Retirement in India: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Retire IndiaWith the down turn of the American economy and a big hit to our retirement funds my husband and I decided to outsource our retirement. I began reading everything on the Intranet about the best places to retire. Out of the blue, my India born husband said why not India. I did some reading and said let’s go. English is widely spoken and Hindi is my husband’s first language. It took almost a year before we obtained our visas, OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) for my husband. Once he was able to obtain his OCI I was able to obtain my PIO (Person of Indian Origin), though I am Caucasian, based on our marriage. His is a lifetime visa and it affords him all the rights of Indian citizenship, except the right to vote, mine is good for fifteen years. Once that was done we secured pet passports for our two dogs. That was the most difficult. In the meantime traveling on a tourist visa my husband spent two months in India looking for an uncrowded area and suitable place to rent. His search was going nowhere until he enlisted help from his nephew. They found a three bedroom house in Bhimtal on the lake. The photos he took were beautiful. I spent a lot of time reading Indian expat blogs.

In January 2013 we packed up our dogs, electronics and a few clothes and started our adventure. Living in India is not for the faint of heart. It would have been very difficult without the assistance and knowledge of family. When we arrived to take possession of our rental home we were told it was not ready but would be soon. I wondered what soon meant in Indian time. We were shown another rental, basically an apartment that was dark, musty and dirty. We were looking at a bait and switch. We refused the apartment. After spending three weeks in a hotel room and the house still not ready to rent, we finally found our first rental cottage. In order to find a rental one must ask around. It’s very hard to find anything here with a Google search. The cottage was a two story, two bedroom, one Indian and one Western bathroom, furnished duplex structure located in Bhowali, which is located in the foothills of the Himalayas. The rent was $270.00 USD per month. Next door to our complex was a large multi-story apartment complex. At the time we did not think too much about it. It turned out that this was more of a hotel with people arriving at all hours of the day and night. As soon as a car arrived they honked their horns announcing their arrival. Then came the loud greetings that went on in the parking lot. This happened almost every night, sometimes two and three o’clock in the morning.

Thanks to our cook/housekeeper we found our present two bedroom two Western bathroom flat in Ghorakhal, which is about three miles from our first location. Our rent, $325.00 per month includes water and electricity. From our large balcony we have a breathtaking view of the mountains with Bhimtal Lake in the distance. I love it here. Early in the morning one can hear the temple bells waking up the Gods. In the summer we hear marriage music coming from many locations in the mountains. It is uncrowded and has many places to walk. It is said that the Himalayas are the homes of the Gods. There are temples scattered everywhere. We came very close to buying property here.

It is very affordable to live here. We spend about $10.00 per week on groceries. We are vegetarian. Cooking gas runs about $5.00 every 3 months. We have no need of a car. Taxis are available and run around $5.00 to the market and back. This includes an hour wait time and getting your bags carried inside the apartment. If we don’t care to go to the market, we send one of the locals on their motor cycle with a list. The cost is $1.50. A taxi for the day, depending on how far you wish to travel runs around $30.00. A full time cook/ housekeeper will run you $65.00 per month. Our Wi-Fi service runs $25.00 per month. We see our Doctor in the office for $2.00 or a house call will run us $4.00. Good medical care is available and medications are less expensive than at Walmart in the USA. I love the variety of locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables that are available to us here. Our state Uttarakhand is a non GMO state. We are able to maintain a much healthier lifestyle here. When we first came, my diabetic husband required insulin and oral medication twice a day. He no longer requires insulin and controls his sugar with ¼ of his oral medication. We both lost 35 pounds without effort.

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55 Comments

  1. Retirement homes in India

    May 16, 2014 at 11:44 am

    Thank you for this usefull information
    Really helpful

  2. Hello
    Can you share more details how did your husband recovered from insulin ?

  3. Adv Sachin Nagpurkar

    March 11, 2015 at 5:34 am

    I am thinking of retiring in Uttarakhand. please suggest some place and the price of some decent accomodation which i can purchase. i am from bombay.

  4. Ghorakhal, Uttarkhand, is a beautiful place. I have not been there but I have seen pictures of it. But what would bother me, if my wife and I were to live there , is its distance from Bangalore, our home town. That apart, thank you for this excellent article; everything you have written here (friendly, beautiful people, corrupt government, the dirt and filth, lack of sanitation and clean water for most Indians) are all, unfortunately, true.

