If a latest survey, apparently the world’s largest global survey of expats, is to be believed, expats feel that it is very difficult to integrate with the locals, adjust to the culture, lifestyle and set up home in India. But many foreign nationals who have set up home here, have adjusted to the environment and don’t regret the shift.

International photographer Mark Bennington’s rendezvous with Indian film industry happened very casually during a trip to Mumbai in January 2010. Since then he can’t get India off his mind. He goes back to the States and returns with a child’s curiosity. He maintains that India is much more than a spiritual centre and the world is in awe of this emerging nation. He admits, “India has been an overwhelming experiencing. I have fallen in love with India. I am stunned by the generosity and camaraderie shown by people here. Without their support I could not have dreamed of coming out with a book on Bollywood’s faces. Now I wish to settle down here some day.”
Though the difficulty of fitting into a new mould, building a new social life, loneliness and missing friends and family can sadden even the toughest, most expats don’t agree that Indians are hostile. “I left the United States in 2007 to come to India. I find people here really hospitable and accommodating. I am a single woman and life is not really easy for any single woman regardless of her nationality,” says Rachel Tanzer, who works as the head of publicity with Random House India.
She further says that she is here by choice and would love to stay for a few more years. “It is a mix of people in every country. Shopkeepers here do jack up prices but otherwise people here are more than willing to help. Sometimes I do miss the comfort of getting into a spa at any time of the day (they remain open 24X7 in US), but life here is no doubt getting fast and exciting. There is so much happening everywhere,” she adds.
Eleven years back Ala Madhu came down to India from Ukraine and was totally bowled over by the hospitality shown by Indians. “Since I have been married to an Indian, it has been an easy ride for me. When you are with family, they help you understand their culture and religion. Adjusting to India has been a very interesting experience for me,” she says.
One of the respondents to the survey mentioned that expats need to dress more conservatively but Ala refutes the claim and says, “It is the same with Indian girls as well. I don’t think they will opt for a trip to Old Delhi in a short skirt whereas the same girls will throng the city’s most happening clubs in their super-short dresses. But I have to add that India now is very different from India 11 years back. The mindset is surely changing.”
Swiss national Juliet, who handles the finance department for a desi NGO, feels that India is her second home and one learns to adjust in a new habitat. She came to India around three years ago and has not had any bad experience. “Locals try to fleece foreign customers and bargaining is an uphill task, still I love it here. The vendor I purchase veggies from is expensive, but I trust him because I know he will provide quality stuff. So you need to trust people in a foreign country,” she sums.