Relocating to Chennai

Penri

Hi,

My company is relocating me to Chennai from the UK for two years and would be grateful if anyone can provide answers to the following questions/concerns that I have. (I spent a week visiting in March and already have a very basic understanding on what to expect)

1. My wife. As she’s joining me on an x visa, she is unable to seek employment. How have other expats overcome the isolation that this could cause? She would like to have children during our stay, however she’s concerned about medical facilities and malaria.

2. My company are paying for my accommodation and I’m looking for a beach house on the ECR. Based on meetings with a prominent relocation agency in Chennai my budget is 70-80K INR per month. However, discussions with colleagues who work in Chennai state that I’m being conned (the fact that they tried to extract 750USD from me just to show me around a few houses wasn’t a great introduction) – Is this a fair price? What should I expect for this sort of budget?

3. What should our monthly expenses be (inc car) for a good standard of living? I’ve been given a 6 GBP a day personal expenses allowance. Is this enough? If not, my monthly salary of 3K GBP should bridge any gap, however I’m keen to budget our spending from the start.

4. Do we need a security guard for our house? The agency said that they’re not necessary but would recommend one for the nights – A slightly contradictory statement.

5. Drivers. I would prefer to hire a car and drive it myself (the commute from the ECR to work avoids the city as the office is in Taramani). How can I arrange this at a competitive long-term price?

6. Expats community. Is there one? Do they meet regulary?

Many thanks in advance for any response.

Nick-H

Just a quickie... 70 to 80 thousand? Wow! and outside Chennai too!

Lets put it this way. My rent, for a two-bed flat close to central Chennai is 6000. It is an old house, unfurnished etc etc, and if I was looking for furiture and AC and stuff to be provided I guess I'd have to pay two or three times as much.

One thing about living in Chennai (well, India, I suppose...) is that labour is cheap. If you are living at that kind of level I doubt that you will even notice the expense of your cook, clener, driver... and in a house that expensive I'd employ a guard.

Self drive car hire is probably available, but same thing applies. The labour is cheap you may as well have a driver.

Enjoy Chennai

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Auntyji

http://www.globaladjustments.com/company/index.html

Global Adjustments appears to help expats with relocation issues-they have an office in Chennai. Hope the link helps.

If you need the name of a good family physician, PM me. Good luck with the move.

abhishek2k90

Hi Penri,

Welcome to Chennai. I got relocated to this place Almost a year and half back. My office is in taramani as well, and i live near the Beach on ECR Road.
Regarding the house, 70- 80 k is TOOO much. Dont go with these agencies. You being a "White person", they will try to extract as much as possible.
You can find a decent 3 room Appt. close to the beach for about 15-20 K. If you go for an appt. then you dont have to worry about Guard and water problems, but for an indivisual house, yes maybe u'l need a guard.

Monthly exp. for standard living for 2 people would come around 20-25K i guess.

Hope this info helps you. Have a great stay!!!

Regards
Abhishek

Penri

Nick, Auntyji & Abhishek - Many thanks for your responses and advice.

Global Adjustments are the company who are assisting with my house hunt. The service is excellent, however they do appear mercenary - and fickle, considering how quickly they revoked the 750USD charge for showing me their housing portfolio when I threatened to walk away. Surely hiking prices for westerners can't be good for the local housing market?

My visit to Chennai in March showed the city to be a fairly safe place. What would the guards be protecting us/the property from? Is burglary commonplace?

I appreciate that labour is cheap in India, however I'm having difficulty in overcoming my morals in justifying hiring a cook, cleaner, driver guard etc for such little money to fulfill needs that my wife and I have serviced ourselves in the UK. I think that my challenge is in accepting class divisions and maintaining our independence. The irony is that the above concerns are the direct benefits of the business reasons taking me to Chennai.

Regards,

Penri

gopalk

Cook and cleaner you can probably dispense with. I guess the driver is highly recommended though.

Also break-ins could be fairly common place in remote places on the ECR and especially if you are marked as an easy target. If you do hire a security guard (assuming you stay in an independent house), I would advice you to get one from the established ones like Group 4.

Almoraboy

hi all,
yup, i also agree that 80 k is a lot of amount.
i just moved to chennai last week, and i have arranged a place to stay in g n chetty road. we r a total of 3 friends. we r paying 8k per month for a 2bedroom, 2 hall, 1 kitchen 1 bathroom house (including water) and a separate electricity meter.
plus, it is an independent house, since the landlord had a huge bunglow, he made it next to his house. so there is parking space + garden + mango trees.

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Digital Drifter

Do you want to gainfully employ people or not? Or prefer to do that through some charitable org? What class divisions are you implying?

If you think it makes sense to employ three people,do so, as long as you're paying them decent wages as the market.

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nedhopkins

Re medical care: The Apollo Hospital in Chennai is world-class. You'll certainly be able to find an obstetrician affiliated with that institution. (I was treated there in December 2004 for a serious injury and have nothing but praise for the competence of its physicians and its high-tech facilities.)

ArjunaWeeping

Penri

I had lots of problems with the "cheap labour" and subservience thing too, but I totally agree with DD. What you have to remember is that if you do not employ these people then no-one else will. In India that can mean starvation and homelessness, so oyu really are doing a good thing.

To work on the situation, you can treat them well as an employer, and pay them reasonably too. Just remember the social rules too (and your employees' pride) though it doesn't sound like you're the type to forget .

Have fun, wish it was me!

Cheers,

Scott

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Nick-H

I have no problems with the cheap labour!

If you can afford to employ people it is almost a responsibility to do so, and, as has been said, pay them market wages and treat them well.

We just have a cleaner who sweeps, washes up and washes clothes daily. Stuff in Chennai gets dirty quickly! We pay her when we go away -- it is not her fault if we take holiday! Some of her other employers do this, some do not... there are always ways to be good to your staff.

sshekhar

My question is something related to what this thread started on. I am an Indian national in US for past 9 years, haven't been back a single time. I am on a work visa.

I have been thinking lately about moving to India for good and maybe to start a software consulting firm of my own. I am really out of touch with what India is like now (basic amenities and infrastructure). I came from India, straight after my high school (and from a small town) and did my bachelors and masters here in US.

If I do make the move and business venture doesn't work out, what kind of a salary range do I fall into? I am a software manager here in US and have a pretty decent resume with a good list of fortune 500 clients (and make low 6 figure salary in US). Since I am single so moving is not that big a hassle and how is the healthcare scene over there? If you can afford can you get decent healthcare at private hospitals?

abhi182

How many years of experience m8?
Assuming bachelors + masters =6, which leaves us with 9-6= 3yrs of workex in the S/W industry....

Dependin on ur skills & luck, you could land u a job that pays you anywhere between 800K to 1.4M Rs a year

sshekhar

Thanks a bunch for your response. I actually got my BS and MS in about 5 years and have 4 years of work-ex. Any good site you can refer to for posting resume?

I will probably start a new thread if I need any more information, I am taking over Penri's thread .

crvlvr

that seems to be the reputation. But they my friend's dad went in for a minor operation and did not survive. The, doctors tried to cover it up by stating that he survived the operation but died later on. Inthis case a private doctor was using the Appollo hospital facilities. Given that the legal system in India does not make it eeasy to sue for damages, doctor can, literallly, get away with murder.