  5. I am of Polish origin and would like to retire in India, Vrindavan, I am not married (40) and got early retirement after being a teacher in Poland

  6. This is a message for Wiktor. I also would like to retire in India too and have been to Vrindavan. I am single Indian woman living in Australia. I am a Hare Krishna devotee and would like to meet like minded spiritual people for settling down . My email address is kalpanadevi41@yahoo.co.uk
    thanks.

  7. It has been more than one and a half years since this was posted. It will be nice to have a follow up.

    I just realized you have moved back. Are you settled now or you wish you had sweated it out?

    Thanks

  8. I live in united states (citizen) here from the last 16 years. I am 42 years old.
    Recently I visited India for 4 months ( including Mathura/varindavan/Rishikesh) and realized India could be permanent retirement place But I really liked more Rishikesh than Varindavan.

    In Rishikesh, I stayed for 1 month. Weather is good even in summer as well as pollution level is very low, right in mountains. People are much nicer and honest.

    I am planning to buy one home in Rishikesh now. I feel Rishikesh could be permanent place for me for my rest of my life. There are lot of Ashrams in Rishikesh area and of course GANGA.
    I have been to Badrinath temple 14 times.

    I feel there are lot of places in Mountains to explore once I settle in Rishikesh.

    Thanks
    Ashok Bansal

  9. I am (44) also thinking/planning to move to India and focus more on spiritual/quality life. Vrindavan would be perfect for me as i am Hare Krishna devotee but i am also looking at Mayapur in West Bengal and other places. I don’t think buying condo is the best idea at this moment. Rent is cheap and gives me a lot of flexibility to move around. Biggest problem is long term Visa as i am not of Indian origins.
    I hope you love living there. i just got back form India and miss it already 🙁

  10. 1. Rent , don’t buy. As a rule of thumb, indian prices are 25% of New York/ Sydney / Dubai.
    Ignore the big cities, head to the tier 2/3 towns. Keep an eye on pollution levels and water availability.
    2. Go vegetarian and cook your meals. Invest in a rice cooker. Rice and lentils are staples here, if you adopt this diet, your dollar will go the extra mile.
    3. Research and invest in the local stock market. If you can’t be bothered, pick 3 mutual funds and put a small percentage of your savings. Hold it for more than a year and your gains are tax free.

  11. When you retire in India and you are a US Citizen , what are the tax rules?
    Tax has to be filed in both India and USA. What are Investment Options.

    If anybody has any experience , please share.

  12. Hi,
    I am Indian-born entrepreneur in Canada and planning to set up a retirement home in the foothills of Himalayas.
    The average monthly disposable salary after taxes in India comes to about 31,158.73 INR (approximately $472). Although prices vary throughout the country, such low average costs obviously mean the average American has plenty of options when it comes to retiring in India. In fact, a monthly disposable income of twice the Indian average – about $1,000 – can translate into a very comfortable standard of living.

  13. I am retired female, now living in Florida USA and seek to relocate to Ghorakdal or near Spiritual Science Center. I am sattva student and would like to hear from another who seeks to retire in Ghorakhal or near Spiritual Science Center.

  14. It sounds very interesting, what do you do for fun? do you guys volunteer in the community? I am planning to retire in that side of the world… although my concern is I could get bored too soon… I need some sort of activity. Please if you can tell about volunteer opportunities? there is any muslim community out there? thank you

  15. Does India Govt. tax US INCOME from ROTH mutual funds, set aside for retirement./ I am told my Us Govt. pension & social security are exempt from Indian Income tax, PLEASE confirm this. How much would it cost, pe month, for a senior citizen couple in MYSORE (Souuth India). We are total vegetarian. How much one should plan on (a) 2 Bedroom house (not flat), maid servant, man servant, doctor visit (we are both hale and healthy) Are reliable, quality medicine available in India. Please give as much info. as possible. Very much obliged. Thanks. June 29, 2016 8:40 PM EST

  16. Prakash Mishra

    August 9, 2016 at 5:48 am

    I have ancestral land in Uttrakhand. It’s connected to road, water , electricity can be arranged. A solitude place, facing East , Himalayan view…I grow turmeric there. I am a CA engaged in business based at Delhi. I too want to retire soon….devote time for meditation…
    Any one interested in joining me….?

