40+ resources for your move to India

[smartads]
SHRUTI

Your move to India will quite possibly be one of the most difficult moves of your life. You will gain a deep, philosophical understanding of the phrase “WTF?!”.

But the good news is – you have Neo as a reliable ally, and he will do whatever he can to help.

So here is a list of resources that Neo has found useful during and after his move to India. Although Neo has used most of these services first-hand, do your own due diligence! And please let Neo know if you can suggest any additions or changes to this list!

(Update: Neo recently posted a list of “15 financial tips for returning Indians”)

Forums/blogs

  1. r2iclubforums – Gold mine of advice from other returnees to India (esp. on investments and finance).
  2. indiamike.com – Travel tips, restaurant recommendations etc from expats from all countries living in India.
  3. neoindian.org – Oh yes.

Customs/Immigration

my passport arrived

  1. Indian customs – Your first, ugly taste of India when you return. Check if you qualify for the “returning professionals” or “transfer of residence” category, which simplifies things greatly. Neo brought back very little from the US, but still got charged Rs. 20,000. (Updated: Note: you might need to claim the “transfer of residence” when your stuff arrives from overseas (usually by ship), not necessarily at the airport when you arrive. If you get a good moving company, they will advise you on the best course of action.)
  2. Overseas Indian Citizenship – This is actually an “Indian green card’, not a citizenship of India.
  3. US State.gov registration – If you are a US citizen like Neo, it’s a good idea to register yourself with the State.gov site. They email you helpful information from your local embassy or consulate.

Banks

  1. SBI – Quite possibly the safest bank in India. If SBI sinks, head for the caves. Surprisingly good online banking for a government bank.

    2. bank_strike_work

  2. Citibank – Neo uses them primarily because he can view/pay his electricity (BESCOM) bill online through their free bill payment service.
  3. Standard Chartered – Neo has used this bank in the past because he heard they are one of the safer International banks in India.
  4. ICICI – Quite possibly the most hated bank in the world. But they were kind enough to give Neo a credit card when he had just arrived. ICICI cards are Visa, most others use Mastercard.
  5. NEFT – NEFT rocks. Transfer money within a day or two to any bank account in India for free! Most good banks support this.

International Money transfer

  1. SBI – Neo uses this to transfer money from the US to India. Good exchange rates, but quite slow (took 2 weeks once!)

Finance/taxes

  1. RBI Foreign Exchange rules – Converting from other currencies to Indian Rupees is quite straightforward. Going the other way is not!

    2. #30

  2. IRS guide for US citizens living abroad – US citizens must file US taxes even if you stay on a boat in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, although you might get a Foreign Tax Credit.
  3. Resident but Not Ordinarily Resident (RNOR) – The most confusing residency status in the world, created by the Indian government to keep taxmen employed. Use this calculator to find out if you qualify.

Mobile (cell phone) providers

  1. Airtel – Neo thinks the mobile phone service market in India is so competitive, there is not much difference between the leaders. But – Neo uses Airtel – pays roughly Rs. 700 per month.
  2. Reliance Blackberry – Neo has just started using this service. So far so good. (Note for the geeks: Reliance is CDMA – no SIM cards)

Health

  1. CDC Travelers’ Health – Nice summary of the various India-specific health issues, and “what to bring”. Its best to consult a good doctor in India upon arrival to discuss vaccination for young children etc.

Appliances

  1. APC UPS – Neo uses this for his home computer setup. No issues so far. It even interfaces with the computer so you can check how much battery time is left, and shutdown automatically when you’re running low.

    2. Which one do I pick - I'M SO CONFUSED! - Sorenson Squeeze 4.5 Format & Compression Settings (too many of 'em)

  2. APC Inverter – Neo uses the APC inverter to power the lights, fans, TV etc. when there are power outages (quite frequent in late summer).
  3. LG – Neo is not an expert in home electronics – but LG has a good service record, and their TVs, Washing Machines, Refrigerators are well-priced and well-suited to Indian conditions.
  4. Aquaguard – Some of the newer models are just outrageously bloated in features and price. Neo wants a water purifier, not a  spaceship.

Automobile

  1. Maruti – If you want to be understated and avoid driving around with a “i-have-lots-of-money” sticker on your butt, there’s nothing like Maruti. Plus they probably have the cheapest and most extensive repair network.

    2. warning

  2. Honda – Neo likes the Honda Citi, and the Honda CRV
  3. Toyota – Neo likes the Corolla (The Indian Corolla is positioned more like the Camry is in the US)
  4. team-bhp – Awesome forum for auto reviews, repairs, mods, road trips

Internet

  1. Airtel Broadband – Neo uses Airtel’s Broadband service at home – it seems to be reasonably reliable. It comes with a “free” land-line number that works well (although almost no one uses land lines any more in India!)

