H-1Bs, high-rises, and health insurance
and a little bit of missing home this time of the year
Hello DoorDesi,
It’s that time of year again when my WhatsApp fills with photos of pandals and plates of bhog, and I realise I’m missing Durga Pujo yet again. Durga Pujo for a Bengali is not religious. It is cultural. It is social. So even though I am going to the celebration taking place close to my place here, it is nothing like getting dressed every morning to go sit at the neighbourhood pandal, go to the pandal where the rest of your friends are gathered, and eating like there is no tomorrow. Celebrating events like pujo for Bengalis away from home sharpens the feeling of living in two worlds — grateful for what’s here, but always tugged by what’s there.
This week’s news only adds to that tug. Trump’s H1-B fee hike reminded us how fragile our foothold can feel. At home, ageing parents and caregiving for them is becoming a major concern for a lot of us. The Rupee’s downward spiral is a reminder of the privilege DoorDesis have of earning in stronger currencies. And we are watching as one of our generation’s heroes is being vilified for his climate advocacy.
But Pujo is also about renewal and resilience — about choosing hope in the middle of chaos. So here’s to ending September with strength, and carrying a bit of Pujo’s spirit with us, wherever we are.
Just the gist
So I can imagine that the last week or so have been hell for a lot of DoorDesis and would be DoorDesis. Trump in the most Trump fashion of course went ahead and announced his newly hiked $100k annual fee for the H1-B without so much as consideration for clarity and fact. The administration later clarified that this only applies to new applicants, even excluding those who are already serving their OPT period. Hopefully that brought some relief.
That said, this is bound to have an impact on both, the U.S. economy as well as that of India (among other nations that rely heavily on remittances from the U.S.).
On the home front, India’s finance ministry has flagged that their are risks to the economy but for now they are stabilised by the recent easing of GST thus boosting the national economy. In the U.S., the risk of offshoring of jobs that subsequenty affects the job market in-country has been flagged by experts.
➡️ There isn’t much one can do to protect themselves from random policy changes by world leaders who increasingly seem to be making decisions based on which side of the bed they woke up on on any given day.
For years, NRIs were the emotional investors of Indian real estate - buying a flat “back home” to feel connected. But now this category of real estate investors have turned into sharp, demanding clients reshaping the market. Today’s NRI buyer wants smart homes, EV charging, concierge desks, and app-based community management.
Armed with proptech platforms, advisors, and spreadsheets, NRIs are shopping like fund managers who care about yields, tenant demand, and infrastructure growth. Developers are upping their game by offering virtual site tours, online documentation, and projects benchmarked against global standards.
As a result Tier 1 cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Pune are seeing a surge in luxury housing and better quality construction.
➡️ Investing in real estate in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities should now be on the radar of NRIs with mid to high disposable income. The decision need not be driven by where their family lives anymore, rather by where the yield is highest. (note: this also runs the risk of pushing up real estate prices thus pushing out hard working Indians from the market so be mindful.)
Worrying about our parents as they age is not news to anyone. As NRIs, it is quite common to wonder and worry who is going to rush them to the hospital or take care of paperwork in our absence.
Enter India’s new-age health insurance for senior citizens. Day 1 coverage for pre-existing conditions, cashless hospitalisation, 24/7 helplines, ambulance support, even emotional wellness counselling. Some policies now bundle in concierge-style caregiving. These policies are specifically designed with the problems faced by NRIs and their families in mind.
There are also several discounts exclusively available for NRIs when they buy health insurance from India for themselves, their spouse, or parents.
➡️ Caring for ageing parents from abroad is no easy feat. But the country and its infrastructure seem to be pivoting to support the needs of our hybrid families.
🔗 Rupee came tumbling aaaafter
September has been brutal for the rupee. On Sept 23, it sank to 88.6 against the dollar — its weakest ever. What’s odd is that while most global currencies (euro, yuan, yen, even Brazil’s real) have strengthened against the dollar this year, the rupee is hanging out with the likes of Pakistan and Bangladesh. And sliding faster.
Imports costlier, exports cheaper - that’s the trade-off. Which is why the RBI hasn’t rushed in with support: a weaker rupee might actually help exporters, especially as Trump’s tariffs slam India’s trade. But the kicker is that investors aren’t buying it. Foreign investment is slowing, export growth is flat, and company earnings are underwhelming.
➡️ Your monthly, quarterly remittances are likely to go way way further than they would have last year. So plan your transfers accordingly.
Trending on the internet
🔗 All is not well in the mountains
For decades, Sonam Wangchuk was the face of Ladakh’s ingenuity: engineer-turned-educator, climate activist, and the man who built ice stupas to fight water scarcity. His SECMOL school and solar-powered innovations earned him a Ramon Magsaysay award and we got Three Idiots.
Post-2019, however, Wangchuk shifted from innovator to agitator, fasting for Ladakh’s fragile ecology, Sixth Schedule protections, and safeguards against industrial mining. The Centre naturally was not amused. In classic Centre fashion land allotments were cancelled, CBI inquiries were launched, and finally, his institute’s foreign funding licence was revoked.
Now, he is jailed after protests turned violent last week leading to 4 deaths.
➡️ From climate hero to political prisoner, Wangchuk’s journey shows how quickly activism in India can collide with the state.
With love on behalf of two women who cringe at the mention of chai tea latte,
Sudeshna
Co-Founder, DoorDesi 💃
Housekeeping
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