NRI surprised India’s growth in 7 years: ‘Hardly anyone uses cash, cars are everywhere’

A Reddit user expressed surprise at how much India has grown in the seven years that he lived away from the country. In his post, the NRI said that India has transformed “beyond recognition” in less than a decade. An NRI opens up about how much India has changed in seven years (Representational Image) ‘Drastic changes’ in IndiaThe Reddit user explained that for the last seven years, he has been living and working in Europe. From his other posts, he appears to be a doctor based in Germany. The user said that his family visited him frequently in Europe, due to which his trips back home to India were few and far between. However, when he moved back a few months ago, he was stunned to see “drastic changes” in the country. “For the last 7 years I was working in Europe. My family used to visit me there regularly, so I never got a proper chance to come back to India. But a few months ago when I finally returned, I noticed drastic changes,” he wrote on Reddit. Digital payments everywhereOne of the biggest changes he noticed was how prevalent digital payments have become. The user said that hardly anyone seems to be using cash anymore. Moreover, everyone from children to the elderly are on social media. “Everyone is on social media now from small kids to elderly people. Digital payments are everywhere; hardly anyone uses cash,” he wrote. He also spoke about changes in the dressing habits of Indians, especially women. “People have started dressing more like in the West, with girls especially wearing open, modern outfits,” the Reddit user opined. Cars and smartphonesThe NRI noted how the number of cars on India’s roads have increased over seven years. According to him, he now sees “cars everywhere”, while even tier-2 towns have people with proper sports bikes. The Reddit user further said that everyone seems to own a high-end smartphone today — a point that tied up with his earlier observation of more and more Indians adopting digital payments. (Also read: NRI faces brutal job reality after returning to India from Canada 2 months ago: ‘Applied to over 600 roles’) While the Reddit user’s post praised India for its transformation, users in the comments section also noted how the changes have come with their own set of drawbacks. “OP seems immune to the unsustainable pollution and the chaos caused unplanned growth of cities. India has grown along with the world but the system that’s running India is broken and dated, the result is why our cities look dilapidated and in constant decay,” one person opined. “How has the public health infrastructure improved? Do people seem physically fit? How about the quality of air/water?” another asked.