Indian Dream: Your stories By Rajini Vaidyanathan & Hasit Shah

BBC News Published duration 29 October 2012

image caption Kunwar Wazir is postponing her studies in Sydney to pursue her Bollywood dream

More and more people of Indian origin are moving 'back' to the country their parents left decades ago, for the growing business opportunities and to make cultural connections.

Since 2005, 1.1 million people have taken advantage of a scheme which offers a lifelong visa to the children and grandchildren of people born in India, as well as former Indian nationals.

With India's economy growing faster than most in the West, is now the time to head East? What are the realities of making such a move?

Readers have been sending us their comments and sharing their experiences.

image caption Writer Dilip D'Souza moved back to India in 1992, from the US

I studied in the US, and stayed eight more years. But I wanted to return to India. There were issues there - social, environmental, political - that I cared about. I also wanted to be closer to my parents as they got older. I've never regretted moving back in 1992. It's not that I disliked the US; on the contrary, I've always felt at home there. And India is frustrating and perverse in so many ways. Yet it's almost because of that frustration that I find this the world's most fascinating country. Dilip D'Souza, Mumbai

Earlier this year I quit my job as a policy adviser in the US Senate and moved to India. I grew up in Madison, Wisconsin. My parents were very traditional, so I had a dual upbringing - Bengali culture at home, American outside. We first visited India when I was 10, and I loved it. When I came to live here, to my parents it was still the India of 25 years ago. They didn't like me being far from home, and they feared for my safety. But I'm enjoying it and I want to be a part of this growing economy. Bidisha Bhattacharya, Bangalore

I was about 12 when I last came to India. I got appendicitis, and never wanted to return. My dad had gone to the US in search of a better life and now, here I am in India, amazed at the opportunities. I'm constantly thinking: "Man, they really need that here," and "Wow, they could use that in the States." In the US, I can drive to Wal-Mart and get anything I want. Here, I've got to stop at four or five different stores, with no car. But you can hire a driver all day for about $20. Can't beat that. Josh Israel, Delhi

I am Indian by ethnicity, but I had only been there once, at the age of 12. I hated the place. When my firm opened a Mumbai office, they asked me set it up - I thought I'd stay no more than a year. Three days after I landed in November 2008, the hotel I was staying in was attacked by terrorists. But I stayed and fell in love with the country. Four years later, I'm still here and we now have three offices in India. Now that my wife Priya has also moved here from Canada, I think we are staying for good. Anuj Ranjan, Mumbai

I moved to London a few years ago to study and gain experience in the broadcast industry. It mostly went well. But I missed the cars, servants and endless parties that were part of my life back home. I also hated the cold and constant grey of London. So I left and that was a mistake. The treatment of women has become worse in India. I felt much safer in Britain. The job situation isn't great here either - media jobs are badly-paid and disorganised.Despite everything, I do love India and especially, being close to my family. Pallavi Malhotra, Mumbai

I was born in India. I now work as a model in Sydney, but for me, Bollywood is the place to be. Mumbai is not easy. I once sent my portfolio to a modelling agent. He liked my photos and told me he could get me into famous fashion magazines. But then he asked if I was ready to 'compromise.' In other words, the casting couch. I was shocked and pretended not to understand. There are some horrible people out there, but I'm still going to Mumbai, because I'm determined to succeed. Kunwar Wazir, Sydney, Australia

Good luck to those who want to go there. You'll need it. I've finally had enough and left. Mumbai is too backward, and other cities are even worse. Everything is made more difficult than it needs to be. Nobody is ever punctual, for example, and eventually you get sucked into behaving like everyone else. There is too much corruption - my driving test took about a minute, and I could have even avoided that inconvenience by handing over a little cash. This is a place where Bollywood is considered more important than the abject poverty you see everywhere, and that says it all. Amit Nawalrai, ex-Mumbai

I graduated in the US in 2011 and decided to move back to India to work in a start-up. I was pessimistic about the economy in the States, and optimistic about India. I remain so, but only just. Pollution, noise and lack of hygiene are all serious problems. I am currently recovering from dengue fever. At work, we have to regularly deal with power cuts, tax issues and hugely complex bureaucracy. But anyone looking for challenges must come here. Akhilesh Magal, Delhi