TV/Cable

  1. Tata Sky – Neo thinks this represents the best combination of technology, entertainment choice and good service in India.
  2. Dish TV – Many people use Dish TV – Neo has no personal experience.
  3. Worldspace – FM Radio in India has devolved to ad-infested crap. Neo loves worldspace satellite radio, especially because they carry NPR Worldwide. (Their US holding company is bankrupt, so Neo doesn’t know how long they will last in India)

Moving companies

  1. Sky2C – Neo had a fairly good experience with this moving company. They had a partnership with a Mumbai-based company that helped Neo with Indian customs.

House Maintenance

  1. Handiman – After struggling with drunk and perennially late plumbers and electricians, Neo found Handiman. It’s a professional company that actually answers calls on time – they charge Rs. 300 for an hours worth of work, but you can make them do several jobs in that one hour. Expensive but worth it.

Auto Insurance

  1. Maruti Insurance (auto insurance) – If someone hits your car, its a pain in the ass to get his insurance to pay for your damage – so most people just use their own insurances. Neo has used Maruti Insurance on a couple of occasions and they paid on time. Other people have also reported good things about it.

Classifieds, Yellow Pages, Reviews

  1. Just Dial – These dudes seem to have the most comprehensive yellow-pages type thing.
  2. Mouthshut – Like all review sites, unhappy customers are usually more motivated to review. But useful nonetheless.

Cooking gas

  1. HP gas – Apparently you can apply for a new connection and get refills online – Neo has not tried it yet.
  2. Indian Oil’s gas service – Neo has not tried it yet, but has friends who say it’s easier to get the Indane gas service as compared to the others.

Organizational tools

  1. Evernote – Neo uses Evernote to organize his notes, web clippings etc.
  2. Remember the Milk – The ultimate GTD-compatible to-do list. You can “mail” tasks to your spouses, and it allows a complete export of your data (very useful for backups)

What did Neo miss ? Any other suggestions, additions or corrections ? Leave a comment below!

  • Photo credits: All photos are licensed under the Creative Commons license and have been linked to the originals.

Also see: “15 financial tips for returning Indians”

Share this post:
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • StumbleUpon
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Mixx
  • Google Bookmarks
  • SphereIt
  • Yahoo! Buzz

If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to Neo on Twitter, Facebook, or via RSS!

Possibly related posts:

  1. How much money do you need to save before you move to India ? The most frequently asked question that this blog’s contact form...
  2. Return to India myth #4: Moving to India will make you happy One of the more unintuitive things Neo discovered after...

Category: Return to India, cricket | Tags: , , , , , , , 14 comments »

14 Responses to “40+ resources for your move to India”

  1. the desk jockey
    February 6th, 2009 at 11:57 am

    Neo works hard for his people considering joining the R2I brethren. This is an awesome list. And I admire Neo to be one of the people who actually followed through on their promise to come back to India unlike other wooses (me!) who haven’t yet built the nerve to do it yet.

    [Reply]
  2. neo
    February 6th, 2009 at 11:15 pm

    @thedeskjockey – Neo thinks everyone’s situation and motivation is different – those who continue to stay on in the US are not “wooses”, and those who come back are not necessarily “keeping a promise” or indeed doing anything altruistic..

    [Reply]
  3. Easing your Transition to India | DesiPundit
    February 9th, 2009 at 12:01 pm

    [...] In these dire economic times out west, reverse brain drain is a viable option for many expats. Neoindian compiles a list of resources that might prove useful to ease your transition back to India. [...]
  4. Ankit
    February 11th, 2009 at 2:22 pm

    Indian customs – Your first, ugly taste of India when you return. Check if you qualify for the “returning professionals” category, which simplifies things greatly. Neo brought back very little from the US, but still got charged Rs. 20,000.

    Can you explain this? Why do you have to check off “returning professionals”? Why can’t you just go for a “visit” and stay there since you already have an OCI?

    [Reply]
  5. neo
    February 12th, 2009 at 12:10 am

    @Ankit,

    Sorry for the confusion. The “returning professionals” is not something you necessarily need to do when you arrive at the airport – its something that’s helpful when your household stuff arrives (usually by ship).

    The Indian customs has a “Transfer of Residence” scheme, supposedly for “returning professionals”. This greatly simplifies your customs requirements – it allows a lot more items duty-free. Check out their “official page”:

    http://www.geocities.com/indiancustoms/baggagerule/tr.htm

    [Reply]
  6. Filmiholic
    March 20th, 2009 at 1:07 pm

    Neo,

    For anyone importing a pet into India, I found out – after some 20 phone calls to many and various persons at Bombay airport (because my family could not get through to a live human at the Indian consulate in NYC) – that there is some paperwork to be completed ahead of time (which was, at that time, available on the website of the Indian consulate in NYC’s), AND I was told to bring a photo of the animal (a kitten, in this case) with me.

