Blog
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Back to India NRI Community Survey (2025-26)
I’ve been running the BacktoIndia community since 2017. Over the years, I’ve had thousands of conversations with NRIs who are planning their return, in the middle of it, or looking back at their decision years later. But conversations are one thing. Numbers are another. This year, we ran a detailed survey across our WhatsApp community…
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How To Choose a Financial Advisor (And Avoid Costly Mistakes)
A few months ago, someone in our WhatsApp community shared a painful story. He had hired a “financial advisor” recommended by a friend. Within six months, he was stuck in commission-heavy insurance products, a real estate fund he didn’t understand, and an investment portfolio that completely ignored his US tax obligations. The worst part? He…
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Aditya Birla Health Insurance Review: What Returning NRIs Should Know
I want to start this review with something unusual. In our WhatsApp community, a member named Vikram shared something interesting last year. He’d moved back from San Francisco. Fitness enthusiast. Ran marathons. Tracked his steps religiously. He picked Aditya Birla Health Insurance. Not because of the CSR numbers. Not because someone recommended it. But because…
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Star Health Insurance Review: What Returning NRIs Should Know (2026)
Star Health is everywhere. If you’ve visited India recently, you’ve probably seen their billboards. If you’ve Googled “health insurance India,” they’ve shown up in every result. If you’ve asked any uncle or aunt back home, chances are they already have a Star Health policy. Star Health is India’s largest standalone health insurer. They’ve been around…
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Care Health Insurance Review: Complete Guide for NRIs
This one’s different from the others in this series. The first three reviews – HDFC Ergo, Niva Bupa, and ICICI Lombard – were largely written for NRIs still abroad, planning their move back. But a huge chunk of our WhatsApp community members have already returned. They’re in India. Maybe they’ve been here for a few…
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ICICI Lombard Health Insurance Review: Worth Buying?
Let me tell you something I hear a lot in our WhatsApp community. “I already have an ICICI Bank account in India. Should I just go with ICICI Lombard for health insurance too?” It’s a fair question. Brand familiarity matters. Especially when you’re sitting in the US or Dubai trying to sort out your India…
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Niva Bupa Health Insurance Review: How Competitive Is It?
A few months ago, an NRI in our WhatsApp community asked me something that stuck with me. “Mani, I keep hearing about Niva Bupa. My colleague in Bangalore swears by it. But I’m still in the US. Can I even buy it from here?” Short answer – yes. Longer answer – there’s a lot more…
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HDFC Ergo Health Insurance Review: How Good Is It Really?
When I moved back to India in 2017, one of my biggest worries wasn’t taxes or real estate. It was health insurance. I had great coverage in the US. And suddenly, I was staring at a blank slate in India. No policy. No claim history. No idea where to start. In our WhatsApp community, health…
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Return to India from Oman: Complete NRIs Guide
A friend in our WhatsApp community sent me a photo last week from Muscat International Airport. It was packed. Not with people leaving Oman – with people fleeing every other Gulf country. Muscat has become the region’s lifeline. The only fully operational airport in the Gulf. Airlines are routing evacuation flights through Oman. Long queues…
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GCC Countries Safe for Indian NRIs Right Now? Honest Assessment
I’ve received over 2,00 messages in the last 10 days. From Dubai. From Kuwait. From Doha. From Manama. From Riyadh. From Muscat. The same question, again and again. “Mani, is it safe? Should I stay or should I come back?” I’m going to answer that as honestly as I can. No sugar-coating. No panic-inducing headlines.…