Font Size 
Readerspeak: NRI brigade eyes India
Published on Wed, May 16, 2007 at 08:32, Updated on Thu, May 17, 2007 at 13:26 in Business section
Tags: Readerspeak, Sandeep Varma , New Delhi
Best Reads | |
 | My first day on US soil |
 | Dollar dreams in NYC |
Related Stories
Photogallery
 |  |
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
After I watched Rang de Basanti I wanted to wanted to go out and dish out the same treatment to Laloo, .....
|
[ Single Page View ]
| Ads by Google |
| Related Ads: | |
Read Comment | Post Comment
Sandeep is an IT guy who is barely making his living in US. He doesn;t represent the true debate that
Read Comment
I agree with Sandeep up to a certain extent.I agree the opportunity and money is same in India now days
Read Comment
dear friends,this discussion forum reeks of ignorance. Are you people aware that when India faced a Balance of Payments deficit,
Read Comment
-RANJAN- if you used even a figment of your imagination(or your full imagination-as the case may be) then you wont
Read Comment
Its not about harboring animosity against NRIs as such. Again, about your comment that IT is the major reason for
Read Comment
Read more comment »