    That was before arriving at Bombay airport. Below is a description of what ensued after my plane landed and I had collected my luggage, the only fool in the entire arrivals hall making her way to the Red Channel:

    I approach one customs man and smile, saying: “Hello, I’m here to declare this cat.”

    “Vaaaaat is in your luggage?”

    “Um, no, sir, I’m not here about the luggage, I’m here about this cat. She has her papers and all her injections.” (Holding up thick dossier.)

    “Vaaat? You have injections?”

    “No, no, sir, I have this cat, and SHE has had her necessary injections.”

    Wave of hand in kitten’s direction. “Cat is ok. Vaaaat is in your luggage?” (Not even looking once at cat nor paperwork.)

    Happily, we made it through customs sans problème.

    I did find it alarming that no one even looked at her. She could have as well been some endangered species.

    [Reply]
  7. neo
    March 21st, 2009 at 12:12 am

    @Filmiholic

    Part of the problem with Indian rules is – you never know which rules will be implemented to the letter, and which won’t.

    Bizarrely, I was once nearly prevented from *leaving* India because of a missing stamp in my passport – never mind the fact that I had a valid US visa, was living there for the past 4 years and had come on a 2 week holiday to India. It turns out the official was technically right. My passport didn’t have the “emigration clearance not required stamp” on it. Usually this would not matter, but this trip, I was making a 2 day halt in Singapore, which required the stamp – or something like that.

    On the other side of the spectrum, I’ve had senior Indian bank officials ask me to state my nationality as “Indian” to help my case in getting a credit card, even though I’m a US citizen (I always decline to do this, and they then usually decline me a credit card)! Their theory – since I look Indian, “it should be ok to say Indian as nationality”.

    [Reply]
  8. Filmiholic
    March 23rd, 2009 at 9:31 am

    Neo,

    Indeed, that’s all part of the fun, isn’t it? :-)

    Actually, I was importing the kitten from Thailand, and I was only going to be in Bombay for a few days with her, before continuing on to the US. Before ever calling Bombay airport, or getting the family back in the US involved, I tried calling the Indian consulate in Bangkok. That was an interesting conversation indeed:

    Consulate employee: “You want to import a cat into India? Hmmm, I haven’t had a query like this in a long time. Hold on, please.”

    Puts receiver down on desk and repeats my query to a colleague in the room, all which I can hear, because I haven’t actually been put on hold. The colleague says “I don’t know! Tell her to go away!”

    Consulate employee: “Um I can’t find the answer right now, ma’am. Can you give me one day and call back tomorrow?”

    All that said, I have to admit that one thing I love when in India is that sometimes people will NOT hold blindly and steadfastly to the rules, occasionally just at the exact moment when you’re really in a bind and it winds up being your lucky day, because someone has let you by without that one last signture or stamp that you were missing.

    [Reply]
  9. neo
    March 23rd, 2009 at 10:23 am

    In Bangalore, that’s known as “swalpa adjust maadi”.

    If I were clever enough, I’d write a whole book about just that one phrase.

    [Reply]
  10. How much money do you need to save before you move to India ? | neoIndian - Confessions of a newly returned Indian
    May 29th, 2009 at 9:38 am

    [...] mosquitoes are not an issue, since everyone has a UPS and “Good Knight” – but still, if Neo can scare away a few potential returnees, he has done [...]
  11. Sloc
    September 11th, 2009 at 1:44 am

    Handiman – well be warned – used them.. was good the first time around, did the work fairly professionally, etc. The second time around was a disaster – for plumbing work which required to be done in half an hour, the guy dawdled and extended to 1.5 hours and then claimed that a carpenter who had come along was an assistant.. the carpenter gave an exorbitant quote for the work, which was similar to work done the first time around – the net quote first time around was Rs 350 odd, the second time around was Rs 2050.. so you do need to be careful when using them..

    [Reply]
  12. All About Returning To India | AmreekanDesi
    October 28th, 2009 at 11:49 am

    [...] then there are people more than willing to help out. GaramChai’s R2I forums NeoIndian’s 40 resources to plan your move to India Ashish’s initial post before the move, and the one year followup! [...]
  13. ipshita
    January 12th, 2010 at 2:54 pm

    Neo,

    Just wondering why do you publish in third person?

    Regards.

    [Reply]

    neo
    January 13th, 2010 at 6:35 pm

    It’s just easier to write about how awesome Neo is in third person. :-)

    [Reply]

Leave a Reply



↑ Back to top