Think your Indian property made you a profit? Think again. Most NRIs are falling for a math illusion that’s costing them thousands in their resident currency.
In 2015, I bought an apartment in India for ₹49 Lakhs. Ten years later, it is worth ₹60 Lakhs. On paper, it looks like a win.
But when I tried to bring that money back to the UK, the “Invisible Thief” had already emptied my pockets.
What you’ll learn in this video:
The Currency Math: How the Rupee’s 10-year slide against the Pound/Dollar turns a profit into a real-world loss.
The Tax Insult: Why you pay tax on “gains” that don’t actually exist in your resident currency.
The Toddler Shoe Analogy: Why investing in India for a retirement in the UK is like buying a baby shoe for a grown child.
Why watch? If you’re an NRI in the UK, USA, or UAE holding property in India as a “retirement plan,” this is the wake-up call you need. Retirement doesn’t run on emotions; it runs on math.
#NRI #Retirement #money #India #GlobalDesis #property #investment
[TIMESTAMPS]
0:27 – Heart vs. Head Decision Making of NRIs in India
0:50 – The Property Purchase
1:19 – The Gross Salary Trap
2:33 – The Romantic Plan to Return to India
4:22 – Rupee Depreciation
5:30 – The Reveal
6:24 – The Average Maths
7:52 – The Tax on a Profit that Wasn’t
9:02 – The Key Takeaways (The Value)
10:03 – Final Thoughts
———————
Acknowledgments:
We would like to extend our gratitude to the creators of the following resources used in this video:
Images, music and videos sourced from Envato Elements, Canva, Pixabay and Pexels are used under their free-to-use license, requiring no attribution.
However, we sincerely appreciate the talented photographers, musicians and videographers who made their work freely available.
Clips used under Fair Use: Certain video clips may have been utilised from various sources, including YouTube, strictly under the Fair Use policy. These clips are used for educational, commentary, and transformative purposes, in line with the Fair Use provisions of Youtube.
Contact: thevivianrobert@gmail.com
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@TheGlobalDesis
When was the last time you calculated your Indian property’s value in the currency you actually SPEND every day?
Let’s talk about the 'Emotional Logic' vs the Math in the comments."
@TauGofficial
No one calculate these facts up untill they are sure about where they will end up😊…nothing to lose in life..simply dont compare😅
@nirmaltodi
3 mistakes….
1. Not considering taxes and living expenses
2. Trying to manage something from faraway location.
3. Taking things easy. As in things will always work in your favor.
@sreekumarmenon1740
I cannot fault the Maths. But I guess you were unlucky with the choice of apartment. For your apartment to have gone up by Rs 11 lakhs is unfortunate. That’s your only issue which has led you to this video.
@krishnakumarmuthiyal8354
Appartment is not an investment, it is only for consumption. We should not expect much growth like plots. However, what you have mentioned as the price appreciation in 10 years in Banglore is questionable.
2. It is obvious converting INR to 1st word currency is a bad idea.
3. If NRI wants to edge the INR, invest in gold in India. So no need to worry about INR decline.actually it will make you happy.
@BrownSol-b3o
But the diamond community in surat is able to get away with it how
@marcnadesan7986
Dear sir,
You are absolutely correct.Thanks for your
Analysis.
@JoeC5050
what do you project next decade currency conversion?. Rs 120 / USD or Rs 60 / USD.?
@parvathijilumudi1693
1000% agreed
@victor256in
First off – the rupee at 91 is still over valued. It's actual exchange rate with the Dollar should be around 110 – 120 range.
@hareeshgp2709
You jumping directly to conversion of your real estate investment 60 lacks after 10 years, guess what investment is not sitting ideal it always generate dividends , so you have to add 60 lacs principle + dividends , now talk about conversion this into UK which make sense. I did the same thing when US dollar was around 65. Property value increased and got rent for 10 years so now USD INR @90. If I want to bring the money to US still I am in profit side.
@rajatisivan381
Please consult cpa for tax calculations. Indian system allows to factor in inflation while calculating real estate calculate gains. So most likely you should not owe any taxes. All other points are well taken
@arnabsinha7341
Too scared to look 😅
@DamodarGolhar
Thanks for sharing your story. As a NRI settled in the US, I too had similar experience with my investment in India. I have promised myself to never pursue India for investment. It is a corrupt system through and through. Fool me once shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
@keshore0707
Please love India only with your heart and not with your money a happy ending can be expected 😊
@sylhetbnb
Excellent analysis and worthy presentation for NRIs. will always love india by ❤❤
@NaNa-lt1po
i bought a flat at 60L in 2018.. now its max 80 L.. and dollar has gone from 55 to 90… fk..
@tarungoyal6334
Positive cash flow received in 10 years and tax write offs/planning on this cash flow has not been factored in.
This is the real gain.
Not the Rs 11lakh capital gains.
Otherwise your maths makes complete sense.
Thanks
@JM-ef7rh
China exports lot more than it imports. If that logic is applied, then Chinese currency should have e been the strongest. And American should have been lowest as it imports everything.
