India is the second-largest country in the world as per its population. It is the 7th largest country by area and because of its GDP growth, it is one of the top 25 best countries to live in. You shouldn’t hesitate in moving to India from the USA if you get a chance as an expat.
Advantages of Moving to India
When you are moving to India, you should know the reasons that can convince any foreigner to live in India. Here are some advantages of moving to India from the USA:
- The cost of living is low in India. You can easily find a house at a lower price as compared to the cost of a house in the USA. But remember, that these prices vary in different regions of India.
- Food is very inexpensive. You can enjoy quality food at a very low price.
- If you need services like a cleaning service or a gardener, it is also affordable in any region and any city of India.
- A lot of public transport means in India are available including buses, transit buses, taxis, trains, rickshaws, and more. You need to negotiate as well on most of the public transports like taxis and rikshaws.
- The diverse culture of India will never feel you out of the place. Locals are known for their welcoming nature to foreigners.
- You can visit a lot of beautiful places to visit in India during your off-days or long holidays.
Disadvantages of Moving to India
There are some disadvantages of living in India for the people of the USA or other European countries.
- As for women, traveling alone is not safe at all as women can be a soft target in India for assault.
- Most of the areas are overpopulated and the public places are not as safe as other countries of the world.
- Moreover, driving is not easy at all for those who are used to disciplined driving. People don’t follow the lane and they don’t respond when you use the horn. Many of them take u-turns or change their lanes without using an indicator.
- Some specific areas are not safe to live in, especially the areas which are known for terrorist organizations.
If you are an Indian national who is moving back to India, then these things wouldn’t be a problem for you as you are already aware of these things and you are used to these things.
Working in India
A lot of jobs are available in India for foreigners who are experts in their fields But for that, you need to apply for an Indian visa online. Make sure that you apply for a work visa when you are looking for a job in India as a foreigner.
Here you can find the full details of getting an Indian business visa.
If you are an Indian national and moving back to India from the USA then obviously you don’t need to apply for a visa. But it is good to take your American passport with you. Whereas, if you are a US citizen and you are moving to India from the US for a job, then you can easily find jobs in different sectors like:
- IT Sector
- Engineering
- Sales and Marketing
- Financial Services or Banking
- Travel and Tourism
- Automotive
- Agriculture
- Petroleum
- Construction
and many more job opportunities are there in India. Just take care that you apply for a work visa or employment visa while filling out your Indian visa application form.
Business and Working Etiquette in India
Greetings
In India, people still use to shake hands for greetings. You will find most of the men shaking hands while it is normal to shake hands with the women as well. But a few women won’t shake hands with men. Instead, they used to do ‘Namaste’ (holding both hands together, palms in contact while fingers pointing to top).
In the office, it is normal to use Sir or Madam to address someone. While formalities of using Mr. and Mrs. with the names is also normal in India.
Language
Since India is the second-largest country you will find people speaking a lot of different languages. Local languages are sometimes totally different from each other but the good thing is that most Indians can understand the basic English language.
At your job place, your colleagues can understand the English language very well and they will communicate in the English language as well.
Most of the business meetings are also in English language and the official documents, letters, and agreements are also in English. So overall, you will not face any problem in communicating with locals.
Learn about: How to get US citizenship for Indian nationals.
Dressing
At some working places, they follow the dress code strictly, while many others don’t follow any specific dress code. For men, it is normal to wear business attire & suits.
Working women in India wear trouser suits at the workplace, unlike other countries where women wear skirts.
Timings
In India, normally you have to work 4 to 5 hours a week more as compared to the US timings. Remember these are the official timings. Whereas most of the time, you won’t get paid for any extra time that you spend at your work.
Where to Live in India
If you are in India because you get a job, then obviously you need to live in the state and city where you have the job. But if you first moved to India and then looking for a job, then first you need to decide where to live in India.
There are different states and each state has its own culture and traditions. Obviously, you need to prioritize your job above anything else, but still, there are many more things that you should consider.
Like, what are the places to visit in your city or state (province) that you can explore during the holidays and weekends? You should also which city has a better quality of life, a good atmosphere, less pollution, and better security.
Some good cities to live in India are:
- Mumbai
- New Delhi
- Chennai
- Bengaluru
- Kolkata
Banking in India
When you are permanently living in India or living for a longer period of time, you need to have a bank account as well. Fortunately, you can easily open a bank account in India as a foreigner.
The Indian banking system is good and you can open your international bank account. With the international bank account, you get the facility to convert the currencies from Indian Rupee to US Dollar and vice versa at good rates.
Whereas, the local bank accounts are also available in India with different facilities and some restrictions as well in some cases.
Some of the good and international bank accounts in India are:
- Citibank
- Royal Bank of Scotland
- HSBC
- Deutsche Bank
- Barclays
Myself Aditya and I am from Mumbai, India. As an intern, I joined the local news agency in Mumbai named “The Mumbai News”. Now I am working with various News Agencies and I provide them reports from Mumbai and other parts of India.
