Are you moving to India from Canada? Here are 4 things you should know about India

When you talk about moving to a different country, no country in the world is as distinctly different as India. You’d encounter a different culture and a different dialect every 100 kms. This distinct difference in language, culture, lifestyles, societal norms, etc. has its fair share of both perks and challenges. If you haven’t done your research about the differences between India and Canada, you may expect to receive a few shocks when you migrate from Canada to India.  If you want to avoid receiving such shocks, reading this article will help you with that. So here are 4 important things you should know about India if you are moving to India from Canada.

1. You need to know what you need to pack

Most people leave their winter clothing and accessories behind assuming that India is a hot and humid country. While that is true to an extent, that stereotype doesn’t apply to every part of India. If you are moving in the northern parts of the country, you can expect sub-zero temperatures during winter. Delhi, which attracts many foreign businessmen and professionals, witnesses temperatures as low as 5°C during winters. So do your research about what you would need in your new city before instructing your service providers for household shifting from Canada to India about what to pack and what to leave behind.

2. You have to acquire bargaining skills

If you want to ensure that you pay the fair price for every product and service in India, you’ll need to brush up on your bargaining skills. The auto wallahs, local shop owners, flea market vendors, fruit and vegetable sellers, they all would quote a price higher than they just and fair price. Now the locals know that and they know how to bargain. But foreign residents often agree to pay the first price these vendors quote. But if you want to avoid overpaying, you must bargain on each and everything. In fact, you’d be surprised to see the magnitude of the price drop. Many vendors start from about Rs.1000 for, say, a pair of jeans, and come down to Rs.400 within 5 minutes if you bargain properly. So before you start planning your move, start looking for affordable service providers for storage moving from Canada to India, etc. take some time out to learn the language of the land you are moving to.

3. You need to learn basic words and phrases of the local language

India has a sizeable English-speaking population but if you are shifting to India, then you need to learn some basic words and phrases of the local language(s) before you take other steps such as booking residential moving services. Hindi would be the first language to come to your mind when we say local language and rightly so, but you may also need to learn the principle language of the state you are residing in (Marathi in Maharashtra, Kannada in Karnataka, Tamil in Tamil Nadu, etc.). Despite the fact that Hindi is spoken in almost every state of India, the locals still prefer to converse in their local language and you will find many of them struggling to speak Hindi. So learn enough of the local language to be able to ask for what you need or you may see a simple 2-minute conversation turn into an hour-long dialogue replete with confusion.

4. You would need expert assistance to settle into the country

Life in India could be extremely chaotic for foreigners. Well, to be honest, at times it is chaotic for the local residents too! Settling in at your new residence may not be as easy as it would have been had you moved within Canada or to the US or a European nation. You would need expert assistance to make this process easier for you. Ideally, if you could find a company that provides a range of relocation services from Canada to India that include home settling-in services, expense management services, etc. then that would be perfect. For instance, Writer Relocations, one of the world’s premier international relocation companies, offer such a bouquet of services to their clients. Having them by your side makes the whole settling in the process seem much more manageable and much less cumbersome.

It is imperative that you know of these 4 things before you move to India. Knowing these 4 things makes it easier for you to plan your move accordingly and protects you from cultural shocks. Thank us later!