IITian couple moves back to India after living in US, shares 10 differences between countries
Gushwork co-founder Nayrhit and his wife Rishita Das decided to move back to India last year after living for some time in the United States.
Gushwork co-founder Nayrhit and his wife Rishita Das decided to move back to India last year after living for some time in the United States. The couple had moved to the US for their higher education after graduating from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur in 2016. Nayrhit now divides his time between India and the US, where his company Gushwork is still based, while Rishita is an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering at IISc Bengaluru.
After completing one year of living in India, they have shared a thread on 10 key observations on the two countries. “To all the Indian 20-40 year olds who are contemplating their move back to India but are filled with uncertainties, this is an honest compilation of 10 differences we observed after our move back here!” Nayrhit wrote on X yesterday.
Here is what the couple learnt from moving back to India:
Domestic help
For Nayrhit and Rishita, the first difference between India and US is the ease and affordability of having a domestic help in their home country. “While I do worry about the of the cost of labour being cheap, the convenience is undeniable - an 15-20 extra hours each week as working couple is a luxury tough to imagine back in the US,” wrote the co-founder of Gushwork.
Traffic
Traffic in India is not necessarily worse than it is downtown New York or San Francisco, but it is certainly more unpredictable and irritating, the couple said. They don’t see a solution to this problem in the near future.
Digital convenience
India is far superior when it comes to digital convenience, thanks to a host of quick commerce platforms that can deliver everything from groceries to makeup in 10 minutes.
“Sure, the US has Instacart & DoorDash, but the intra-city logistics here are far superior & efficient,” wrote Nayrhit.
Personal connections
For the couple, one major difference between India and the US is cultural. “Culturally, as an Indian, I found it challenging to make deep connections in the US—beyond coffee meetups, drinks, or the usual work/sports talk,” explained Nayrhit in his X thread.
Digital payments
The much-touted digital payments infrastructure of India wins hands-down vs the US. “Apple Pay and UPI are comparable from user experience standpoint,” wrote Nayrhit. However, the real difference between the two platforms is that “UPI is free and a part of government infrastructure - whereas in Apple Pay, there is a 2%-7% of transaction volume which flows into private players.”
Orderly queues
The couple does miss one thing about the US - orderly queues. “In India, lines at counters, coffee shops, security checks and QSRs can be really chaotic, sometimes very irritating,” they said.
Food
Both countries are winners when it comes to food. “Coming back to Dosas & Biryanis from PB&J & Burgers is a relief. Though - I do sometimes miss the variety of cheese, bread & desserts,” wrote Nayrhit.
Outdoor activities
For people who love the outdoors, the US has a decided advantage over India. According to the IITian couple, “if you cannot live without hiking, biking or love frequenting beaches, you will not be very happy” in India.
LGBTQ-friendly
India still has a long way to go when it comes to LGBTQ acceptance. “Yes, there are hyper-urban pockets where it is fine. But, mass India still is not very accepting of LGBTQ communities,” Nayrhit, adding that he is hopeful of seeing change in the next five years.
Job market
Finally, the couple said that the job market is tough in both countries, but for different reasons. In India, you can get a job, but to get a high-paying gig that can allow you to have a house and car equivalent to one in the US is not easy.
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