Return Of The Native: Why Are NRIs Back To Live The Indian Dream

Abhijit Reddy and his wife had been living in the US since their college days. They got married and had two children – three and seven years old. After living about 15 years near New York on a work visa, they took the executive decision to come back to their hometown, Hyderabad in 2023.

One could ask, what lures people from Times Square to Charminar? “We were amongst over a million Indians waiting for a green card, and we were both on a work visa. Also, my parents are getting older and there is uncertainty around that. We had a fast-closing window to decide as our children turn teenagers, it would be difficult for them to adjust,” says Reddy. 

Fortunately, both are software engineers who got good jobs. His wife’s company in the US has a branch in India, which made the shift smooth. There are an uncounted number of people who have either shifted to India or are planning to come to India. 

In response to the H-1B Visa hike by the US to $100,000, (which President Donald Trump has already reversed), Indian bureaucracy has been seeking ways to reverse the brain drain with many skilled Indians leaving the country for greener pastures.

Even with reversal by Trump, Indians living abroad continue to face a lot more uncertainty in the current times. “I see a lot of young people coming back to India after studying abroad due to visa renewal troubles, lack of job opportunities abroad etc. There is enough pushback these days, be it from the US, Canada, Europe, Australia,” says Varda Pendse, an HR expert as well as a coach and advisor.

Ankit Patel who has been living in the Silicon Valley for over 20 years with his wife and a young daughter. He too is planning to come back to Mumbai. Apart from ageing parents, he also believes that there are other benefits in coming, even as he has a green card unlike the Reddys. 

People who have a green card will have to keep going back to satisfy residency requirements or else it is considered abandoned. Yet, he believes there is better security for him as well many of his Indian peers who think similarly.

“With US visa issues, their life stability depends on their job security. As opposed to that, they can get good jobs in India given the increase in hiring in global companies like Google, Meta, Microsoft in the last ten years. It gives them job satisfaction, a great standard of living, more stability and closeness to family. Add that to the money they have saved in dollars, and they can finally take a break or do what they want to do,” says Patel revealing his plans.

While there is anecdotal evidence of people making their way back home after years of living abroad, there are no solid numbers for this trend.

Dr Sanyaja Baru, the author of ‘Secession Of The Successful’ on the rise in the number of Indians renouncing Indian citizenship, says that there is no data as such for reverse migration. “There might be people coming back to Bangalore and Hyderabad for personal reasons but there is no large-scale pull in the form of tech jobs, or changes in policy,” Dr Baru.

"In the 1950s eminent persons like Homi Bhabha, Vikram Sarabhai, Satish Dhawan, Hari Narain, etc returned to India at the personal invitation of Prime Minister Nehru, to head important institutions. I am not aware of any such persons of distinction coming back at PM Modi's invitation so far," Baru adds.

For a select few however, the rise of global capability centres (GCCs) has made it easy for a select few to move back to India. As per Vestian, India now hosts half of the world’s GCCs at 1,700 and most of them are based in Bengaluru. Pune and Hyderabad, which are IT hubs, also see a large chunk of NRIs who are back to work in their home country. 

Like in the case of Mrs Reddy, she did not even have to look for a new job. The number of MNCs are increasing in India, which is also giving confidence to well-qualified Indians of job security. A few large Indian companies are keen on hiring talent with global experience and expats can gain from the same.

“Jobs, if you see, are in a state of transition. But, for highly competent people there are jobs. For example, there are cases where tech experts based abroad are brought in either by MNCs or top business houses of India, for CXO roles. Most of them, in their late 40s or 50s move back in leadership roles and most of their children are grown etc, so they can make the shift,” says Pendse.

Patel, who is still scouting for the right opportunity, concedes that there is no red carpet waiting for returnees such as himself. “Tech companies are still strict on hiring, including technical interviews and no great extra points for being an expat. But sometimes a green card or citizenship might give you an edge because companies can make you travel without issues. Also, if you are client facing, expats sometimes are better off in interacting with global clients given their experience,” he adds.

While jobs may exist, few expats can get a clear picture of where they fit when it comes to salaries. Since salaries vary on a scale, it is difficult to make sense of where people stand. Like in the case of Reddy, he had to take a pay cut. “There is a lot of difference in what we make there, and what we make here. But if you look at it on a purchase power parity basis, we are not worse off,” he adds.

Also, there are cases of people forced to move back to India, after a job loss abroad, like Sanskar Kadam. He was working for a tech company in Singapore when he lost his job. Since his son was in Class X, his wife who is also working, had to stay back and move to a much more inexpensive accommodation for the child to complete his studies.

“I should have moved back earlier when I had better job offers,” Kadam laments, as he is now working in Pune for a salary that is much less than what he was making. A lot like him abroad with no assured jobs nor permanent residencies are trying to beat the brunt. 

Once upon a time, Indians moved abroad for comfort and a lifestyle. Now, a yearn for the very same thing is luring them back home.

“In places like Silicon Valley, you are in the lower half of the spectrum however much you earn. In India, a good salary will get a good house, a driver, a cook, a maid, an electrician, a carpenter, and a laundry guy. All of which are luxuries in the USA,” says Patel. 

In the last 15 years, there has been a shift in the high-end housing facilities that exist, infrastructure has improved too in cities like India with Metros etc. Moreover, healthcare facilities are easily available as well as decent quality of life for those who can afford an affluent lifestyle in India, which most NRIs belong to.

“Now there are gated communities with many amenities like swimming pools and a lot within them. Within the community, they can enjoy the high life, even though right after, they are subjected to potholes and traffic,” quips Pendse.

Reddy too is happy with his ‘large home’ in a gated community near Hi-Tec City in Hyderabad. “Of course, there are other issues like traffic and air quality. There is no outdoor activity like parks etc. Education is nowhere near what it is in the US in terms of individual attention etc, but it is getting there,” says Reddy.