  17. I am an American Born, USA citizen who has been living in Andhra Pradesh along with my Andhra Born Physician Husband for the last seventeen years. Before settling in India we lived in USA after marriage for almost twenty years. Lately I am missing living in America very much. I am also a Grandma. One daughter is in Pune and the other in USA. As we get older it gets difficult to manage here in India. House keepers are very unreliable and it is impossible to look after a large house without help due to so much dust and pollution and lack of workers to reliably maintain the grounds. If you are planning to settle for retirement in India from USA I would strongly reccommend that you think a thousand times. One or two year visit yes, but permanent settlement is very very difficult and requires that you become a really dettached Yogi.

  18. Are you still happy there?

    I am a 64 yr old who wants to get out of the rat race but scared to make the leap…fear of the unknown.
    $1000. a month for all my expenses would be wonderful.

    How do you travel from your city and do you have internet???? phone???

    thank you,

    Rick

  19. Sukhendu Roy Chowdhury

    October 26, 2016 at 12:59 pm

    Dear Prakash,

    Yes, I too have a plan to settle down in Uttarakhand.

  20. Richard Summers

    November 4, 2016 at 7:18 pm

    I’m now 64, living in Arizona, and starting to collect my social security. I’ve been a practitioner of meditation since the age of 14, and seriously considering relocating to Rishikesh.
    I’m wondering that since it’s quite a tourist destination, is the cost of living higher? What is the cost of medical care? and can a little private dwelling be found for say the equivelent of $150.00 a month?
    Any help that anyone can provide will be greatly appreciated..:)
    pushinpaintdaily@yahoo.com

  21. Hi Prakash,
    I am interested in joining you. I have a dog, how do you feel about a dog? Have you built a home on the land or is it vacant? I am retired and planning on transitioning to move to India in 2017. I currently live in NYC. Where your land is located how far are you from the nearest city or town? What is around the area? Is the drinking water clean? I devote some of my time with practicing Paramahamsa Nithyananda Integrity techniques and other techniques and also practice Anandmurti Gurumaa Nidra Yoga.I want to learn higher practices. I also enjoy gardening and singing bhajans. Hope to hear from you.

    Warm wishes,
    Sandra

  22. I am a retired Indian Professional living in Orlando, Florida. I lost my wife 2 years back due to cancer and living alone. Planning to move to India. I am 74 years old and from Karnataka and US Citizen. What are the income tax liability, US SSA requirement, Travel issues and suggestion will be greatly appreciated.

  23. Hello Prakash–
    Are you seriously looking to create a deliberate community?

  24. I have just turned 70, female and am looking at India to retire. I currently live in the US but am British. I made the move from the UK with my husband 21 yrs ago although he passed just two years later. I am finding it difficult now to live in the US,

    I live on my British pension plus a little extra that I earn from typing/copy editing/proofreading.

    If anyone has any advice or comments for me I would like to hear.

  25. Hello Linda , , Im Canadian , caucasian and also looking at retiring in India . Im struggling with visa information . If you or anyone has any information , suggestions I would really appreciate the help .

  26. Thinking of an all encompassing hotel in india then i will make a choice. Do you know of a good one?
    Thanks

    7lp8

  27. Hi All, I am also very interested in retiring to an all encompassing hotel in India but so far have drawn a blank. Appreciate your comments/advice.

  28. Hello All
    I am US citizen of Indian origin 64 years old.Almost ready to retire.
    Before moving to USA 20 years back I traveled a lot in India due to my work.
    I was also fortunate to visit a lot of other countries.
    I live in Washington state and lived before in New Jersey and Nebraska.
    I did a lot of research and spoke to a lot of friends in India.
    My findings:
    1.For US citizen of Indian origin
    Get overseas citizen of India card.
    It is like double citizenship.
    2.For Americans-get 10 years visa.
    Can stay 6 months in India.
    General info:
    In India a 1 bedroom furnished apartment rent is 15000 to 25000 Rupees.
    It comes to 250 to 350 USD per month.
    Please use magicbricks.com and 99acres.com to find one.
    Also try home stays.
    Grocery for 2 people is USD 200 or less/month.
    Help part time is 100 or less/month.
    Other expenses USD 300/month.
    Total for 2 people comes to 1000 or less.
    In hills like Rishikesh-Haridwar there are a lot of opportunities to do yoga,meditation ,social work and trekking.
    I know a guy who is is associated with NGO.
    https://www.ekal.org/us
    I am going to live in Rishikesh/Haridwar from Oct 2018 till March 2019
    on experimental basis.
    I am planning to rent out my home in Tacoma WA for one year.
    I have a lot of friends and relatives in India and they promised to visit me
    once I am there.
    If successful,plan to live in India in winters only when the weather is gloomy
    in Seattle-Tacoma WA.
    I hope info is useful.

