FAQs about NRI-Natter

What is NRI-Natter?

NRI-Natter is an enabling website for our fortnightly/monthly video calls (via apps such as Skype and Zoom), which provide a global online platform for incisive conversations among Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and other related groups of people.

This website is like a funnel – or, the first step toward participation in the periodical live video seminars online.

What are the objectives of this group?

We wish to achieve the following objectives:

1) Encourage NRIs to use our discussion forum to interact with fellow NRIs, PIOs (Persons of Indian Origin living outside India – the Indian Diaspora) and Resident Indians (RIs – compatriots living in India) and identify, understand and gain insights into the world’s persistent or most pressing problems, and generate valuable, actionable ideas for solving such problems.

2) Envision and develop ways and means of sharing the values of a great civilization and culture with the people of this planet.

3) Raise the level of discourse among NRIs, the Indian Diaspora as well as RIs so that we could all become better informed, more conscious, more connected. First, we will talk the walk. Then, we’ll figure how to walk the talk.

Who are the people behind this initiative – who are the organizers?

Allow us to first emphasize who we are not. We are decidedly non-elitist – that is, we are NOT celebrities, “prominent” figures, icons, influencers and such types.

We are a group of working-class / middle-class NRIs, PIOs and RIs based in different geographies. We see ourselves as ordinary, conscientious, civic-conscious, right-thinking citizens with an activist mindset and fire in the belly.

In terms of our professional background, we are from different industries and fields: I.T., HR, media, communications, astrophysics, material sciences, management, entrepreneurial ventures, services, finance, banking, yoga, MBA program, and so on.

Our emphasis is on issues, not individuals/faces. Our accent is on substance, not style alone. We underline content, not category or classification.

We are service-minded, and have received formal education (we are not illiterates). We would like to connect with like-minded NRIs and explore ways of contributing something meaningful, creative and substantial toward solving long-standing problems rather than just being armchair critics.

What differentiates NRI-Natter?

NRI-Natter is intended to evolve into a global network of NRI professionals, executives, traders, businesspeople and entrepreneurs. Call us the working class or the middle class.

To reiterate, we are decidedly non-elitist – that is, there are no celebrities, “prominent” figures, icons, influencers and such types here.

We are service-minded, educated, conscientious. You could even say we are activist-minded, in the sense that we have fire in the belly – to contribute something meaningful, creative and substantial toward solving long-standing problems rather than just being armchair critics.

We have views, insights, ideas. And we are not afraid of articulating or discussing them to test their feasibility.

We think we understand some, if not all, of the world’s long-standing, unresolved, persistent problems. We see what’s coming our way next in this age of globalization, digitalization, automation, artificial intelligence and big data.

We are aware of the urban-rural disconnect. We are aware of the agriculture-industrialization dichotomy. We foresee implications for societies, families and individuals.

We believe there is a big role for brainy, spirited, civilization-enriched NRIs to play in saving and changing the world. That’s right – we do believe NRIs can help bring about a positive change to make the world a better place.

We believe working-class / middle-class NRIs can do much more than just hold a job that pays more, live a good life abroad, be passive armchair critics of this and that, or be condescending toward resident Indians.

We wish to bring Mammon-resistant, spiritual-minded NRIs together so they could first brainstorm. And, depending on what such discussions produce, we shall explore how we, being based worldwide, could cooperate and collaborate for focused collective efforts, so as to unleash synergies that can lead to self-actualization and mutual benefit, as well as benefit to the society/community, the world and the planet itself.

Is NRI-Natter free or a paid-for platform?

NRI-Natter is absolutely free, totally flexible, completely innovative, as long as you can afford your own devices, accessories and online connectivity.

Is this a social network or a professional network?

Neither. This is an enabling website for a potential grassroots movement involving middle-class / working-class NRIs aimed at spreading awareness and understanding of the world’s most pressing problems first, and then exploring effective ways of solving them.

Is this a crowd-funding platform?

No. NRI-Natter is NOT a crowd-funding platform. Having said that, allow us to add: Social enterprises are dear to us, and it’s one of the topics that will likely be discussed at length on our platform. Conceivably, some participants may decide to team up if there’s a meeting of the minds on specific startup ideas.

What has NRI-Natter achieved so far?

Admittedly, we are nascent still, having set up the platform in late July / early August 2018. We are trying to make things happen. July 28 marked the kickoff, when a group of NRIs discussed a raging topic and arrived at some insights. More topical issues are shortlisted for discussion in the weeks/months to come. Click/tap here for more details.