Mr. Ramakrishnan worked as a prominent tax controller and chartered accountant for nearly 30 years across Africa (1978-1993) and the United States (1993-2008). Despite comfortable lives abroad, the couple chose to return to India at age 75 to care for aging parents. Today, they lead a nonprofit senior living community in Bangalore with 30 residents—50% of whom have children settled in the US. Their story offers a masterclass in retirement planning, financial discipline, and the true meaning of quality of life in your golden years.

If you're considering early retirement in India with FIRE strategies, this real-world experience provides invaluable insights into what actually works.

1️⃣ Background: A 30-Year International Career

"I really enjoyed what I was doing there because of the life we had there, and my wife was also doing some teaching."

2️⃣ The Trigger: Parents Come First

The decision to return to India was straightforward and non-negotiable:

"Our parents were here. We wanted to be with them. We wanted to take care of them. That was the main reason."

In 2008, at age 75, the Ramakrishnans left the United States and returned to India. Even today, they visit the US almost every year to see family, but their home base remains India.

3️⃣ Location Choice: Why Bangalore?

Despite working in multiple Indian cities (Mumbai, Indore, and others), Mr. Ramakrishnan narrowed his retirement location to two places:

1. Indore (Madhya Pradesh)
2. Bangalore (Karnataka)

"For some reason, the people in these two states are very, very friendly. Although I worked in more than half a dozen places, for some reason I felt Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka—two places where people are extremely friendly and very easy to deal with."

Though originally from Mumbai (born and raised), he chose Bangalore for retirement quality of life.

"I am from Bombay. Even now I like Bombay because I was born and brought up in Bombay. But living in Bombay is different from living in Bangalore. No place like Bangalore for that matter, really."

4️⃣ The Financial Philosophy: The 50/50 Rule

Why It Works

1. Inflation protection: The 50% savings automatically adjust for inflation over time
2. Lifestyle consistency: You don't have to change your lifestyle after retirement
3. No regrets: You're living well while working AND securing your future
4. Simplicity: No complex calculations or market timing needed

"We don't have to change our lifestyle even after retirement. That is the main thing."

Retirement Planning Reality

The couple didn't create elaborate retirement projections or location-specific plans. Their approach:

• ✓ Save as much as you can — because nobody has seen tomorrow
• ✓ No clear retirement vision initially — just consistent saving discipline
• ✓ Let the savings dictate lifestyle — not the other way around

If you're still working in the US and wondering about your 401(k) options after leaving the US, understanding these principles early can set you up for a comfortable retirement.

5️⃣ Tax Filing with Dual Citizenship

6️⃣ Social Security While Living in India

A common question for US retirees: Can you receive Social Security if you don't live in the US? According to the Social Security Administration's international payments guide, benefits can continue for eligible recipients living abroad.

7️⃣ Why India Wins for Retirement

"No place like America when you're working. No place like India if you're retired. That's the way I have always felt. To this day I feel the same thing."

The Dollar Distance Factor

Mr. Ramakrishnan identifies the purchasing power advantage as critical:

"One of the reasons, straightforward, is the distance your dollar goes when you are in India."

Key Point: $3,000 at age 60 is NOT the same as $3,000 at age 90. The number may be the same, but the value and your needs change dramatically.

Services & Support at 1/10th the Cost

The Doctor Who Comes to You

"In our location today, we have a doctor who comes to us whenever there is a need for anyone. Where are those doctors who come home anymore anywhere? They don't exist. You have to go to them, wait for a couple of hours in a queue somewhere. But here they come."

Other home services:

• Newspaper delivery
• Milk delivery
• Groceries delivered
• No need to drive when mobility decreases

Contrast with US:

"In the US when I was working for H&R Block, I used to see a 94-year-old man driving himself to the tax office. But here you don't have to do that. You can have a driver, you can have a servant, you can have everything on call. The auditor will come to your house to do your tax return."

When you first return to India, you may qualify for RNOR status tax benefits that protect your foreign income from Indian taxation for 2-3 years—giving you time to restructure your finances.

8️⃣ The Senior Living Community: A Nonprofit Model

Genesis (15 Years Ago)

Five seniors, including the Ramakrishnans, had a conversation:

"We are all getting older. Our children are not with us. They will not be with us. A time is coming when we will have to look after ourselves. So let us do something where we will all be in one place. You come and help me, I will help you. And let it be a totally nonprofit program."

The Community Kitchen Advantage

"One of the things all the lady residents here keep saying is: we don't have to do anything in the kitchen. There is a continuous service available from the community kitchen. There is real relaxation available for all the resident seniors."

Key Demographics

9️⃣ Top 10 Lessons from 30 Years Abroad + 16 Years Back

1. The 50/50 rule is unbeatable — Spend half, save half. Inflation and lifestyle are both covered.
2. Age changes the value of money — $3,000 at 60 ≠ $3,000 at 90. Plan for decreasing mobility and increasing care needs.
3. Medical access matters more than cost — In India, doctors come to you. In the US, you drive yourself at 94.
4. Services are the real luxury — Cook, driver, maid, home healthcare—all affordable in India, impossible abroad.
5. Half-full glass mindset — Every country has pros and cons. Focus on what's good, accept what's different.
6. Accommodation beats complaint — "We need to accept and accommodate ourselves, fit ourselves within that accommodation."
7. Friendliness is universal — People are kind everywhere if you're friendly first. Cultural differences are cosmetic.
8. Parents' needs evolve — Initial pride of having a child abroad turns into the reality of needing daily help.
9. Community beats isolation — A nonprofit senior living model can provide mutual support without commercial exploitation.
10. Retirement location ≠ work location — Choose where you'll be happiest at 80+, not where you were most successful at 40.

✍️ Editorial Summary

At 88 and 82, Mr. and Mrs. Ramakrishnan embody the wisdom that comes from living the full arc of the expat experience. Thirty years abroad—across Africa's manufacturing floors and America's tax offices—gave them financial security and global perspective. But their decision to return to India at 75 to care for aging parents revealed a deeper truth: the metrics of a good life change as you age. What matters at 40 (career growth, savings rate, travel) is not what matters at 80 (accessible healthcare, daily help, community, proximity to family). Their nonprofit senior living community, where half the residents have children in the US but chose to stay in India, is a living testament to this wisdom. The 50/50 savings rule they followed—spend half, save half—is elegantly simple yet profoundly effective, automatically adjusting for inflation while maintaining lifestyle consistency. Their message to those planning retirement is clear: America is unbeatable when you're working and earning, but India is unmatched when you need care, community, and the comfort of home.

Frequently Asked Questions About Retiring in India

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