Harsh Goenka’s ‘amazing’ life dig at NRIs: ‘Buy haldi, hing at cost of wine'

Chairman of RPG Group Harsh Goenka has poked fun at the Indian expat experience, claiming that they feel 'amazing' after paying for 'overpriced butter chicken.' In the X post that's both relatable and satirical, Goenka listed the many ironies that come with life overseas for Indians - where cultural nostalgia often collides with high prices and quirky habits.

“Indians move abroad to eat overpriced butter chicken from a Punjabi with a fake Italian accent,” Goenka began, capturing the culinary confusion that often accompanies diaspora dining. He added that everyday staples come at a premium: “Buy haldi and hing that cost more than a bottle of wine.”

The post continues to poke fun at the cultural adjustments: “Miss golgappas while chewing on sad quinoa,” and, “Celebrate Diwali like it’s the Met Gala—minus celebs, plus aunties in Swarovski sarees.”

Goenka didn’t stop there. Underlining the tendency of many immigrants to cluster with their own, he wrote, “Make only Indian friends and discuss how ‘things are better back home.’” And of course, no expat circle is complete without a familiar digital bond: “Form a WhatsApp group called Desi Squad.”

In his final punchline, Goenka summed up the irony with: “And then save up in dollars… just to fly back and tell their parents how amazing life is over there.”

The post received mixed reactions, with many who’ve experienced or witnessed this pattern saying, “This is so accurate,” and “I feel so seen.”

Several users also expressed disagreement with Harsh Goenka’s post, pointing out that it doesn’t reflect the experience of all NRIs.

“This is not true for all NRIs. I stay in Dubai and it still feels like India,” one user wrote, highlighting how proximity and cultural continuity can make the transition abroad feel less dramatic.

Another user questioned the generalization in Goenka’s remarks, commenting, “I’m surprised a much-traveled gentleman like you would post this. No doubt the first two may be somewhat accurate—minus the Italian accent—but the rest reads like total fiction.”

A third user offered a more pointed response, saying, “They just want some basic facilities, sir. Clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, public parks to walk in without dodging garbage, accessible healthcare without bribery, and the dignity of decent pay with work-life balance. They’re not abandoning their Indianness; they’re just seeking a better quality of life. Provide those things here, and trust me—no one’s lining up at VFS for a visa.”

The user added that the behaviors Goenka mocked are often misunderstood. “Yes, they might eat overpriced butter chicken and celebrate Diwali in Swarovski sarees, but scratch the surface and you’ll see it’s just an attempt to hold on to home in a foreign land. Because no matter how many quinoa salads they eat, every desi abroad still smiles a little wider when they smell fresh jalebis or hear Lata Mangeshkar playing at a random corner shop.”