Indians Abroad Earn an Average of Rs 93 Lakh: HSBC Survey October 23, 2018 12:50
Indians living or working overseas earn an average salary of Rs 79 lakh a year whereas foreign expats in India earn an average of Rs 93 lakh, according to an HSBC survey.The survey "Expat Explorer Survey 2018" shows that a significant number of expats in India are from Australia, United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, France, Germany, and the Netherlands and about 44 percent of them own some property in India. But then, 64 percent of Indians living abroad possess property in India.The study, based on 232 interviews, ranks India 12th in terms of comprehensive country ranking, 22nd for experience, 14th for economics, and 9th for the family. More than half (54 percent) of expats here are assured that their existence in India can aid build their personal wealth. They have significant assurance and hope in their financial futures and a solid basis of the existing scenario.Two-thirds relish occupying themselves in the local culture and their financial gain has allowed more expats in India than elsewhere to support causes, participate in local community events and donate to charity. According to the survey, highly educated, and often working in engineering or manufacturing industries, 34 percent expats moved to progress their career and 22 percent to develop their skillset. Some struggle with the new way of working through, and 41 percent say they work longer hours - almost twice the global average.Their salaries are only slightly better than at home, rising by 2 percent compared with a 25 percent global average. But with a lower cost of living than they are used to most have more disposable income than they did at home, according to the survey.The picture is quite dissimilar when it comes to Indians moving or living overseas. Europe is the first choice for 45 percent of Indians while only 29 percent have moved to the Middle East to work or settle. An average of 84 percent of Indians living abroad is known to be employed while only 51 percent of them have offsprings.Indians overseas also seem preoccupied with the property at home. A quarter own three or more somewhere in the world. With almost half moving to improve their earnings, the average income has risen 31 percent and almost two-thirds spend it on homes in India. Half plan to live there when they go home and 40 percent have friends or family currently staying there.With more than half (55 percent) relying on friends and family for financial advice compared with 40 percent of expats in general, the expat life for an Indian abroad often involves a tightknit group of people.-Sowmya Sangam
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Indian-Origin Man Jailed in UK Over Handling Stolen Vehicles October 17, 2018 10:54
An Indian-origin man has been sentenced to eight years in jail by the United Kingdom court for the handling of 19 stolen high-value vehicles worth over 7,00,000 pounds. Chirag Patel, 39, was found guilty of conspiracy to handle stolen goods and ownership of the criminal property at the extremity of a five-week trial at Croydon Crown Court last Friday. "Patel played the leading role in a sophisticated operation to handle high-value, stolen vehicles, motivated only by sheer greed," said Acting Detective Sergeant Billy Clough, who led the investigation for the Metropolitan Police. "He even attempted to convince the jury that he was a legitimate businessman, who had simply been unlucky in obtaining such a vast quantity of stolen items, but the jury saw through this and convicted him of being the key player in a significant criminal enterprise," he said. Patel was imprisoned for conspiracy to handle stolen goods in relation to the cars and keys, for which he received eight years' in jail. He was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for owning criminal property and in relation to over 440,000 pounds of unexplained cash deposits which had been identified from two personal bank accounts in his name. Both the judgments will run simultaneously. "I hope this sentence sends a message that those involved in this type of organized criminality will be pursued robustly," the Met Police said. The tribunal was told that in February 2015, Patel reported to police force that his Porsche had been purloined. Initially, Patel resisted giving his residence address, rather providing details of his parent's address. When he eventually gave his own address, officers attended the property as part of their probe into the stolen car. Here they discovered a number of high-value vehicles in the basement car park. Officers identified that one of the cars had a personalized number plate identical to one seen earlier on a vehicle outside Patel's parent's address. Further inquiries by officers established that the five vehicles in the car park had fake number plates and each was later confirmed to have been purloined. Shortly, Patel was arrested at his address. During a hunt of his possessions, Met Police officers recovered 26 sets of car keys, likewise lists of registrations and vehicles, devices for accessing onboard computers in vehicles, programming keys and a number of tablets, mobile phones, and laptops. Following a detailed investigation, led by officers from Croydon's Serious Acquisitive Crime Unit, a total of 19 stolen vehicles with an estimated value of 728,000 pounds were linked to Patel and later seized, also nine sets of keys which had been stolen from Jaguar Land Rover's plant in Solihull, West Midlands, and a laptop purloined in Streatham area of south London during a burglary. During the trial, judge H H J Gower commended the work of the Scotland Yard officer, Police Constable Andy Garland, whose work identified the first stolen vehicle. The police subsequently discovered that Patel had been using the vehicles in the running of an "off-the-books" vehicle rental enterprises, where vehicles were rented out to his connections and associates. The vehicles had been purloined by unknown individuals during burglaries and keyless thefts across London between October 2012 and January 2015 and were stored at or near addresses owned by Patel and his kin, or with links who looked after the vehicles for him or rented them from him. The identities of the cars were hidden using legitimate insurance details of vehicles which had been written off on official records. By Sowmya Sangam
