Better job opportunities, higher salaries and improved living standards are some of the most common reasons Indians move abroad. Yet, for many, the promise of professional growth often comes with homesickness, distance from family and the lingering desire to return home. This dilemma was recently highlighted after an NRI shared why he is planning to move back to India from the US.
The post sparked mixed reactions online. (Representational image/Gemini AI generated)
“Just an innocent rant from someone who is planning to move back to India. This is an extremely important group for Indians who feel out of place in the US and want to return back home,” the Reddit user wrote in the post. He urged others not to discourage such decisions, noting that many people want to support ageing parents or are worried about visa-related uncertainties.
The NRI shared that he travels to India twice every year, visiting Kolkata and Dhanbad. Despite being densely populated, polluted and noisy, he wrote that “every second there feels like home.” He added that he has never faced breathing issues or major health concerns during his visits, countering what he described as a common argument against relocating.
(Also Read: NRI opens up about why moving back to India feels harder than moving to the US: ‘It’s complicated’)
NRI lists reasons to return to India
The OP further claimed that infrastructure in India has “improved tremendously,” civic sense is gradually getting better and incomes have risen across the board. The availability of house help, instant deliveries, affordable healthcare and the emotional support of friends and family were among the advantages he listed.
However, the user acknowledged that there’s a lot that needs to be improved in India. “It will take time adjusting to the noise, crowd, infrastructure issues, dehati mindset,” he said. Concluding his post, the OP advised those planning a similar move to prepare financially, minimise taxes where possible and invest in decent housing before relocating. “Everyone who wants to move back, plan well, avoid taxes as much as possible, buy decent houses in India, and enjoy your life among your own set of people,” he said.
Social media reactions
The post sparked mixed reactions online. While some agreed with the Redditor, others were more cautious.
One commenter backed the decision, saying, “More power to you. I made the same choice to come back last year. It will take some time in adjusting, but you will be good. Like you, I was also concerned about the health part and surprisingly I have better health in India than US. I faced constant gut issues in the states even though I used to prepare home cooked meals 90 percent of the week. Never used to face issues when I would come back for few days and eat food from vendors on thelas etc. I don’t know what the reason was and US doctors were also clueless as my blood work was always spot on. I would say, follow your instincts.”
Others were more cautious. “Visiting is not the same as living there, and health issues resulting from poor air quality don’t come immediately. It’s a slow killer unless you already had sensitive lung health,” commented one user.
“I absolutely agree about your emotional connect, but I cannot agree even the tiniest bit about pollution or dirtyness. Just because you are not having a breathing issue or you don’t feel it enough, doesn’t mean that it is not there or not affecting you. I agree people shouldn’t discourage but do not encourage putting false facts on the table,” wrote a third user.
However, several users resonated strongly with the post. “This hits home for me. I am also in the same boat as OP actively planning my move back to India instead waiting for some immigration to fall apart and then reacting to it. I did have a good time here grown a lot as a person, its been 15 years in the US a long time indeed. But not one moment in this 15 years did I feel like going back every time I came to India for a visit, I just feel so comfortable there its just so hard to explain. Im sure Ill deal with a lot of unforeseen circumstances once I move there but Im sure Ill never regret my decision to move back. Like OP I guess I am on the other side of the spectrum here,” one user wrote.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)