  29. Hello everyone presently I am living in Canada and working on a project on how I can provide foreign tourists a stress free life during their retirement where they can happily live on spending a small amount of money. For this India is the best place. I researched various cities and found Rishikesh is the best place. It is a pollution and noise free city and the world birth place of yoga. So I am working on the project where I can provide good small cottages fully furnished with all facilities according to western needs. If anyone is interested in my project please contact me on kenny_0172@yahoo.co.in

    Rishikesh estimated monthly costs
    grocery $50
    Utility bill $15
    Transportation $15
    Laundry $10
    Phone / wifi $10
    Tv $8
    Rent $150
    Doctor visit $10
    Medicines are cheaper than in the US and Canada
    Retired people from western countries live a better and cheaper life .

  30. India is a great place to retire,if u dont mind the bad side, best for those who are seeking spiritual life. There are many spiritual paths,and im now into vaisnavism -worship of Lord Krishna- im planning to go there soon,and end this life among chanting devotees,kirtans-festivals……if anyone wish to know more of this path,contact me. cidanandas-gmail

  31. Hats off to all who have retired in India. I was born and brought up in India – now living overseas for the major part of my life. I left India when I was 19 and am now 52 years old. Although I have visited India in the past and even got married there, I’ve not returned to India for the past 15 years.

    And although it is my birth place, of which I have many fond memories – most of them are now faded with passage of time, development, the rise of the population and accompanying pollution – together have taken a toll on the beautiful clean life I once experienced as a child and growing up lad.

    I will urge all, specially to the Non-Indians, to pay special attention to the advise given by Radha Gunta, and to again read between-the-lines the entire experience as stated by the original poster of her experiences in India.

    The benefits of low cost of living, and nice friendly people are soon over-shadowed by the reality of the filth, low hygiene levels due to poor sanitation and etiquette standards and zero manners practiced by the uneducated class (population) due to lack of education. Even basic necessities become a prestige to have – not to mention the petty bribes at every step of the way in your daily living. India is no walk in the park folks!

    Yes, local people treat you with respect, and love you for who you are, but coming from my experience, the basic necessities, an educated gentry of certain IQ level and exposure, and daily hygiene practices are more important to living a stress free life, than looking for a low cost of living country. Even spiritual programmes become useless and meaningless when basic standards of living begin to feel like a distant memory.

    In my opinion, and specially for people who are not of Indian origin, there are other better places which are less corrupt, and where one has access to basic necessities at least. Caucasians, beware! India will not live up to your dreams of blissful retirement. I highly doubt that bliss still exists in India!

    To Wiktor and Yohan – I will say, stay where you are, love your country and live in your country – probably in the suburbs where living will be cheaper for you and practice whatever yoga or vaisnavism you want to – If he/she exists, then god is everywhere … you definitely will not get closer to spiritualism by moving to India … just be good in life an dpractive goodness. Thats enough to find

    To all other caucasians – visit several times before deciding to set up life in India…there is no substitute to personal experience…India is good, but it may not be the life you imagined.

    Me, being an Indian, am not retiring in India…sorry folks…really very sorry! I love India minus its drawbacks.

    Be happy Live Happy!

    Cheers!

    • This bloke is an minority character. I have been living for 23yrs in UK, we got our 2 x daughters in UK. We love India. This country is gods own country, wish i should have held my job in AI. We are 4 brothers, youngest is 50. My 2 eldest brothers were in India from USA, they ate in their local Mani House restaurants in Chembur, we grew in Chembur. I am a Stroke patient, due to Covid vaccine injury, i have booked my 21days stay in Nov’22 for a Ayurveda treatment.
      Last 2019-20 we did the a tour of Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and then New year in Goa. My idea is to retire in Ratnagiri-North Goa after the New airport is built. Mrs Radha Gunta lives in ‘Gulti’ state, AP and TG, they are very ‘clever by half’. When we were studying in Mumbai, the joke was of Osmania University, every students gets his graduation for sure. I don’t wish to add anymore about Mrs Gunta. The AP and TG is run by the minority community, Shia’s in TG and Christians in AP, Reddy crooks in the middle.