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Indian-Origin Man with Eye-Condition to Get Guide Horse in UK October 15, 2018 10:44
An Indian-origin man based in north-west England, who suffers from a degenerative eye condition, is set to become the first person in the United Kingdom to acquire a guide horse to assist him with day-to-day tasks once he loses his imagination completely. Mohammed Salim Patel, 24, a journalist based in Blackburn at Lancashire, suffers from a condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa, due to which he is left with a very little amount of vision in his right eye and will sooner or later turn totally blind. The thought of a miniature guide horse came to his attention as he suffers from a deep-seated fear of dogs since a scary childhood encounter and could not rely on the more usually used guide dogs for the unsighted. "Digby (guide horse) is still a baby and will be two years old in May 2019. His training will take around two more years," Patel said. "Digby will be able to work into his 40s, whereas a guide dog has to retire at the age of eight," he said. After spending some time with his companion-to-be, Patel believes a guide horse has numerous added benefits over guide dogs, even a much longer working life, 350-degree vision and ability to see in the dark. "Even if his training takes longer than two years, it doesn't matter too much as once he's trained, I will have decades with him as my assistant animal," Patel explained. The tale of Digby caught the attention of the annual Amplifon Awards for Brave Britons, where the horse is amongst the finalists in the Hero Pet category - intended at honoring animals who have transformed the lives of their owners. "It's very nice to have Digby recognized for his great work, despite still being in training. He is a star," said Patel, in reference to the awards. The journalist works with the BBC North West Tonight Television after completing a Journalism Trainee Scheme. By Sowmya Sangam
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Africa's Indian-Origin Billionaire Abducted in Tanzania October 12, 2018 16:21
An India-origin youngest billionaire of Africa was kidnapped by gunmen on Thursday morning in Dar es Salaam, when he was getting into his gym. According to an ABC News report, the 43-year-old Mohammed Dewji, owner and president of Mohammed Enterprises Tanzania Ltd. (METL) and a former member of Tanzania's Parliament, was entering a gym for his day-to-day morning workout, when he was pushed into the car, and it sped away.Firing their guns into the air, two masked men took Dewji with them. Police have 12 suspects in this case, including the hotel's manager. Dewji served in Parliament from 2005 to 2015.According to Forbes magazine, he has a net worth of $1.5 billion.The motive behind the kidnapping is unknown, yet police suspect that it can be a case of 'ransom kidnapping'.-Sowmya Sangam
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Indian Student Becomes UK High Commissioner for a Day October 09, 2018 13:01
A student of political science in a Noida university, Esha Bhala, has become British High Commissioner to India for 24 hours.To observe the International Day of the Girl Child, which is celebrated on October 11, the British High Commission organized a competition for women aged between 18 and 23 to become the British High Commissioner to India for a day.To enter, the competitors submitted a short video presentation on the theme "What does gender equality mean to you?"A total of 58 students from across the country submitted their videos.The successful entry was from Bahal, who plans to become a social entrepreneur after completing her higher studies in public policy and law.Expressing delight over the achievement, acting British High Commissioner for a day, Bahal said: "Acting as British High Commissioner for a day has been a great and really unique experience. I've learned about the breadth and depth of United Kingdom-India relations - and had the opportunity to highlight the importance of gender equality and inclusivity, issues which are of great importance to me."-Sowmya Sangam
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India Suspends Passports of 60 NRIs Accused of Deserting Wives October 05, 2018 15:58
