well.” She mentioned one European couple who have been in India for about three years “The first year they were here, they wanted to go home for a few days every few months,” she says “But now when they go back during the vacations, they say they miss India. People who come here without a bias find the experience very enriching. They travel as much as they can and Rajasthan, Agra, Delhi, Goa and Kerala are the favourite destinations among the expats. Oh yes and the North East where they can get a reprieve from all the noise and chaos.” Another thing that came forth through the discussion was the fact that a lot of people who travel to India for the first time have a very different point of view from what they actually experience here. Many of them come with a lot of pre conceived notions and apprehensions and get pleasantly surprised.

Reasons behind NRIs returning home
Now I’d like to talk a little about those people who are Indian by origin, some of whom may be citizens, some of whom may not, some of whom migrated to a foreign country, some of whom were born abroad. It is very important to understand why these people leave their well settled lives in a country they have called home for such a long time to come back to India? How do they either re adjust or adjust to life here? What do they expect to see and experience when they move back and to what extent does reality defy those expectations?

A lot has changed in India whether it is the open acceptance of the homosexuality, live-in relationships, or events like Valentine’s Day which are now celebrated with so much more vigour than before. English is much more widely spoken; just about everyone at least tries to speak English! In fact, India has the second largest English speaking workforce in the world. Most of the big Indian cities have been given a makeover.

I can think of a lot of things which at one time could have made the eyes of an average Indian pop out but today are as much a part of our daily lives as of our western counterparts. Inarguably, India today is not what it was five years or even one year back. Even the pace of change has increased so much.

This country has seen tremendous development both in the economic sense as well as social. It also cannot be denied that the recession did take its toll on most of the countries of the world before they slowly started limping back to some semblance of normalcy. India was, however, among the lucky few that weren’t as badly affected. “Yes, we moved back because my husband got a better offer here in India,” says psychotherapist, Aparna Jain who has recently moved back with her family from Singapore. Her husband is responsible for the Indian operations of a major international paint and coating company. “Also, our kids are at an impressionable age and we wanted them to get a bit of Indian grounding,” she continued thoughtfully. “But didn’t the children kick up a fuss about moving back?” I ask her curiously “Well, initially they did,” she confesses “But now they’re fine. They’re actually pretty happy with their school. I’ve put them into Pathways which has a very mixed crowd, British, Korean, European, Indian. And it’s nice to be closer to the extended family. We are however, a little disappointed with the infrastructure here. And whatever anyone else may think, I think having domestic help around is an invasion of privacy,” she says candidly. “But don’t you consider it a convenience?” I ask in surprise “Most people do. Particularly the expats.” “I don’t,” she repeats firmly “The quality of domestic help today is not what it used to be years ago. Frankly, I’d rather do things myself. But in India that doesn’t seem to be an option.” “Is that a result of your having lived abroad for a long time or is it just that your expectations were a result of the India you knew?” I ask “Both I guess,” she nods “So are you here for good now?” I ask as she shrugs “Who knows? We have to be where the opportunities exist.”

Interior designer and renovator, Keya Chatterjee seems to agree with Aparna. Keya moved back to India about two years ago after living in the US for nearly 30 years. Her reasons for moving back though, were different from Aparna’s. Keya and her husband moved back to India primarily to be closer to their parents who are now at an age where they need to be taken care of. Keya and her husband were spending too much time and money going back and forth and that was when they decided to take the plunge and move permanently. Their children however, continue to stay on abroad.

Keya says she hasn’t been able to make too many friends in India and she does admit that after spending more than half her life in the US, she feels she doesn’t fit in here any more. She, like Aparna, considers the domestic help that Indians can’t do without, an invasion of her privacy. “I have to think about her moods, sometimes even before my husband,” she says, gesturing towards the sour faced maid who is reluctantly serving us chilled glasses of lemonade in the drawing room “But I have to say I’m very impressed with the development that I have seen in India,” admits Keya “It has been absolutely phenomenal. Sometimes when I go to the supermarket, it is difficult to believe that we’re in India and not the US. Also, people have become much more professional, the opportunities are endless, and culturally we’re a very rich country.”

It is obvious then, that for a lot of people, economic and personal reasons are pretty high on the list when it comes to the factors that determine where they are or will be. But social, cultural and emotional factors do also play a role. I have to say that there is something unique about every individual’s experience in India and that’s what makes it difficult to generalize. The most important thing, however, is to understand and accept that irrespective of its issues and problems, today India is a hot destination and people from just about everywhere are heading here. India is even more diverse and eclectic than it ever was before and living here can be the most culturally and socially varied experience that you can ever get.

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Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in June, 2010. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.

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—About our writer:

Rrashima Swaarup Verma has an MBA in Marketing. She is employed as Director - Business Development with a leading, multinational business intelligence and strategic consulting company. She has worked on numerous projects with leading Indian and international corporations including many Fortune 500 companies and has wide experience in business writing across a diverse spectrum of functional and industry segments. She is also a talented fiction writer and poet with numerous compositions to her credit.

Expatriates and NRI's in India - Experiences and Perceptions

chillibreeze writer — Rrashima Swaarup Verma

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