According to Jain, his friend was particularly taken aback by how affordable everyday essentials are in India
A social media post about an NRI’s visit to India after nearly a decade has set off a lively debate online, with opinions sharply divided over how life in the country compares to living abroad.
Alok Jain, founder of WeekendInvesting, wrote on X that a friend visiting from New York was struck by India’s “amazing energy” and the speed at which things seemed to be moving. Jain said that seeing India through an outsider’s eyes could be eye-opening. “An outsider’s perspective can be so different from our own,” he wrote.
According to Jain, his friend was particularly taken aback by how affordable everyday essentials are in India, compared to those in the US. The friend said he spent around $600 a month on mobile and data services, close to $30,000 a year on health insurance for a family of four, and almost 2 per cent of his home’s value annually as property tax. Jain summed it up by adding, “Yes air is cleaner there but there are many more good things happening here.”
A friend visited me from New York today. He had come to India after 8 yrs.
He was all praise for the amazing energy in the country and how rapidly he felt India is growing.
An outsiders perspective can be so different from our own. — Alok Jain ⚡ (@WeekendInvestng) December 23, 2025
The post quickly gained traction, drawing a wide range of responses. Some X users disagreed with the comparison. One entrepreneur commented that many of his friends prefer Bengaluru to New York City, joking, “Just like when I see my friends Ferrari, I think ‘wow, so impractical!’ as I drive my Prius into the sunset.”
Others were more critical. An Indian entrepreneur argued that while India does have advantages, the overall quality of life tells a different story. “From AQI to walkable public spaces, New York is way ahead, no comparison,” he wrote. Another commenter was blunt, saying, “I am an outsider and I can say that everything wrong with the country has to do only with lack of civic sense among the people.”
Still, Jain’s view found plenty of support. An X user commented, “India has its problems, but affordability, speed, and momentum are real advantages we underestimate.”