2. Do you plan to return to India to settle down?
Looks unlikely. However, if I do go back, to Bangalore it will be.

3. What do you like most about being abroad?
The Gulf has the luxuries of the West, proximity to India, no taxes and absolutely no crime to be worried about.

4. What do like least about being abroad?
Cannot be as free as one would be in India.

5. Would you be concerned about raising your family outside India?
No, in fact my son has been to India a total of about three weeks in three years.

6. What are your thoughts about marrying outside your immediate community, someone who speaks a different language or practices a different religion?
Well, I (Tamilian) am married to a Bihari. We have no problems at all and I really don't know what problems one can have.

7. What would be the first thing you would do if you became the Prime Minister of India?
Make Chandra Babu Naidu my Deputy PM.

8. What do you think are India's greatest strengths?(max 3)
Manpower/Workforce

9. What do you think are the biggest problems facing India? (max 3)
Corruption. Once that is rooted out all else will fall in place.

10. Do you think that a presidential form of government would better serve the needs of India's democracy?
It's a tough one to answer. If Laloo gets power as President, God Save India.

11. For whom do you have the highest regard amongst living Indians?
Vajpayee for his high ideals, Zakir hussain for his music, Kamal Hassan for his acting.

12. Do you think that the national obsession with Cricket has helped or has it hurt India as a sporting nation?
Nope, not at all.

13. What do you think are India's greatest achievement since Independence (max 3)?
Production of countless educated professionals who are in demand the world over; staying together as one country and pulling forward even when everyone is dragging the country down.

14. What is your favourite pastime?
Music, reading, surfing the net.

15. What is your happiest memory?
Has to be my childhood days in Bangalore playing cricket, marbles, flying kites, and cycling to school.

16. What's your most memorable journey?
The splendid holiday in the Caribbean in 1992, or the wonderful one I had in Scotland last year.

17. What is your ultimate food dish?
Butter Chicken and Lucknowi kababs, idlis and sambar, dosas and chutney.

18. What are your favourite movies? (max 3)
When Harry met Sally, Satya.

19. What are your favourite books (please list authors as well)? (max 3)
Steve Covey, John Grisham, Dickie Bird.

20. A message from you to other NRIs
Just to remember that India is a wonderful country, and we must try and give something back to the country that has given us so much.

- Mukund Srinivasan in Dubai, UAE

The views of this column are the author's own, and do not necessarily represent the views of NRI Online.