Living Abroad? How to Meet Other Indians and Make Friends Online
Moving abroad for study or work brings new opportunities and, often, homesickness. Finding people who share your language, food and festivals can make a new country feel like home much faster.
Start with your community
- University Indian student associations.
- Local temples, gurdwaras, mosques and churches, which often run community events.
- Regional associations: Telugu, Tamil, Malayali, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi and more.
- Festival events for Diwali, Holi, Onam, Durga Puja and Eid.
Use online groups
Online spaces help you find people before you even arrive. On Nexelife you can chat with people around the world, filter by country and city, join group rooms, or create a private group for, say, Indian students in your city and share the link.
Mix with locals too
It's comforting to find people from home, and it's just as rewarding to make local friends. Sports clubs, volunteering and classes are great ways to do both.
Look after yourself
Homesickness is normal. Schedule regular calls with family, cook food from home, and say yes to invitations even when you'd rather stay in. It gets easier.
Stay alert to scams
People abroad are often targeted with fake visa, job or "emergency at home" stories. Never send money to someone you only know online, and verify any request through a call with someone you trust.