A Reddit post by a US returnee has gone viral, capturing the frustrations of an Indian expatriate who moved back home after a decade in the United States.
The now widely circulated post paints a grim picture of Indian urban life, describing "crumbling infrastructure," "polluted air," and a "glaring lack of civic sense."
The author, who claims to have lived and worked for Fortune 500 companies in the US for eight years, returned to India in early 2024 after losing his job and H-1B visa. Over the past year, he has lived in Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad, but says he is "devastated" and "dying" by the quality of life in the country.
"Really bad roads. Potholes galore. Nobody cares about fixing the roads," he writes. He also cites "never-ending construction work," "filthy white dust," and "chest congestion" from polluted air. In what some have called a scathing indictment, he notes, "People drive like animals" and laments public urination, littering, and indifferent civic behaviour.
The post quickly struck a chord online, prompting a flood of reactions. While many users sympathised, others criticised the tone as elitist.
"I moved to India from the US for family reasons and lived there for 2.5 years. I wasn't sure about the long term, so I moved to Canada, thinking I could at least get a backup passport in 3 to 4 years.
If you're moving to India, you have to accept all the issues you've mentioned. India is likely to remain that way for our lifetime. In the best-case scenario, it might become like present-day China in terms of infrastructure in 25 to 30 years. However, the GDP per capita-adjusted for inflation-will still be low, and politicians will continue to use your tax money for freebies aimed at vote banks.