Sure Rajagopal.
My experience has been the best (and I am not even in IT).
Good salary, flexibility of fixing my own office timing (So I can do lots of personal work if I want to), ability to claim my personal bills as office expenses (which my CEO used to do before), coffee breaks, chit chat breaks etc...
Almost all people here invest in teh stock market during office times for second salary. Since most have smart phone, they do theur trading, banking, shopping etc. in that.
India now has world class shopping malls. Prices in shoppings malls are decent and you do have box stores in these shopping malls (like pothy's super store, Future bazzar, Reliance ) which sell at the MRP. Food court is cheap (not like in Canada, where price is at a primium).
Health care is fantastic. We have 2 tier. Public and private. In the place that I stay, Public health care is good. private is available dime to a dozen. Company provides us health insurance + medical expenses cover.
Public transport has many choices. We have normal buses, duluexe buses and AC buses. Also Auto's and call taxi's are available at call.
Bribe is standard. They have rates fixed. just pay it and get over with it. For areas like ration card, aadhar card, gas, railway tickets, no bribe needs to be paid. May be you need to pay bribe for land registration. When the economy is going great guns, what is the big deal in paying.
Many own houses and apartments. We have big LED TV's. Life is good here.
But please, all Cd's stay in Canada. We donot want you to come to India and raise the cost of living / cost of housing for us. Stay in the great cold North and come to India only for your vacation or to spend money.

Murali The Krishna

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I am a Gents and not a Ladies.

- Thanks for the info, I have already bought a apartment near Chandigarh in gated community with three tier security / swimming pool / billiards / table tennis / yoga / gym all with maintenance cost of CDN 45.

Coming to education, there is stress but on the flip side my kids go out to play close to 1 hr a day almost every day. Our kids schedule is packed with couple of 1 hr extra curricular class in a week with 1-1.5 hr duration for home work and then 45 min - 1 hr for play. They spend rest of the time watching TV or just relaxing. We feel though it looks like stage managed but it gives focus to the child and utilize their time better. I forgot to add, 2 hr abacus / mental maths class in a week. They watch latest kids movies in theatre in multiplex which by the way I found way better than Canada.

Chandigarh does not pay well, salaries are on lower side but I am looking to work from home.

- True, even if I move to Canada my retirement will be in India. I am not going to give up on medical insurance which I have for past 10 years, rather I increased the coverage to 10 Lakhs hopefully it is good enough. Not worried too much beyond a certain age, jaana hai toh haske jayenge .

- Registration of property, there is a bribe involved for sure. I have paid everything in white for my apartment I mentioned in my previous post. Will be getting possession next year and do the registry. My understanding is that usually it is 10-20% of the registry amount, I just assume it to be the cost of the service.

Police, I have not dealt with them and you are 100% correct on it. That also makes socializing important in India to have contacts when needed, I am working on it.

Electricity situation will improve but the cost will increase, Canada is definitely cheaper. Hopefully Indian scientists can expand on Thorium reactors, we would then have safe and very long term energy source.

Water - Well....this sure could be a problem but one thing to remember that all the new projects water harvesting is compulsory. I am not sure if I will be able to see much change in next 3 yrs, so far so good.

There are ozonisers available, which generate ozone gas I keep the veggies soaked in water outside in balcony and ozonise it. Even industrial ozonisers are available for home you can I think connect your mains to it and get treated water everywhere. But one thing to remember it wastes close to 20-30% water.

Fine Arts - 1600/- per month 1 hr week for 2 child
Sculpture - 1200/- per month 1 hr week for 1 child
Music - 2400/- per month 1 hr twice a week for 1 child
Abacus - 1200/- per month for 2 hr a week for 2 child

All above in INR.

Chris :
On the education part, let me give you some clarity.
As US IT engineer has returned to Trichy in Tamil nadu. There is a international school which is very cheap (around Rs 4000 a month) and he has no portions.
My brother has admitted his kids to an international school in Chennai and the fees is around Rs 1 lakh a year. Home work is not that much with around 1 hour work a day or less. Flip point is that they are learning Tamil which is hard for them.
I have some children in my fold. They are going to a local school. Home work is around 2 - 3 hours a day. That was what I was complaining about. Fees is around 5000 for 4 months. If I could get admission in international school, I will be good. These children in my fold have to learn the local language and hindi. That increases stresses for them. I am trying to get a transfer to chennai so that I can put them in international school and then go to the Gulf so that I can pay the money. In international school, you have the option of learning french and removing Hindi / Tamil.

Hope this helps.

Murali The Krishna

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I am a Gents and not a Ladies.

- My point is that if they are getting enough extra curricular and physical activity then they are good. Kids are not complaining, even while doing home study with their mother they have fun. In school also there are no physical punishments and kids actually share a lot with their teachers unlike my times.

So far my kids are learning Hindi and English no Punjabi (local language), starting next year though my elder one will have to take one of French / Punjabi or Sanskrit. Maybe that might increase the pressure let us how it goes.

They are studying in a reputed CBSE private school with 2700/- per month fees, one thing I am sure they are getting better schooling than what me and my wife had.

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Originally posted by dhaikin

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Originally posted by febpreet

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I can go back anytime, and know that I would adjust well and at par with Canada. However, uprooting (and convincing) the family is a hard sell.

One thing is for sure however, I ain't gonna spend my retirement here, except may be for a few months a year.

Delhi is where the 'Dil' is.

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In the next few years, it wont stay that way.
India is marching must faster than people living in the west can think off. And Japan/China/India/Russia nexus is a real big economic block for the future..

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My purpose to go back is purely emotional- nothing to do with whether or not India will become first world or stay the same. I simply don't care. I would want my life (yes, life in its purest terms) back with some quality retirement time to be spent with 'langotia' yaars.