How to Plan Your Move Back to India

If you’re an NRI reading this at your work place, home office or mobile phone, chances are that you might end up back in India some time soon!

Little bit of context. This project started back in 2017 with just me, as I was planning my move back to India. I found that there was little or no info available to prepare myself.

Of course, there were several forums and old websites with obsolete info but I couldn’t get in touch with anyone “real” who actually made the move and had their experience to share.

That’s why I built this website, out of pure frustration. It was a 48 hours side project and today we have a family of 3,000+ members on our Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram group.

Ok, so how do you plan your move back to India? Here’s what I learned (and learned from other members from our group).

1. Set Realistic Expectations

One year away from India means a lot. Change in India is rapid and unlike in USA. In one year, there could be new roads, buildings and even new towns.

One mistake many NRIs make is to think of India in their minds like when they left and expect things to be the same when they return. What they don’t realise is that they might need help finding the road back to their homes.

So, keep your expectations real.

A lot of things has changed for the good. And a lot haven’t.

Like for example, people’s attitudes. Nosy neighbors and “uncle-aunty” groups are still the same.

They come uninvited on Sundays just to check on you. Yup.

2. Let Go of Stuff

Another mistake NRIs do is to try and pull along everything they have accumulated in their NRI life back to India.

Like for example TVs.

Every week, we have someone asking in our groups, what is the best way to ship their TVs back to India. So much that we created an article for it.

While it’s open to debate whether or not it’s a bad or good idea to bring all your stuff back to India, it is better if you let go and start fresh.

So many electronic items and furniture are available in India at better prices and with the support and service you need.

There might be things you cannot let go of though, for emotional or other reasons and that is understandable. But, the general rule would be to let go of things so that you can start on a clean slate and avoid all the pain in carrying things with you.

Here are some ways to get rid of/sell your stuff in USA.

If you indeed decide to bring your furniture & other such things to India, use a reliable shipping company. Here are some of the best USA to India shipping companies available.

3. Plan Your Finances

Money, money, money. I don’t even have to say how important it is right?

Well, we all make mistakes. When moving back from abroad, there is one major issue that we overlook though.

We cannot go back and fix things. So plan your finances wisely.

Open an NRE account if you haven’t yet.

Transfer your savings if you need it in India.

File your taxes properly. Get all the documents in place.

Learn to manage your real estate investments without you being available locally.

And things like that you know…

We do have a Personal Finance group on WhatsApp where we discuss such things. Do sign up if you want access.

4. Connect with “Returnees”

Everything said and done, you cannot get a better taste of things unless you have talked to someone who’s been there, done that.

And that’s why we have groups. We have one for every major city in India, like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Chennai…

Join them and seek for experience, ask specific questions. The kind of wisdom returnees share is way beyond what you can learn online.

We do post such first hand experiences on our YouTube channel as well. Do check them out too!

5. Find a Place

Finding a place to settle back in India needs serious planning and research.

I believe it is difficult to offer a “one size fits all” kind of experience here. So, do your homework, and do extensive research.

Good thing is that there are so many options available in India these days. Gated communities, apartments, independent houses…there’s so much to choose from.

Check these out for starters.

Best apartments in Hyderabad for NRIs.

6. Find a Job

Finding a job takes time. So, start your search well in advance. Here are a few tips.

• Avoid typical job search portals. They do not respond to NRIs.
• Try to network like crazy in your niche.
• Referrals have proven to be the most successful method. Try it.
• Try LinkedIn premium. It might not get you jobs but will give you access to HR professionals to network with.
• Hire a HR professional who can find you jobs in your city.
• Set your salary expectations right well from the first conversation.
• Try to attend online interviews from abroad well ahead of your move.

Here are some tips on job search shared by one of our members in the Hyderabad meetup.

So, there you have it.

You see, it’s not as straight forward path as I have mentioned above.

It is subjective and priorities change based on your preferences.

But these might help you to get started.

If you have questions, feel free to join the group and ask the members.

They’re usually very helpful.