    • Dear Brahmann,
      Thanks. You have the experience to convey the reality of living in India.
      I am 71, & was born & grew up in the West Indies (1/2 of my island’s citizens are of Indian ancestry, tho’ I am caucasian). I came to Canada 5 decades ago, and am now retired and considering moving to a less individualistic & warmer/tropical environment that is less expensive than Canada.
      India’s positives fit the bill – but its negatives many be too much to ignore. I now have a lot of doubt that I could live there all year; perhaps 6 1/2 mths in Canada (to retain my govt medical insurance) & 5 1/2 mths a year in India, could work for me.
      Thanks again, and all blessings to you & yours!

  32. Brahmann .. thanks for your comments. It is easy to romanticise India with such western movies and Exotic Marigold Hotel and Good Karma Hospital etc I visited, and stayed for a year more than 20 yrs ago. I loved it. But I was young. I’d love to retire in Rishikesh, my guru visits there each year, I could take up yoga, and live a “spiritual” and relaxed lifestyle, healthy vegetarian food – but the reality is quite different from the dream I can see from the many comments. Things seem to have changed a little, but the hygiene and lack of infrastructure/water/electricity etc does have an impact. I will visit in 2018 for a month. Perhaps stay 2 to test it our again with a view to staying for 6 months of each year, and returning to Australia for 6. I’m not sure if this will be financially viable, if I can rent in each place when I leave … any ideas?

  33. Even from my own personal experience, India has changed dramatically over the last 5-10 years and especially with the new govt and advent of technology, a lot of the daily minor irritants and inconveniences are rapidly and permanently ending. Thus it is possible to achieve the same and higher quality of everyday living at par with western societies-such that even Diaspora members of my own family are now moving back to India in their fifties and later.
    The biggest improvements they find over living in Europe, and North America are-
    1) The strong sense of serendipity and adventure – life tends to get bland and predictable after a while elsewhere. There is never a dull moment in India.
    2) Possibility for community living and volunteering, giving back and having folks taking care of you
    3) Brighter colors, warmer weather, lots of people and animals/wildlife – less depressing. I live on the outskirts of Delhi- supposed to be one of the worst places to live in- and yet we have over 50 species of birds, and other animals co-existing, along with plenty of tropical vegetation that does make one feel more happy and tuned to the wonderful planet in a much better manner.
    4) Possibilities for cheaper assisted living- cooks/housekeepers/attendants/daily masseuses/cleaners/chauffers/utility fixers/maids, nurses- there is help for every budget and every need available.
    Yes its a bit hard to find and retain quality, verified help.

    For the negatives, yes Indian public systems are creaking at the seams due to the sheer growth in numbers. But please remember we also have the largest number – 800+ million, of workforce available and hungry to help out. Also, Indian systems are designed for being labor intensive and dependent on other people- such as family, neighbors and communities, as well as outside help, hence its a bit difficult for folks who are used to independent, rugged, isolationist, self-help living. On the plus side, if you have the right help/butler/concierge services, life is an absolute luxury over here. And general human interaction as we grow older is anyway better for our emotional and physical well-being. Just like in the US- apart from there now being a (US Clone) “app for everything”, our replacement for apps is people. So instead of self-driving cars, we have autonomous driving in terms of hiring chauffeurs.

    Each day in India is anyday better than living in expensive nursing homes, assisted living and retirement communities of the West. You will save a lot more money, and have a much better and happier life. Not to mention having a lower lifetime carbon footprint.

