New Delhi: Indian economy is booming. The gap between American dollar and rupee seems to be bridging up. Then why the American dream? Is it worth making it big in India than chasing a Yankee piggy bank? Sandeep Varma, Senior Analyst Lehman Brothers mulls why ‘coming home’ is on the minds of the NRI brigade.
India Beckons
As I walked out of the desi theatre in Jersey after watching the first screening of Swades I had this guilt feeling ridden large on my face. Growing up as a kid, I always wanted to do something for India, my ‘matrabhoomi' but I chose to pursue the dollar dream instead.
I am writing this partly to delve into the reasons why I chose one path over another and why coming back to India doesn't seem like such a step back anymore.
The Glamor Quotient
I grew up watching Bond flicks and the flurry of American TV shows that had hit India in the early 1990's with the advent of cable television in apna desh. That was such a far cry from watching the mundane 'Doordarshan' shows which I distinctly remember weren't even on 24/7. Shows like The Wonder Years and Baywatch definitely seemed more appetizing than watching Didi's comedy show and Giant Robot daily on 'Doordarshan'. America has always been about the hype, the glamor and Americans in general are excellent marketeers of this image they call the 'American Dream'.
The NRI oomph factor
I remember my uncle coming back to visit us after he landed a posh offer on completing his Masters in the US. He looked so sharp and ready to take on the world. He was a changed man, way smarter than I had seen him before, wore funky cool clothes, spoke with a noticeable accent and had a cool computer that he carried around in his bag (that’s called a laptop yo!).
He bought us watches, shirts, the giant Tobelerone chocolate bars and words of wisdom coupled with stories of success and a great lifestyle. No one ever wants to come back and recount the struggles they went through in an alien land, and I don't blame them for that. You want to make your parents and your relatives proud of you, don't you? And parents want something to brag about to their neighbours right...after all ladka vilayati hai and the lucrative marriage proposals also pour in; why wouldn't you want to marry your daughter off to an NRI presumably minting money in the so called 'land of dreams'
Corruption
Sandeep Varma is a Senior Analyst at Lehman Brothers, New York and an alumni of Cornell University. (He can be reached at [email protected])
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Jayalalitha and the rest of those murky politicians who make the whole country look bad. (I probably had second thoughts after finding out what out very own Mr Yadav had done with Indian Railways, but gosh, a guy like him harboring dreams on becoming the Prime Minister or a lady like Maywati at the helm...I really don’t know...But as I said, I haven't had first hand experience with these guys...)
Competition
Aah, and then the constant comparisons: As a teenager you want to be left alone; you really don't want your parents telling you what to do and who to be like; I think we're all smart enough in our teens to figure that out; sure, guide us, but don't coax us...and definitely don't compare us. Thankfully for me, my mom was a working woman but I know of these so called kitty party events where the ladies would go on a constant mere beta kitna mahaan hai campaign; I wanted to be independent, not take orders from everyone and definitely didn't want to be compared with the 'perfect' kid in school...geez..gimme a break!
Why do I want to go back?
Return on Investment
Lets face it, the declining dollar; seems like my pay increments are offsets by the dollar to rupee conversions. Not that I save a lot in any event but still it hurts in a way. But on the other hand I feel proud that the Indian economy is booming.
Everyone here just keep talking about India and China and how the education system is better there, people more hardworking and with life getting so much more comfortable back home. Why didn't I see all this while I was in India? Is it just a case of the grass being greener on the other side? It really isn't though, my trip back home to India was a reality check, things have changed; changed a lot, but the basic issues still remain; although I have to admit it no longer seems threatening to give up a cosy lifestyle and return back to India.
The Guilt Factor
I constantly used to read about the 'brain drain' from India and I vowed to not be a part of an Indian NRI bandwagon who would settle for a cosy lifestyle in the US. It’s not that glamorous after all anyways. As a lot of readers have pointed out, there's corruption in the US as well and not everything is as rosy as it looks on the outside. Lets admit it, Bush is as dumb as a President can get and most jobs in the country are highly overpaid; but still this bubble somehow never bursts; wonder why that is?
Then there is this feeling of not contributing to the Indian society in a productive way; I seriously believe that there is a slow revolution happening in India now and that Indians are taking centerstage the world over; And what am I doing to be part of this revolution...Nada!
Sandeep Varma is a Senior Analyst at Lehman Brothers, New York and an alumni of Cornell University. (He can be reached at [email protected])
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