The many NRIs returning to India

For nearly ten years now, the exodus of NRIs from the US has been unceasing. It began much before the recent economic downtown - the current recession. I think it started with the opening up of India.

When did India's economy began opening up? Just before Dr Manmohan Singh took office. The 'India Shining' advertisements were the first ones that brought the world's focus on India. What started as a PR exercise soon became real. The advertisement turned into the personality of the country.

And with the entrance of Dr Singh, under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi, India's economy took off. In businesses and enterprises, in education and technology, in culture and fashion, Indians came to the forefront. Movie stars and authors came into the limelight of the international arena. Indian origin VS Naipaul received the Nobel prize for literature, Amartya Sen for Economics, Arundhati Roy, followed by others received the Booker Prize.

With the concept of multiplex cinemas, more and more movies started to be made in India, and demand for experimental movies began. People were willing to pay more to watch a movie in air-conditioned luxurious theaters like the PVR.

Enterpreneurs like RK Mittal and the Ambanis were followed by others. Companies like Airtel, an India-born business caught on. Other Indian businesses also prospered.

In every aspect of life, India began growing. And now it is among one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Despite its inflation and high population, it is prospering. Lifestyles have changed dramatically.

With the global Internet revolution, outsourcing started. And businesses became more global. The world now has become so small that one could live in one corner, and work for another corner somewhere else.

With the impressive growth of India, there has now been a reverse brain drain. The brains that had earlier deserted India because of better jobs abroad, as in countries like US, are now going back to India. That is great news. India needs these talents in such a period of time. Their intelligence is required to steer the country through the changes that it is undergoing. It has bigger homegrown business, its population needs better management, its markets are getting bigger and bigger.

Cyber Monday Deals

Yesterday, I didn't think much about surfing to look for Cyber Monday deals, although I had heard a lot about how websites and online stores were gearing up for sales. I'd seen promotions when I opened my browser, and that was all. Apart from picking up a few things like bath oil, a book, a handheld vacuum cleaner, and medicines, I had not got into the habit of habitually buying things on the Internet.

Evening, when my Equal Half returned home, something happened. He was all gushing about Cyber Monday deals, and also about someone who bought a laptop on Black Friday standing in line since 4 in the morning. This guy got a real great deal on a laptop. Never mind if he was one who could easily afford its full price and did not have to do that hard work of queueing up so early. He picked up his booty, went back home with it, and then hit the bed and fell asleep. Someone like me should learn such clever strategies to accumulate more things.

My Equal Half had been talking about deals on computers and plasma television for a few days now, as he scanned the flyers which came with the newspaper. I had been dissuading him from getting one more computer, or one more TV screen. But yesterday, when he wanted to get his favourite sweaters from http://www.nautica.com/, I couldn't say anything.

HE had been searching for his favourite style of sweater in many nautica stores. We had also checked out the outlet stores in Ventura, and many others in town, but there were none to his liking. The only option left was to go to the Internet. And yesterday was an opportunity he did not want to pass by. His sweaters were on sale, and he was elated. The order of a sweater and two full-sleeve shirts were closed after he spent a long time checking the colours and the styles.

I'm glad that he would be soon getting what he always wanted. Now it is upto the mailman to deliver in time, and the undamaged goods to us.

Old Hindi Songs

After wrongly listening to it for a long time, I've rediscovered this amazing website called http://www.dishant.com/, which has compilations of Hindi songs, movie songs classified based on movie, alphabet, actor, actress, etc. What a fool I was earlier, just confining myself to the Live radio section, and never exploring any of the other tabs.

Before that, my husband discovered he could play the Pandora Radio on his Palm Pre phone through the sound system in the house, which improved its music quality by adding stereo. Gradually, we were able to plug in the computer, and the old cassette playing tape recorder to the sound system, which dramatically altered the type of music we listened to. My joy was endless when I could use my music cassette collection transported all the way from India on ship.

The computer, now attached to the sound system, has become many times more valuable as an entertainment outlet. Everything comes on stereo. Mainly http://www.dishant.com/ has caught my attention. It has a large collection. To be able to listen to my favourite songs in the US is such a privilege. I wonder, what an age we are living in. The computer and the internet has revolutionized everything.

A few decades ago, when someone came over from India to the US, there was no Indian television. And the Internet was not even born. Telephone calls were extremely expensive and beyond one's pocket. The postal system was slow and did not reach every corner of the globe. And now? I don't have to explain, I guess.