How is life after returning to India from abroad? (USA to India)

Summary

In this video, the creator reflects on their decision to leave Los Angeles and return to New Delhi after five years. They discuss the initial challenges, such as a drop in quality of life due to pollution and a shift in social dynamics. Despite the cons, they highlight the benefits of being closer to family and friends, the lower cost of living, and the opportunity to start their own business without the stress of visa constraints. The creator also contrasts the work culture and networking opportunities in both countries, emphasizing the importance of happiness and personal fulfillment in choosing a place to live.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The speaker returned to India from the U.S. after five years and now understands India better.
• 📹 The reasons for leaving the U.S. will be explained in detail in a future video.
• 💨 The speaker initially noticed a lower quality of life in India, particularly due to pollution and smaller living spaces.
• 🎉 Social life changed significantly, with fewer parties and less engaging crowds in India compared to the U.S.
• 🤔 The general level of happiness seems lower in India, with fewer casual greetings and a less open social atmosphere.
• ❄️ Comfort levels are lower in India, especially regarding air conditioning and home facilities compared to the U.S.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 One major pro of moving back is being able to spend more time with family, friends, and close colleagues.
• 💼 Salaries are much lower in India, but the cost of living is also lower, which balances things out.
• 🏢 Work culture differences include more casual attitudes in India, but the speaker enjoys the freedom of running a startup.
• 🏥 Healthcare in India is much cheaper and more accessible compared to the U.S., even with private hospitals.

Q & A

Why did the speaker return from the US to India?

The speaker returned from the US (Los Angeles) to India (New Delhi) after quitting their program, though they mention that they will share the detailed reasons in a future video. Their decision appears to be influenced by a desire for a change and the support they received from their followers during this transition.

What was the speaker's initial reaction upon returning to India?

The speaker initially felt that their surroundings seemed much smaller and worse than they remembered, especially in terms of the air quality and pollution, which was far more intense compared to Los Angeles. The roads and general atmosphere also seemed worse to them.

What are some of the cons the speaker identified after returning to India?

The speaker identified several cons: the quality of life had dropped, especially due to pollution, they missed the vibrant party scene in Los Angeles, the general happiness of people seemed lower, and conveniences like centralized air-conditioning were lacking.

How did the speaker adjust to the cons they experienced in India?

The speaker quickly adjusted to the lower quality of life, although they noticed the differences. They became used to the changes over time, accepting them as part of the transition back to India.

What were some of the pros the speaker found after returning to India?

The speaker found that spending more time with family and close friends was a major pro. They also appreciated the lower cost of living, the absence of the H1B visa race, and the freedom that came with starting and running their own startup in India.

How does the speaker compare salaries between India and the US?

The speaker acknowledges that salaries are significantly lower in India compared to the US, where it's common to earn $80,000 to $100,000 annually in cities like Los Angeles. However, they point out that the lower cost of living in India balances this out to some extent.

What challenges in the work culture did the speaker notice after moving back to India?

The speaker noticed that salaries were often credited late, employees worked long hours, and there was a more casual attitude toward work. They also observed that a small percentage of employees in Indian companies tend to handle the bulk of the workload.

What is one benefit the speaker appreciates about starting a business in India?

The speaker values the freedom of not having to compete for an H1B visa and the ability to start their own business in India, where they built a successful startup from scratch. They find joy in the independence and growth their company has achieved.

What are the speaker's thoughts on networking opportunities in India compared to the US?

The speaker finds that networking opportunities in India are limited compared to the US, where events and gatherings were frequent and easy to attend. In India, these events are less common, which makes it harder to connect with professionals in their field.

What is the speaker’s overall message regarding living in India vs. the US?

The speaker emphasizes that happiness should guide the decision of whether to live in India or the US. For them, happiness came from starting a company, having freedom, and being close to family and friends in India. They encourage others to pursue experiences abroad but also acknowledge the rewards of returning home.

Outlines

00:00

🌏 Returning to India: Initial Impressions and Challenges

The speaker reflects on their return to India after five years in the US, specifically Los Angeles. They share their initial shock at the perceived decline in quality of life, including increased pollution and a reduction in social activities. They also discuss the cultural differences in social interactions and the impact on their personal happiness. Despite these cons, they set the stage for a deeper exploration of both the challenges and benefits of living in India, promising to alternate between cons and pros throughout the video.

05:02

🏡 Pros of Living in India: Family, Work Culture, and Healthcare

The speaker highlights the positive aspects of living in India, emphasizing the importance of spending more time with family and friends. They discuss the lower salaries in India compared to the US but point out the lower cost of living as a counterbalance. The speaker also appreciates the less competitive work culture and the absence of the need to navigate the H1B visa process. They mention starting their own company and the sense of fulfillment it brings. Additionally, they praise the affordability and accessibility of healthcare in India, contrasting it with the challenges of accessing timely and affordable care in the US.

Keywords

💡Quality of Life

The speaker contrasts the quality of life between Los Angeles and New Delhi, focusing on the comforts available in the U.S., such as central air conditioning, cleaner air, and social interaction. In India, the speaker experiences a noticeable drop in these comforts, which significantly impacts day-to-day living and general happiness.

