Gushwork co-founder Nayrhit Bhattacharya and his wife, Rishita Das, decided to relocate to India last year after living in the United States for some time. After graduating from the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur, the couple moved to the US for their higher education in 2016. With Gushwork's presence in India and the US, Nayrhit juggles his time between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Rishita is an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering at IISc Bengaluru. The couple posted a thread on social media platform X on Tuesday, sharing 10 differences they observed after moving back to India. “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! [sic]” Domestic help Referring to the “ease and affordability of having domestic help,” Nayrhit and Rishita said as the cost of labour is cheap in India, “the convenience is undeniable.
” He said getting 15-20 extra hours extra each week as a working couple was a tough luxury to imagine having back in the US. 1/10 The ease and affordability of having a domestic help. 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.
Traffic The Gushwork co-founder said, “Traffic in India is not necessarily worse than downtown NY/SF/CHI, but definitely much more irritating because of the unpredictable driving practices & multi-modal forms of transport which slows down the overall traffic [sic].” Digital convenience He suggested that intra-city logistics in India are far superior and more efficient than in the US, with groceries, essentials and food delivered in quick time. 3/10 Digital convenience in India is on another level.
Quick commerce delivers groceries/essentials in 10 minutes, food delivery is fast and efficient. Sure, the US has Instacart & DoorDash, but the intra-city logistics here are far superior & efficient. Cultural shock Nayrhit Bhattacharya noted that it was challenging to make deep connections in the US.
“It is easier for me personally to form meaningful relationships and even rekindle old ones,” he wrote. Digital payments Highlighting the superiority of digital payments in India, he said that payment apps—“Apple Pay and UPI— are comparable from user experience standpoint.” Noting that UPI is free and a part of government infrastructure, he pointed out that the real difference lies in terms of transaction fees levied by Apple Pay.
5/10 Digital payments here wins hands down. Apple Pay and UPI are comparable from user experience standpoint. Real difference: UPI is free & a part of govt infra - where in Apple Pay, there is a 2%-7% of transaction volumed which flows into private players Orderly queues He said the one thing he misses about the US is people standing in orderly queues, which he says is lacking in India.
He wrote, “It’s a bit of an adjustment at first, but you get used to it,” referring to the chaotic lines at counters, coffee shops, security checks and QSRs. Food Regarding food, the co-founder posted, “Coming back to Dosas & Biryanis from PB&J & Burgers is a relief.” However, he said he sometimes did miss the variety of cheese, bread, and desserts.
7/10 I am a foodie. Coming back to Dosas & Biryanis from PB&J & Burgers is a relief. Though - I do sometimes miss the variety of cheese, bread & desserts.
Outdoor sports While suggesting that an “outdoorsy person” should stay in the US, he said, “If you cannot live without hiking, biking or love frequenting beaches, you will not be very happy here.” At the same time, he noted that India makes it incredibly convenient to stay, work out and find leisure in indoor activities. LGBTQ outlook Nayrhit Bhattacharya said that India continues to be very judgemental of queer communities.
While agreeing that there are hyper-urban pockets where it is fine, he said, “But, mass India still is not very accepting of LGBTQ communities. [sic]”. 9/10 India is still very judgemental of queer communities.
Yes, there are hyper-urban pockets where it is fine. But, mass India still is not very accepting of LGBTQ communities. I am bullish though that this will change fast in the next 5 years.
Job market Driving the contrast between the job markets in the two countries, he posted, “You can get a job, but to get a high-paying gig that can allow you an equivalent house & car here, it is not trivial. Several of my friends who came back had to cut back on their lifestyles significantly [sic].”.