  34. Also, for all pet-parents,

    India is still new to the concept of recreational pet parenting- though it is exploding at a viral exponential pace as more Indians become affluent and adopt Western customs, so all your needs are now met in most superstores, vets and breeding areas. However, India has a strong tradition of community pets, and keeping bovine and farm animals, birds and pigeons as pets over dogs, rodents, reptiles.
    There are enough and more natural wild free-ranging K-9 units in all rural and urban areas, and its great to experience living and helping them out. Several returning expats in India have found strong meaning in working with animal shelters and units to help out urban animals. Our streets might be lesser clean- but atleast the bulls are not slaughtered for meat right from the start, and are allowed to live on. If you do find meaning through animals, I strongly urge you to help out existing animal shelters and interventions, rather than just adding species which naturally dont exist in India, and will anyway be cooped up and unhappy in homes. There is a strong culture of free-range here. Please also do consider the lifetime carbon and environmental footprint of keeping a pet

  35. There are several things to do for volunteerism and fun. I live in an army retirement community where I take care of my grandparents, who though retired as 2-star generals are very middle class by US standards. They maintain an active life well into their 80s and 90s, and there is a very collegial life that they enjoy. Some of the daily activities

    1. Group yoga, laughter clubs, walks, massages
    2. Access to libraries for reading books, self-improvement, internet and newspapers
    3. Volunteering and teaching underprivileged kids, providing after school support and nutrition to the kids to ensure generational upward mobility.
    4. Travelling both within India and abroad once every couple of months. Flight connectivity has improved dramatically and so have roadways and general tourism infrastructure everywhere in last 3 years. You have billion dollar unicorn startups like Oyo Rooms, MakemyTrip, and Yatra making this happen now.
    5. Getting together with families and friends to plan festivals – there is a festival in india for every full-moon and no-moon day- so technically upto 24 festivals
    6. Active writing and media- they write articles for local media, deliver talks on radio, even wrote cookbooks and presented cookery shows, and write out memoirs.
    7. Investments- we now manage and do stock market investments both in the India and US, and its surprisingly easy to manage from home, My grandmom learnt investing in her 70s, and is making a dollar denominated 10% IRR return for the last 10 years.
    8. Cultural events- music concerts, dance, theater, films, food festivals, shopping festivals, – there is something always going on which is free to attend. However this is mostly because this is Delhi. and would be difficult to find outside metropolitan cities and their suburbs
    9. Learning new skills- they are now learning cooking various world cuisines, and painting via a variety of media.
    10. Are also learning more about Indic religions, philosophy and reading up on various primary texts, by learning more of Sanskrit. Several of these texts were inaccesible to them when they were young and poor 70 years ago. Only now in the 2010’s onwards. are translations more easily available and there is more systemic attention paid.
    11. Farming and gardening- they love doing this! Grow all flowers, fruits and vegetables on rooftops , terraces and gardens, as well as our community garden. This is so relaxing for them and they get pride and joy in watching things grow.

  36. Hello everyone! I’m 64 years old, from San Francisco, CA, retired, and occasionally do volunteer work overseas for six months to one year at a time.

    Now I want to do something for myself, and that is to go on a six months to one year vacation. I’m planning to live in a city or province in India with the purpose of simply engaging in a new culture, make new friends, and perhaps learn a new language.

    While googling “What are the best vacation destinations in India” I was pleasantly surprised to come across this website. Everyone here had provided valuable information that would be very useful in my search for the most suitable place for me.

    For a single woman like me, would it be safe to live solo in any part of India?

    Thanks in advance for any comments or suggestions.

  37. have lived in USA for 27+ years now. I am 53 years old and want to retire. tired of rat race work politics and life here. can’t touch mu 401k and pension plan for 7 yrs to 12 yrs respectively. have savings to survive till then. want to relocate to uttarakand , kullu , have an OCI card , plan is to move to India in 2018 rent a place and see the feasibility of survival . the place that takes my fancy is DHAULATII. any body has any advice.

  38. Hello Readers, I am single 62 Indian born vegetarian living in USA over 30 years. After reading all comments I am still looking for information about OCI retired community in India. If any of you have knowledge, please share here or email me sonnymehta@yahoo.com. My desire is to live in India after retiring in coming years since I have NO tie in USA.
    Thank you for reading and effort to reply…..

  39. Hi everyone,i am Scottish 66 and have visited India many times i also wish to retire there fed up with uk living i have made friends with good honest people and like everywhere else if you go with an open mind and heart you will be made welcome!
    ,problem is the visa rules and expense of having to keep returning!
    I am interested to speak with anyone who wishes to help benefit the poor and ideas are welcome especially ideas of creating jobs,of which i am interested in doing in Karnataka and sharing a large place (marigold hotel springs to mind ) to help with expenses of staying there!
    Looking forward to sharing ideas ebonay15@yahoo.com thanks Poppy

  40. I am Indian born us citizen. Lived in Newyork for 16 years. As I don’t know anyone in USA planning to retire in India. Can anyone tell me about taxation of US and India and whom I am supposed to approach to discuss this matter?