💡Pollution

Pollution is a key issue mentioned as part of the 'cons' of moving back to India. The speaker notices that the air quality in New Delhi is much worse than in Los Angeles, contributing to a less pleasant living experience and a sense of discomfort. This highlights a broader environmental concern in India.

💡Family and Friends

A major 'pro' for the speaker is the opportunity to reconnect with family and friends in India. The speaker emphasizes that spending time with loved ones brings a sense of belonging and joy, which outweighs the cons of a lower quality of life. This emphasizes the emotional and cultural pull that India has for the speaker.

💡Work Culture

Work culture differences are significant, with the speaker comparing the late salary payments, overworking, and casual attitudes in India to a more structured and predictable work environment in the U.S. However, the speaker appreciates not having to deal with the H1B visa process in India and enjoys the freedom of running a startup.

💡H1B Visa

The H1B visa is mentioned as part of the 'pro' for returning to India, as the speaker no longer has to deal with the challenges and uncertainty of maintaining visa status while working in the U.S. The freedom from visa-related stress contributes to the speaker's positive experience in India.

💡Cost of Living

The lower cost of living in India is presented as a major advantage compared to the U.S. Even though salaries are lower, the speaker explains that expenses such as healthcare and daily living costs are much more affordable, making it easier to sustain a comfortable life in India despite the lower income.

💡Networking

Networking is mentioned as a 'con' in the Indian context. The speaker finds it difficult to meet professionals and attend events compared to the U.S., where networking opportunities were more frequent and easily accessible. This reflects a challenge in finding professional connections in India.

💡Startup

The speaker's decision to start a company in India is framed as a personal achievement and a source of happiness. Starting from a small operation, the speaker grows the business, highlighting the entrepreneurial spirit and success in India despite initial challenges. This serves as a major 'pro' of returning to the country.

💡Healthcare

Healthcare in India is presented as a 'pro' due to its affordability and accessibility. The speaker contrasts the low costs and quick access to medical services in India with the more expensive and sometimes difficult-to-navigate healthcare system in the U.S., making it a notable advantage of living in India.

💡Happiness

The overarching theme of the video is finding happiness. The speaker emphasizes that the ultimate goal is to be happy, whether that means staying in the U.S. or returning to India. For the speaker, happiness is found in family, freedom from visa struggles, and the personal fulfillment of growing a business, which outweighs the cons of lower quality of life and other challenges.

Highlights

The creator moved back to India after living in the US, offering a personal perspective on the cultural and lifestyle changes.

Initial shock of the difference in room size and road conditions upon returning to India.

The quality of life in New Delhi was perceived as lower due to higher pollution and less engaging social life.

In the US, the creator enjoyed frequent parties and a more vibrant social scene compared to New Delhi.

General happiness and greetings in the US seemed more genuine and common than in India.

The comfort level in the US with central air-conditioning is contrasted with the use of ACS in India.

The creator values the increased time spent with family and close friends after returning to India.

Salaries in India are lower than in the US, but the cost of living is also significantly less.

The work culture in India involves later salary credits and a more casual attitude towards work.

The creator enjoys not having to worry about the H1B visa process and the freedom of running a startup in India.

Networking is more challenging in India compared to the frequent events in the US.

Healthcare in India is more affordable and accessible, with shorter waiting times for appointments.

The creator emphasizes the importance of choosing a place where one can be happy, regardless of location.

The freedom of growing a company and traveling without visa worries contributes to the creator's happiness.

The video encourages experiencing life in different countries but also appreciates the rewards of returning home.

The creator invites viewers to subscribe to the channel for more content and to connect on Instagram.

Transcripts

guys it has been around five years that

I came back to India and the experiences

I've had have helped me understand India

so much better and today I'm gonna be

sharing those with you now why I left

the US Los Angeles essentially to come

back to New Delhi I'm gonna share that

in detail in one of my next videos but

for most of you who have been following

me you probably already know that I

created this video right here where I

in-depth explained as to why I am

quitting my program and coming back to

India and a lot of you guys supported me

and I thank you so much for that my

initial reaction when I came back from

the U.S to India was that my room

started streaming much smaller than the

way I left it roads started seeming much

worse than I remembered them to be but

not really it if I now look back there

have been a lot of pros and cons and

we're going to be discussing them right

here one by one my idea for this video

is to tell you one con and then one pro

and will alternate between them till the

end of this video I believe I only have

about four of each so stick around

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guys let's start with the cons number

