‘Obligation to help family’ is a part of my Indian culture

M Natarajan, a finance executive in Dubai, talks about his obligations to share wealth in his family.

M Natarajan, 57, is a finance executive in Dubai, originally from Chennai in India. He has been working in the Arabian Gulf for the past 30 years. Here, he talks about his obligations to share wealth in his family.

I take care of my family. In terms of my children, both of them were educated in Dubai, and since I believe that higher education is very important today, I hope for them to study to a postgraduate level. I strongly believe that India offers excellent opportunities for undergraduate studies, while places like the US are valuable for postgraduate studies.

Following his undergraduate studies in India, my son had been working there and is now looking to apply for an MBA programme in the US. My daughter is currently pursuing her undergraduate studies in India and then will either look for a job or go for postgraduate studies. It’s very important to provide your children with the strongest base possible in terms of education so that they are able to pursue successful careers and do well in life.

In terms of my parents and in-laws, they all live in India and I provide them with support whenever I need to. I have been doing it quite regularly recently as their medical requirements are increasing as they get older.

So I certainly do have financial obligations to my family, but as part of Indian culture, it’s important to support both your parents and your children while you are earning. In terms of planning for my retirement, it’s definitely hard to think about it when you are working, but I do need to start. While I do expect my children to support me if necessary when I retire, I hope not to be dependent on them and to be financially secure.

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