  41. i am a 73 year old american woman who lived and worked in several places in india…..it was a great adventure with my late husband, and our favourite place was shimla…..a pedestrianised himalayan hill station

  42. India fascinates me. Never been there though I have travelled many other places.
    I’m 57 this year and thinking of retirement plans. India is calling. I don’t plan to buy property or apply for citizenship. 6 months away from UK weather will suffice.
    Probably towards a large town certainly not one of the crowded cities. Can’t see the point.
    I’m used to travelling and setting up in new places so the challenge does not bother me. After all once retired I will have the freedom of time.
    I see myself in the north perhaps not distant from Himalayas with plenty of trekking opportunities.
    Interested in chatting with like minded souls

  43. Maria Isabel I Tan

    June 7, 2018 at 6:00 pm

    This message is for Ashok Gupta.

    Hello Ashok! I have always dreamed of living in Rishekesh because I heard so much about the abundance of activities one can participate in such as yoga, meditation, and volunteer opportunities. Now that I have already obtained a ten-year Indian visa, I am searching for a place to live. Where do I go to search for a condo, or apartment to rent for six months?

    Thanks in advance for any input

  44. I have ancestral lands in India, in the state of Assam, but thinking of retirement in Kerala with summers in Munnar Hills or Simla. I am currently a nurse but was a lawyer for several decades. I want to obtain my OCI (I am 1/2 East Indian and 1/2 European) and retire to India. My hope is to work with an NGO or other organization to help children who are victims o trafficking or otherwise lost parents and combine with a program to help stray animals as some programs have done in the U.S. Does anyone have a similar interest. Are there any physicians retiring that would be interested in a similar project?

  45. My question is about health insurance costs in India. Does India have a Universal Health Care plan that foreigners can buy into? If not, can sane and reasonably prices be found for private health insurance. I live in Thailand, where medical costs are quite low compared to the United States, and the quotes I got were much higher than it would cost to insure in the USA. This is nearly unbelievable, since the savings for insurance companies would be considerable. Any comments or information would be appreciated.

  46. My wife and I have been in the USA for over 50 years. I retired from a University about four years ago. I am now 86 yrs. old. Over the 50 yrs. we visited India several times and usually stayed with our relatives in Pune. I was in Pune in early 50s for 6 years for my college education. I came to the USA in 1962 and since then I have been in the USA. In 70s we made efforts to move back to India but they were not successful. In the USA I got excellent chances and was appointed head of a major department in health sciences and also served as the Dean of a health science school. In spite of my experience and accomplishments in the USA it was difficult to get any meaningful employment in India because of old outdated rules that govern employment. We still visit India for seeing our old relatives. Our experience has indicated that the life in India for old persons is extremely difficult. A total lack of cleanliness, rampant corruption at every level, lack of qualified help when one needs it, very undependable and costly domestic help, a nearly total lack of concern about old persons are some of the reasons we have decided to stay in the USA. I have studied problems faced by old retirees in the USA and in India. My conclusions are (1) India has only very few average quality retirement facilities that are very costly. (2) Access to good medical care is not available when one needs it, even in large cities. (3) Promises given in writing at the beginning are rarely kept by private agencies as well as the government agencies. (4) A total lack of civilian responsibility as far as cleanliness, garbage disposal, and public health is concerned. (5) Rampant disregard about traffic regulations. And most cities and towns have thousands of stray dogs that attack young children and old persons and a total inability of the civil authorities to take care of the stray dogs and treatment for rabies is not available in most areas. In our opinion it will be a tragic mistake to move to India for retirement andlmore so for American citizens. Access to yoga and other meditation techniques are also available in the USA and actually yoga teachers come to the USA for teaching and marketing their trade in the USA. So no need to go to Rishikesh or any other place in India. That is how we feel.