@rationalhuman3290
Spot on Vivan ..more power to you for speaking the truth! these days speaking the truth is a crime!
@Desilokk001
But when we listen any other YouTubers they have opposite opinions and convincing about buy buy and buy and then bye ….
@Rudy-it9kb
I am curiois to know which place did you buy an apartment in Bangalore that gave only 11L return in last 10 glory years of Bangalore. Also, you have neither included the cashflows from rentals and their indexed investment nor the indexation benefits available for pre 2024 properties.
@srivathsannadathur9452
Managing rental property is not hard if you buy in a regulated and safe market like Mumbai. There are property management companies that handle this. The biggest problem is rupee depreciation. Your investment gains are eaten by rupee depreciation. So buy an apt when you want to live there. Otherwise invest in developed markets stock indices
@zubinbilllimoria2060
On taxes… due to reciprocity, you pay taxes only in 1 country… usually
@zubinbilllimoria2060
The guys who made these films all live in India. None of them actually have lived the reality of being an NRI
@veerchavda1502
You should only invest in India if planning to retire in India. Make no sense to convert back to dollar
@1018hb
You sell property in Chinese or Russian currency and buy bonds 😮
@1354pj
You also forget the black market amount for property purcgase
@lets_discuss5352
Vivan, if you had invested that Rs. 49 lakhs in the NSE Nifty 50 or the BSE Index fund, you would have got a CAGR of approximately 12.7% return, and this is not counting the dividend you'd have got. Your investment would be worth approximately Rs. 1.6 crore today, and no high income tax on the interest that you earned, only dividend tax and long term capital gains tax when you sell. I'm not sure why anyone would expect the government to take your personal exchange rate risk; it is clearly your risk to be borne by you. That is true in any country!
@Betelgeuse732
This is not a new discovery, You will lose money🤷♀🤷♀
@al92653
Your finances analysis makes perfect sense, but if you purchased the property to live in after you retired and went back to India, then your loss is not as bad as you think it is.
@ganconm4919
Thanks for this video. Let all NRIs stay away from our real estate in Bangalore. It is not a place for investing and taking profits later. If you have no intention of returning or staying here, please don’t buy property here. You are making housing unaffordable for most of us who earn in rupees… 😔
@aaksamuel
Very true, Rupee is damaged. To add pain, there is tax terrorism. I was about get into this trap, some how I escaped by God's grace.
So much stealing is happening for rupees.
@pravindave2310
this guy is absolutely correct. dont send funds to India . it will depreciate & will be much lesser value.
@templeMyTube
I find your case is bit naive. The first rule you violated is that you bought home in young age on cash. You should have never bought home on cash. Home is meant to be bought on home loan. Had you done down payment of 20% and remaining on 30 years of mortgage, your monthly installments. Had you done that, depreciation of rupee would have worked in favor of you. In addition, as your income increases over the years but monthly installments will remain the same. That’s the power of long term loan. Second mistake you did is buying in the area that didn’t appreciate value. Home prices in India has increased by 10 to 20 folds and are you complaining about not appreciating in price. That doesn’t add up.
@rosepetals6214
My father and retired army officer built a house in Delhi. My mother stayed while daughter and her son moved to Canada. We gave the contractor to build 9 four bedrooms flats. We lost 35 cores worth of real estate. Court cases un finished building, tenants fooled my mother and took over. Nightmare for 25 years. Finally sold what we could and got 4 crores most of which went to lawyers and real estate cheats.
@ParashuVisu
Definitely NOT due to following reasons:
1. Political instability
2. Rupee depreciation
3. Corruption
4. Everywhere bribe
5. Judicial system not favourable for NRI
6. NO Security
7. High TAX
8. No infrastructure
@AntiMessiah2023
You pay Switzerland level taxes in India only to receive little to no benefits from the government. It's an extortion scheme.
@urldroidsuperbot2139
How come an apartment worth 49 lakhs in Bangalore in 2015 be only 60 lakhs now? It would be minimum 2 crore. If in some hot locations, it could be 3 crores.
Did you not let it out for 10 years? What about the earned rent?
Why are crying over such a small investment? I'm sure you will have assets like cash, securities, insurance policies, gold jewellery worth anywhere between 5 to 25 chores if you worked over a decade in the UK.
@rupamazumdar3437
You did not give the account of how much you earned from rent …
That may have compensated …your expense…
@sideprince69
True but not just NRI but for every one
@arunkumarrv4624
I wonder how a dumb guy like you could get good job in UK. India doesn't need a dumbo back better settle in UK. You invested in a apartment and thought it will appreciate. You don't know building is depicting asset goes to zero after thirty years. If you want appreciation buy a plot in under developed place. I bought plot 1 lakh in 1990 in Bangalore and sold 12 Cr 1200 X. I bought a land in Bommasnra Bangalore for 1.5 lakhs in 1995 now worth arround 30 Cr. I built factory building and getting a rent of 1.5 Cr every year. You are putting this vedio to educate others or showing how foolish NRI can be. I don't know most of Indians have gone out are mediocre or became like that after shifting. Delete the vedio at the earliest to save the image of NRIs