one con that I could find was the

quality of life it went way down all of

a sudden coming from Los Angeles to New

Delhi there was certainly way more

pollution than I could have even

imagined it was much higher it almost

started seeming like the air I'm

breathing is much more heavy than I'm

used to even though I've I've used this

exact air all my life and I was just not

used to it anymore I stopped going to

parties all together in Delhi the crowd

was not as interesting to me and at the

same point in time the Vive itself

stopped being that great to me and in

the US we had parties almost every

weekend every two weeks in India of

course that reduced quite a lot number

three I would say General happiness in

terms of quality of life is a little bit

lower here and I started noticing that

things that I never really noticed such

as you know get out of your apartment in

Los Angeles and what happens is Gardner

comes and he's you know saying good

morning hey how are you etc etc now

generally people also need food you know

they would greet you or they would ask

you how you are I know it doesn't mean

anything but it just shows that people

are generally happy to be in that place

right they're happy to actually be worth

it whereas over here if I was to ask

someone on the street how they are they

would probably look at me with a very

weird angle and I know it's just not

something that we're used to it's just

different culture I'm not saying it's

bad it's just one of the things that I

would generally prefer to have however

these things of course stopped of course

in terms of comfort as well right

whereas in the US you would have for

instance Central air-conditioned houses

we are still using ACS here so one rooms

temperature is completely different from

other so you know these these minor

quality of life changes you know and the

decreasingly quality of life certainly

is there I would say the cons these are

one of the first things that I accept

that I started looking into and I really

did kind of get used to them very

quickly again but these these changes

continue to change

now I want to talk to you about the pros

the first pro for me is that I was able

to spend more time with my family with

friends with people here at work you

know they are very close people over

here I run my own startup and we have so

many people here who are as close to me

as Family itself so I really really miss

that and I started having you know that

enjoyment that feeling again really and

I think that's really something that

isn't worth leaving a country for it's

it's something that pulls you back you

know you've saved these people all your

life and you generally don't want to

leave them

Point number two for me is salaries now

this is the cons these salaries are

considerably low in the US than they are

in India in the US you can expect to

have a hundred thousand dollar salary

very easily if you're in Tech you know

even without it in most cases you can

have some around eighty thousand dollars

very easily in an area like Los Angeles

it can be much higher as well right

however in India in Delhi specifically

the salaries are much much lower than

that and it's considerably harder to

actually get to that same level of

income

however as a pro for Point number two I

started seeing that again the cost of

living in India is very low already so

generally there's no need of such high

salaries but when you want to enter an

international climate of course that's

the only case where it matters however

considering the low cost of living in

this country I would say that that kind

of worked out for me and secondly I

personally am not working a job either

way so I chose to accept that as a pro

for me

number three to me the work culture is

very important in India General you

would see that sometimes salaries are

credited to your accounts late in many

companies people are tired of

overworking they're working till 9 10 11

pm sometimes in the office and also many

people as well have a very casual

attitude towards work it's like they

come to work and they know that they

don't want to take up any workloads it's

been said that in most cases you know in

in most companies 10 of the employees

handle 90 of the workload whereas the

rest of the 90 of the people work much

lesser and of course in India that comes

to be so much more true and I realize

that

but at the same time as a pro in terms

of work I enjoy now that I don't have to

run the H1B race those are hurdles that

I don't have to worry about here in fact

I came back and started my own startup

here we started from a very small

basement cabin to be honest with you

aside from one employee you can see over

here we have still a couple and most of

these used to be interns with us and now

we have a beautiful office here in Delhi

with many many many more people working

and I can tell you the offices great the

wife is great and terms of the culture

we can try to keep that very very good

as well wherever possible at the same

time our company has been helping

hundreds of thousands of people in their

Endeavors to study live and work

overseas and to me that feeling in

itself has overcame the gone more than

enough

finally Point number four in terms of

cons I have networking it's very

difficult to meet good people from your

field in India people are generally not

as interested in networking events as

they used to be in the United States it

used to be very easy to meet people at

events and these events were happening

not on just a weekly but almost on a

daily basis there would be almost two or

three events every week whether you say

in college or outside as well there was

always something going on

but at the same time in India if I have

to give you a pro now this may not

directly counter the con but there is

way cheaper Healthcare that means and

again you know personally I live very

close to Aims if you want you can as

good as go to Aims and you can get free

treatment done almost paying literally

nothing over there even the private

hospitals the the the people that you

are going to in private hospitals also

some of the best doctors you can afford

for probably about 10 or 15 US Dollars

their time for one consultation can be

afforded and you don't have to wait for

weeks and weeks to get an appointment

which is sometimes often I would say the

case in the US and without insurance

you're kind of messed you know you can't

really survive in the United States all

of these are things that I enjoyed so if

you ask me today us or India which one

should you pick I would say choose the

place where you can be happy because

that is really what matters doesn't it

for me me personally happiness has been

starting and growing a company from

nothing to something very very

significant in today's day and age

traveling to various countries and

meeting a lot of new people making a lot

of good friends and having the freedom

to not struggle for the H1B time and

time again and neither caring about

losing my job in most cases this has

been freedom to me and I would say this

really does make me happy just that

freedom in itself now even though we

help people go to study work and do all

kinds of stuff overseas in many

countries out there are making this

video not to demotivate you from that

purpose I'm just saying go for that

experience it's a great experience all

together but hey if you feel like coming

back

there's really no problem in it in a lot

of cases life rewards you with something

better than you even imagine

but of course you have to put the effort

in and you have to have a plan if you

like this video and you're watching till

now please subscribe to the channel it

helps me make more videos like this and

bring them to you and follow us on

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you can actually connect with me

personally as well and shoot me a

message if you'd want thank you so much

for spending your time with me today

I'll see you in the next one

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foreign

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