Moving to India from overseas brings about a lot of change. While many parents are concerned about children making friends and settling in, it’s often the adults who find this bit more difficult. You can plan out the different steps of your move, but making friends in a new place is something you can’t quite predict. Nonetheless, making friends has a massive impact on day-to-day life, as well as your overall enjoyment of life in your new home.
Here at Allied India, we want you to be successful in every part of the move, from packing and shipping to settling into your new home. That’s why we’ve put together this simple guide on making friends as an expat in India.
There are many popular cities in India for expats, like Mumbai, Bangalore, and Delhi, as well as Goa, Pune, and other spots around the country. While these expats may be in India for a variety of reasons, they all likely have at least one thing in common - the need to make friends and develop their own community overseas!
Friends from All Over
Whether you’re moving alone or with family, making friends of your own is an important part of the expat experience. By befriending other expats, you’ll be able to share in the ups and downs of the journey, while finding local companions can help you assimilate to India’s incredible culture.
Here are some of our top tips on where to go and how to make friends as an expat in India!
Put yourself out there
Making friends as an adult isn’t always easy and it can take an extra push to put yourself out there. Try researching popular coffee shops, eateries, or bars to go to, as these can be easy places to strike up a conversation with others.
Going out solo in the hopes of socialising can seem daunting, but you might be surprised and comforted to see how many others do the same. If nothing else, you can use it as an opportunity to try a new local spot!
Branch out
With a growing expat population, many newcomers to India tend to live in gated communities where they have all of the amenities they need right on their doorstep. This is incredibly convenient for a wealth of reasons, but can be a setback when it comes to socialising. A vast majority of people in these communities befriend one another, and don’t mingle with as many locals as they may have otherwise. While it’s not necessarily a bad thing, it can limit the encounters and cultural experiences that you have while living in India.
If this is something that you want to avoid, try branching out and engaging with others through sports and hobby clubs. For those with children, get chatting to other parents in the schoolyard or playground. Making friends within the school community can also help your children to make friends of their own, so everyone benefits!
Online community
If going out by yourself to make friends is a bit too intimidating, see if there are any social media groups for expats in your area. These groups often host scheduled meetups or coffee mornings to give members a chance to meet in person. If there doesn’t seem to be any already in your area, why not start one? Chances are you’re not the only person there who wants to make some friends!
A Helping Hand
With so much to think about when adapting to life as an expat in India, let Allied take some of the weight off your shoulders. Our
international moving company provides comprehensive services that are championed by our teams around the world, offering assistance with every part of your move.
Get in touch with us today to begin planning your move. We’ll do the heavy lifting, giving you the necessary time to settle into your new environment and make it feel like home.