Harvard graduate explains why she prefers living in India despite ‘more money in US’

A Harvard-educated Indian woman has opened up about why she prefers living in India over the United States.

A Harvard-educated Indian woman has opened up about why she prefers living in India over the United States. Charmie Kapoor said the ‘India vs US’ question is one that she faces often. Having lived in both places, she is able to weigh the pros and cons of life in India vs life in the US.

A Harvard-educated woman explains why she prefers life in India over the US

In a post shared on the social media platform X, Charmie Kapoor, Associate Director of Design at Razorpay, opened up about her decision to live in India.

“After living in both countries, I have noticed smaller, intangible things that go beyond the obvious reasons. The US does have better infrastructure, more money, more freedom. India has family, community, food,” she said.

A feeling of gratefulness

The deep social and economic divide means it’s easier for Kapoor to feel “grateful” in India. She noted how stepping out in India means immediately meeting people far less fortunate than oneself.

“The moment you step out of your house, you see people living with far less. Auto drivers waiting in the heat. Security guards standing all day. Sweepers who show up every morning. Street vendors who know what one slow day means financially,” she wrote.

“Seeing this every day brings a deep sense of gratitude without effort.”

Kapoor said that in India, she complains less because she feels more gratitude for what she already has. By contrast, in the US, most people have basic comforts sorted.

“ife is pretty comfortable. And yet, there’s often a persistent sense of yearning for more. More comfort, more success, more meaning. Sometimes it feels like having ten times more still doesn’t translate to feeling settled,” she explained.

A sense of community

Kapoor’s second reason for living in India is having people around her who show up when it matters. In short, it’s the sense of belonging and community that India offers.

“India is a collective society in ways that are hard to articulate until you’ve experienced it. There’s an instinct to help that doesn’t come with too many questions,” she said.

The Razorpay employee cited the examples of neighbours who can always be counted on to help and strangers on the street who helpfully give directions when asked. “There’s comfort in knowing that someone will show up,” she said.

In the United States, life is more structured and independence is encouraged.

“In the US, help is clearer and more structured. You know where to go, what to fill out, who to contact. The systems work and they’re reliable, but they also create distance,” said Kapoor, who holds a master’s degree in Business and Design from Harvard.

People in the US are encouraged to be independent, but that also means carrying your burdens alone for the most part, she explained.

Contribution matters

The US has more money, and India has more problems. And yet, Kapoor believes that life in India offers more advantages. Her third reason for choosing India, in fact, is precisely because of its many problems.

“There’s too much to fix, and your contribution matters,” she explained.

The gaps in infrastructure, education and the imperfect systems in India mean that every bit of effort counts. “India has an overwhelming number of problems. Education gaps, access issues, infrastructure that barely holds, systems that are slow and imperfect… Because of that, effort feels visible too,” said the Harvard alumna.

She cited her own example of working on redesigning parts of the curriculum for government schools.

“We were able to bring in Harvard professors for inputs, rethink the structure, and design it better. What still feels a little unreal is that it’s actually being used now,” she revealed. “Knowing that something you worked on is shaping how hundreds of students learn makes the effort feel real.”

Nothing comes easy in India

Kapoor’s final reason for choosing India is the resilience it builds. Growing up here, she said, teaches people early on that effort is unavoidable and outcomes are never guaranteed. Competition is intense, systems are often imperfect, and very little comes easily — but that reality shapes how people respond to challenges later in life.

According to Kapoor, living in India trains you to adapt rather than freeze when things go wrong. Missed connections, delayed services or broken systems become problems to work around, not reasons to give up. “When something breaks, you look for another way,” she noted, adding that this mindset becomes second nature in everyday adult life.

She contrasted this with places where systems are designed to be seamless. When things fail there, she observed, people can feel lost because they are unused to navigating uncertainty on their own.

“Growing up here, you’re used to gaps. You look for workarounds instead of waiting for things to fix themselves,” said Kapoor.