  47. I am 61 turning 62 in July of 2019. I have already planned to retire in India and the place I picked is Bordi Beach, Maharastra. It’s only 125 KMs from Mumbai and on border of Gujarat and Maharastra. It’s got the most beautiful beach and the cost of living is very reasonable. I did buy a farm house years ago and plan to move in next year. The quality of life is very good, the air is clean and money can buy you all kinds of life’s luxuries. Being a Gujju, I have lot’s of relatives living in Mumbai, Surat, Bharuch and Vadodara. I would have preferred a place in Gujarat but due to prohibition laws, I decided on this. Summer’s can be harsh, but with the arrival of monsoon in June, the area turns LUSH GREEN and I can sit on my porch and watch the sunset.
    So my advise, move to a tier 2 or 3 city or find a place approx 100 kms away from the craziness of big urban centers

  48. Dear All,

    I am only 52, so quite young as compared to some of you !!

    I quite accidentally stumbled upon this blog, and think of it as a treasure trove of insight. I have been in the Hospitality Business for the last 3 decades and own and operate a small Hotel on the Bombay Goa Highway.

    On a long holiday to Australia in 2004, I fell in love with Sydney and now call it home, as well. I am now an Australian Citizen, having settled here over the last 15 years, but have not given up my business interests in India. Have an OCI Visa to India and my Mum & Dad still live in Pune.

    Over the last year me and a few close friends have conceived of a Retirement Resort for Seniors. A place surrounded with nature but flush with creature comforts, designed to Australian safety and comfort standards.

    We are trying to locate it close to Pune, which is a mini metro in the state of Maharashtra. On a large 10 to 20 acre lot, definitely away form the city hustle and bustle, but only about an hour to hour and half out of Pune. This location we are confident will fit the bill, as it provides access to a charming historical little city, and provide comforts like some world standard Hospitals, Malls & Restaurants and entertainment. Besides, Pune Airport is now turning international with connectivity to Dubai & Singapore, allowing for easy access and egress to international destinations.
    The Project will not be aimed at making large profit, but at least just enough revenue to sustain decent operating standards. The whole idea will be to develop human networks that will help sustain like minded people, and aim to help them age gracefully and without worries.

    Affordability will be a key concept. But, everything costs money and we’re in the final phases of planing affordable outcomes. So any suggestions are welcome.
    A resident Nurse will be a highlight of the project.

    Woods, Gardens, Waterbodies, will essentially be the identity of the place.
    Fenced in and protected, the estate will have about 2 kms of level walking track.
    Units will be designed like Studios and will be fully serviced. Housekeeping and Food Service will also be integrated into an affordable package. My hospitality background is my humble offering to ensure the comfort of each and every resident & staff member.

    Core activities will include Yoga, Meditation & Naturopathy. Residents will be encouraged to choose activities to keep them engaged and happy.
    Ancillary activities will include growing organic vegetables, a small dairy of milk cows, bee keeping for honey, etc.

    I am happy to share more information with you on where we are at this stage, and would in turn like you to share your thoughts with me and my team of 10 friends. We all will be residents at this place ourselves, some long term others on a fly in fly out basis 🙂

    My email is EZEETOO@GMAIL.COM
    My Telephone in Australia is +61 413 210 277

    Kind regards

    Ted Bhosle

  49. Hi Cynthia,

    Curious after the initial post in 2014, what updated thoughts you might have in 2021. Did you work through any challenges? Or were they too intractable and did you decide to move back?

    Would love an update.

    Thanks, Ragu

  50. Hi Shantha.

    Please be aware of FATCA and RNOR, ROR status. India will tax ALL your global income when you are in ROR status. So be awarew of it. You MAY have to file US taxes and also Indian taxes. This may NOT be applicable to you … it does in our case.

    Am (We) a USA citizen and am also planning to retire in India in Pune (I am originally from Pune and have my parents’ bunglow there and thinking of redeveloping it.). However, I am VERY MUCH concerned about pollution and health infrastructure beside inflation in India etc. We saw how BADLY health infra structure fared during Covid wave 2.

    I will live in India for 1 year (again be careful to avoid getting into Indian Income Tax Ambit) to see whether I can live there before I will fully commit and keep my US citizen in case we have to R2A (Return To America). I ALWAYS believe in “Trust But Verify” — never ever take anything at face value. We/I do not.

    All the BEST.

  51. HI WOULD LIKE TO TALK WITH YOU IF you ARE COMFORTABLE EMAIL .. ref_ethanol@usa.com

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