Indian-American CEO’s mother earned $10,000 babysitting in US home: ‘Kids loved her rotis’

An Indian-American CEO has shared the story of his mother, who moved to the United States in the 1970s and managed to save $10,000 by running a small in-house business. Sachin Jain, CEO of SCAN Group, described the journey in a post on X, which showed his mother's determination and entrepreneurial spirit despite being away from her homeland.“When my mother first came to this country in the 1970s, my father was busy with his anesthesiology residency and moonlighting to make ends meet,” he wrote.She found an advertisement on a board in their apartment building seeking a babysitter and decided to apply. She started caring for one child, the son of a nurse, for a few dollars a night. Soon, their small apartment was transformed into a daycare centre as the word spread. “Pretty soon she was making $200/week. Over the course of a year, she was able to save $10,000. That $10,000 became the down payment for our family’s first home in the United States,” Jain added.

Children who attended the daycare liked her cooking, especially the rotis that would puff up on the stove. “Mrs. Jain has magic,” they would shout.Jain also talked about the courage of his parents, saying, “I will never cease to be amazed at the courage—and the hustle—of people like my parents who picked up their whole lives to make it in another country.”

Indians in the United States form a growing community, with around 5.2 million people of Indian origin as of 2023, according to US Census and Pew Research data. Many work in diverse jobs and operate small businesses, including hotels, healthcare practices, retail outlets, and technical services. Indian Americans contribute significantly to the economy, creating jobs and paying a substantial share of income taxes.

In terms of H1-B visas, which hires foreigners with special skills to work in US, Indians make up the largest proportion while working in crucial sectors like tech and defence.