About 60 Non-Resident Indian (NRI) passports have been suspended by Indian passport authorities accused of deserting their wives in India soon after marriage. In May this year, the Regional Passport Office (RPO) in Chandigarh, started the procedure of suspending the passport pursuing complaints filed by the abandoned wives. According to a report by SBS Australia, most NRIs whose Indian passports have been suspended are based in Canada and Australia. The reported cited information received from Chandigarh's Regional Passport Officer, Sibash Kabiraj. While the Indian government is not insisting on the deportation of these NRIs, it’s informing the Australian authorities about the status of the affected NRIs’ passports, Kabiraj told SBS. Once a passport is suspended, all the valid visas in the passport are revoked, making the passport holder an illegal immigrant in their country of residence. And if the person is in India, he is barred from traveling abroad."This effectively means that those passports are not valid now and that makes all the visas linked to those passports invalid too," Kabiraj said. 'It's up to the Australian authorities to act now that they know these people are illegally in their country." There are more than 40,000 women from Punjab and Haryana, who have been abandoned within months after marriage to an NRI groom without a legal divorce, the Times of India reported.Related content: NCW Appeals MEA to Foil Ex Parte NRI DivorcesThe Chandigarh RPO, earlier this year started a helpline with an intent to assist the abandoned wives to seek help. More than 50 women call the helpline every day, and are assisted by volunteers in filing complaints against their husbands, the report added."We receive calls every day and we act on those where there's evidence - such as a court order or non-compliance with the summons of a court," Kabiraj told SBS.The RPO has received 2,000 complaints and will start processing them soon. About 70 percent of such cases are from Punjab, according to the Times of India.The Indian government has strengthened its endeavor against absentee NRIs in the recent months, with progressive backing from the Ministry of Women and Child Welfare.Punjab's NRI Commission has recommended suspension of as many as 25 passports in the last two months, the Times of India added.The Chandigarh RPO after flooding with complaints started suspending passports. It is taking action against NRIs whom FIRs have been registered and courts have issued summons or warrants.The passports were suspended after the show-cause notices to truant NRIs did not raise any reply.-Sowmya Sangam
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NCW Appeals MEA to Foil Ex Parte NRI Divorces October 04, 2018 11:21
The National Commission for Women on Wednesday asked External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to consider the practicability of entering into agreements with countries having ample India diaspora to prevent dissolution of Non-Resident Indian (NRI) marriages through ex parte divorce decree passed by foreign courts.In a letter to Swaraj, NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma emphasized the plight of Indian women in NRI marriages.The commission said that in many cases, despite the marriage having been solemnized in accordance with the personal laws of the country (of the husband) and India, foreign courts decide the cases and dissolve marriages.The commission proposed that the ministry explores the feasibility of entering into treaties with countries having sizable Indian diaspora so that cases accompanying dissolution of marriages performed in India may not be adjudicated by the courts of other countries - expect if parties unequivocally and voluntarily submit to their jurisdiction.The NCW pointed out that it has received a big number of complaints from NRI brides regarding ex parte divorce decree passed by the abroad courts.In many cases, such decisions are taken on the grounds currently not available for obtaining a decree of divorce in India, it said."It has been observed by the commission that NRI husbands are misusing such provisions," it said.The commission is of the perspective that the dissolution of marriage in such cases should occur in accordance with the laws of the country where the marriage was solemnized and within that nation as Indian women in NRI marriages are peculiarly vulnerable in foreign countries, oftentimes without any financial support, Sharma said in the letter.By Sowmya Sangam
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SEBI Relaxes Foreign Fund Rules for Indians Abroad September 22, 2018 12:08
India's market regulator on Friday laid-back norms on foreign investments by Indians based abroad after concerns over stricter regulations rattled markets earlier this month.The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) said it accepted the recommendations by a panel it had set up to review the rules for foreign portfolio investments.Indian markets, earlier this month, fell sharply after a group of fund managers raised fresh concerns over an April circular from the market regulator related to rules on foreign funds ownership by entities of Indian origin, which they said could lead to massive dollar outflows from the economy.The panel, headed by a former central bank deputy governor, had recommended, among other modifications, that Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) be permitted to invest as foreign portfolio investors if an individual holding is under 25 percent and group holding is under 50 percent in a fund.By Sowmya Sangam
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Selling Lunch Boxes, Indian Women in Swiss Raises ₹1.8L for Kerala September 19, 2018 15:32
For galore Indians living abroad, watching what was on in their home country during the Kerala floods was difficult. For a group of women who lived in Switzerland, it was no different. When Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan appealed to people to donate to the CM's Disaster Relief Fund, they too desired to do their bit.The group of 16 women, all living in the Swiss city of Baden, came together and worked for three days to raise Rs 1.8 lakh for Kerala flood relief. All this, by selling lunch boxes with Indian food to locals and other Indians living in the city."The idea was good, but we realized that it would require a larger investment than we could afford, and also formalities and permissions to set it up. We needed something that would allow us to help quicker," tells one of the women Bandana Maheshwari to TNM.After checking with their networks, Linija