Reverse Migration: Is it here to stay?

What is Reverse Migration?

Reverse migration is a term that came originally from birds. However, in this context, Reverse Migration is moving people in a manner that is opposite to expected. For years we’ve seen people go from villages to cities and from cities to metro cities and likewise, in search of better jobs, better living conditions, better facilities, and whatnots. However, in recent years, the opposite of this has been seen. As metropolitan cities are becoming more and more saturated and suffering from population explosion, people are moving towards tier-2 cities that are close to prominent metro cities. For example, people who have their work in Delhi or wish to live in Delhi have been opting for nearby cities like – Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Meerut, and Bhiwadi. Seeing this trend, the government has also started developing nearby areas of metro cities as planned cities. These tier-2 cities have much lesser property prices as compared to the metro cities and provide better living conditions with spacious and planned infrastructure.

Pandemic Fuelled?

To say that reverse migration is pandemically fuelled will be wrong as people have been moving to tier-2 cities near metro cities for the last two or more decades. NOIDA(New Okhla Industrial Development Authority) was established in 1976 and the population in Noida had already exceeded the number it was planned for, long before the COVID-19 pandemic hit us. The same goes for Gurgaon, Faridabad, etc.

However, totally neglecting the role of the pandemic in reverse migration wouldn’t be fair as well. With lockdowns and companies implementing Work From Home, people began moving away from metro cities, to escape overcrowded spaces and falling healthcare. Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities have lesser populations and hence didn’t feel crowded and due to the lesser population, people got more attention in case of any health issues. Around this time, people also began to realize the importance of having a house of their own. Hence began, a wave of real estate investments and house-buyings in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Post pandemic and lockdowns many companies continued with the WFH model as it turned out to be beneficial for them as well as for their employees. Especially startups are most benefitted by the WFH model. Realizing this, more and more people, especially in the IT working space, began investing in real estate and housing in these cities.

Advantages

The advantages of Reverse Migration are pretty obvious. Let’s look at some of them –

Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities have much lesser populations as compared to the dense and crowded metro cities. Thus, on migrating back to these cities, one feels quite calm and peaceful.

The lesser the people, the lesser is the pollution. Fewer resources, fewer vehicles, the lesser problem of garbage disposal, etc. translates directly to lesser pollution and better Air Quality.

Catching on the Reverse Migration bandwagon, most companies have already begun setting up their offices and stores in tier-2 and tier-3 cities as well. Tier-2 cities like Chandigarh, Jaipur, Pune, Hyderabad, etc. are emerging as popular IT hubs in the country. Be it the companies from the IT space or retail space, everyone is looking forward to these cities, owing to the liberal government policies, growing demand, and cheaper property prices.

Most people living in metro cities leave their family and come to work so as a result, when they move back, they can live with their families and spend more time with them.

Property prices in tier-2 and tier-3 cities are cheaper as compared to metro cities and there a lot of options as well.

Disadvantages

A major disadvantage can be if your work does not permit you to leave then you probably have to switch jobs if you’ve got to move back to a tier-2 city. Other disadvantages can be –