the 10 key differences observed by an iitian couple after moving back to india from the us
An IITian couple, Nayrhit and Rishita Das, who returned to India after living in the US, speak of how the two countries are so different at so many levels. The couple, who had earlier gone to the US for their higher studies and professional commitments, came back to India last year and share how it has been, returning to their motherland after one year of readjustment. Their stories would be immensely informative for young Indians who might be considering a similar move.
The ease and affordability of domestic help are perhaps the most striking differences the couple felt on their return to India. In India, hiring help for domestic work is not only easier but also far more affordable as compared to the awkward process and exorbitant cost in the US. In fact, this convenience has been a game changer, an extra 15-20 hours of free time each week, a luxury that would be hard to come by in the US. They also acknowledged the moral problem of the low labor costs being paid, a necessity of the convenience.
The other area where they found a marked difference between the two countries was traffic. Though they didn’t believe the traffic in India was worse than in a city like New York or San Francisco, they did think it far more unpredictable and frustrating. There is something so chaotic about Indian traffic, along with the fact that there seems to be no prospect of any worthwhile solution in the foreseeable future, which has continued to be an irritant in their daily lives.
In digital convenience, India outshone the US in several ways. Proliferation of quick commerce platforms in India that deliver everything from groceries to makeup in just a few minutes was one of the major advantages. While the US hosts similar services like Instacart and DoorDash, the efficiency and speed class of intra-city logistics in India were unmatched, according to the couple.
To the couple, it was so hard to manage creating personal relationships in America. According to the couple, even though Americans have a friendly approach to people, personal relationships were mainly shallow and stuck at the stage of coffee meetings or discussing about work. This was what they felt their cultural obstacle of having a personalized relationship, hence, this drawback of the country had hampered their making more intimate relationships in a non-career context. While in India, it was not impossible for them.
India’s digital payments infrastructure came out overwhelmingly superior vs. the US due to the provision duo mentioned about the Unified Payment Interface of India, which is not just comparable but majorly greater than that of Apple. It has a crucial advantage—it is free and supported by the government—whereas in the US, Apple collects transaction fees that benefits the private companies and attaches an extra cost to the user.
Despite everything positive about being in India, what was genuinely missed was the idea of orderly queues—queues that snake around the counters of stores and coffee shops and security checks. At both a micro and a macro level, amidst the apparent cacophony of India, chaos on counters, and the hurly-burly of getting some service time and again tried their patience. This apparent lack of order in public spaces was one of those few things in American life that they ended up missing after they had come back.
The dining experience offered a series of mixed reviews for the couple. Although they enjoyed bites of Indian staples like dosas and biryanis, which had been missed during their continuous stay abroad, there were times when the balance ticked off, yearning for the variety of cheeses and breads and desserts that they could take for granted in the US.
In this regard, the US is far ahead in terms of outdoor activities. On such counts, the couple commented that one’s lifestyle comprises a lot of hiking, biking, or even just going to beaches; India would indeed be somewhat lacking in those regards. The availability of such activities in the US was indeed something they missed after moving back; therefore, it can be termed a potential compromise for those who are in love with the outdoors.
The other concern that the couple had was the progress of India toward LGBTQ acceptance. While they allow that some hyper-urban areas in India can be more accepting, the country is still pretty backward on these issues. They said it might change in the coming years, but they are realistic to the fact that the current environment is challenging for LGBTQ individuals.
Finally, the couple reflected on the job markets in both the countries, pointing out that each has its share of challenges. Getting a job in India might be easy, but getting one that is used to pay good enough so as to have a comparable lifestyle of the US—one with a house and a car—proved quite hard. That added another layer of complexity to moving back to India.
The experiences that Nayrhit and Rishita shared gave a nuanced difference-oriented view about life in India versus life in the US. Their insights are of special relevance to young Indians who contemplate returning home, offering a view of the balance between benefits and challenges of doing so.
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