and Bandana were able to find 14 other women who were curious in the initiative. Related content: Kerala Authorities: Rebuilding After Flood Will Cost $3.7bnCollectively, they decided it would be best to set up and deliver meal boxes with Indian food for all three meals.Everyone got on board speedily, and after readying and popularizing the idea through social media and flyers for just two days, the women decided it was time to swing into action."It was challenging because everything was happening so quickly. Till the midnight of August 21 we were still getting orders," Bandana narrates.On August 22, the plan was set into motion. Two locations were decided where some women would cook the vegetarian and non-vegetarian food respectively. There were some women who were packing lunch boxes, and three women who had cars were accountable for delivery. The responsibilities would rotate over the three days, depending on who was free when."We used what we were going to donate individually as the capital for this project," Bandana says. "While the first day was a bit chaotic, we had gotten into the groove by the second day and then things went smoothly."By Sowmya Sangam
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Indian Billionaire's Daughter Named UK's 'Posesh' Student September 12, 2018 12:46
An unnamed Indian billionaire's daughter has been named the "poshest" student in the United Kingdom after it was claimed that her family is hiring 12 staff members to assist her during her studies at a Scottish university.The first-year student at the University of St Andrew on the east coast of Scotland will have a house manager, a gardener, three housekeepers, a lady's maid and a butler on hand to help her, along with three footmen, chauffeur, and a private chef, The Sun newspaper reported.They will be employed at the family's new luxurious mansion, bought so that the daughter won't have to stay in general student accommodation throughout the four years she spends studying at the leading Scottish university.A few months ago, an advertisement was placed looking for "an outgoing, cheerful" maid with an energetic personality to work inside the household.According to the advert, the maid would be in charge of "waking principal up, liaising with other staff regarding routine and schedule (and) assisting with grooming."The staff will also be responsible for wardrobe management and personal shopping, the job requirement posted by recruitment agency Silver Swan said.The butler will be in charge of the student's staff, who will be expected to open doors for her whenever possible, and footmen will serve meals, clean and lay the table.The Ultra High Net Worth (UHNW) family are delineated as very formal who want experienced staff, the advert notes in reference to the various roles on offer, which are said to pay about 30,000 pounds a year.By Sowmya Sangam
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NRC: NRI Body Seeks Indian Citizenship to Hindu Immigrants September 11, 2018 13:14
A group of Indian-American organizations in the United States has launched a campaign seeking Indian citizenship to Hindu immigrants from Bangladesh who have been left out of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.The group under the banner of organizations like SinghaBahini America, Global Hindu Heritage Foundation (GHHF) and NavaBanga are seeking support for the Citizenship Bill 2016, which seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 to provide citizenship to persecuted minorities from India's neighboring nations who have come to the country for safety.The members of the group had met Indian leaders during the recently concluded World Hindu Congress in Chicago.In the light of the well-intended NRC to help identify the illegal Bangladeshi immigrants who came as fortune seekers, it has come to light that a large number of Hindu population find themselves left out, said a media release issued by the group.Based on estimates, around 1.4 million to 2.5 million Hindus find themselves in a position to be stripped of their Indian citizenship, it said. "Forefathers of Hindu brothers and sisters had come to India because of the persecution they faced in Bangladesh, yet they had not given up their faith."To ensure that the resources of India go to the citizens, NRC in every state is needed, but at the same time it is equally important that India protects poor Hindus from Bangladesh, the statement said."The Citizenship Bill, 2016 which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to persecuted minority Hindus, Sikhs and Jains who came from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan till 2014 is thus a must to showcase a historic Hindu Unity to send a message to our own people," the group said.By Sowmya Sangam
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TDP Eyes Overseas Indians Votes September 07, 2018 15:41
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has set its sights on Non-Resident Indian (NRI) votes with a Bill to extend the facility of 'proxy voting' to abroad Indians, on the lines of the one on service voters, which was passed by the Lok Sabha earlier this month.The issue reportedly came up for discourse at the State-level workshop of the party on Wednesday.Related content: BJP Objects to 'Proxy Voting' for Domestic MigrantsTDP sources said that Chief Minister and party national president N. Chandrababu Naidu discussed the Bill at the workshop.The Bill would become an Act if it was passed in the Rajya Sabha as well. The TDP needs to gear up in this regard. The party has to prepare a list of NRI voters in each district. Necessary plans have been chalked out to win the confidence of NRI voters, he said.By Sowmya Sangam
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