Thursday, September 26, 2013

Planning R2I - should I 'burn the bridges'?

This is one of the common question/debate that most of the R2I prospects have - should I close-off everything before I move to India?

As my heading suggests, that will be 'burning the bridges', which as the common knowledge says is not a very good idea :-)





Several factors to consider here:
  • You never know where the kids are going to be - they may come back to US (or other country) for further studies and having some funds in US can really be of help.
  • Change in government policies: You might have heard that recently Indian government reduced the limit of outflow of Indian funds from $200,000 to $75,000 or so. That is not a good sign. Governments can be fickle and if you transfer entire funds from US(or other country) to India, you might have problem when you need those funds back in the foreign country.
  • You might have to move back for job purpose. Having some funds there will make it easier for you to setup.
  • After all, you or family may not like to stay in India after trying for few years. Going thru' the currency conversion, you will loose some funds in conversion.
List can go on and I know, it is easier said than done - real estate in India is a major cost factor and you need sufficient funds to have something of your own. Hence, it is a delicate balance and only you can make the call about how much you need in India to have a comfortable living. 

In summary, don't burn the bridges - don't rush and move all of your assets to India and close all your links in foreign country. Instead, do that in stages after getting a taste of R2I. For ex, keep a bank account, some funds invested, transfer only needed funds and do further transfers as needed, if you are closer to getting a US citizenship, complete that process before you move etc...


Monday, September 23, 2013

R2I In 2014? Best to start planning now ...

I covered this topic around the same time last year. What you should be doing now for R2I in 2014 is not going to be much different from what I summarized during last year, however, a recap would help those thinking about it!

If you have not read that post, here it is again: http://r2idiaries.blogspot.in/2012/12/r2i-in-2013-what-you-should-be-doing-now.html

Main item to look into right now is the school planning - this one takes a good amount of time and a crucial factor for success of R2I. Choice of school decides where you stay, whether kids are going to be Ok after R2I etc. If your kids are already grown up(say, above grade 6), my suggestion is to go for a international school - these kids can take a while to settle down and their friend circle makes the difference in the world for them. You might need to make a short trip to visit/shortlist the schools, understand the paperwork needed, tests to be taken, costs etc.

If your kids are smaller, they can adopt to their surroundings quicker. Hence, school choice is not that big of a deal. However, to note, there is a good race to get into good schools and they can fill up fast. Hence, you need to get in-touch with school folks asap.

Also, other factor is - if you own a home, you need to plan to sell/rent etc. This can be time consuming as well and needs good prep-work. Doing these things at last minute can cost you $$$.

If you are still debating, settle the debate. Possibly my post on R2I decision assessment would be of help:
http://r2idiaries.blogspot.in/2011/12/r2i-or-nr2i-not-to-r2i-dilemma-take.html

Good luck with your R2I efforts ...


Sunday, September 15, 2013

News article: Housing slump: Realty market in India crumbles

This is a good read for a prospective R2I. Seems like there is a going to be a dip - with the rupee value versus dollar, there might be a good chance to get into something. For the first time, I am seeing buyer referrals being offered from builders now...

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/357271/housing-slump-realty-market-india.html


Thursday, September 5, 2013

TOI article - Startups rise and shine in Bangalore ...

This is a good read for any of the prospective R2Is, who are thinking of coming to Bangalore and doing their own start-up. 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/software-services/Startups-rise-and-shine-in-Bangalore/articleshow/22309538.cms


I couldn't agree more on this line in the article: "Mukund Mohan, CEO in-residence at Microsoft Ventures - The city attracts good talent because of great weather, job options, and a cosmopolitan and welcoming culture."

I have heard lot about 'outsiders taking over Bangalore'. But, as the article says, that only does good to the place. As US has proven, it gains top talent by welcoming others to come over and by providing an environment to thrive and in-turn thrives itself. Sure, Bangalore has ways to go in providing the right environment, infrastructure but just having the talent pool here creates an ecosystem around that which is beneficial to the local populace as well.