An Indian professional who returned from the United states has shared his experience of moving back home, revealing that an H-1B stamping trip became the turning point in his life.
His post on X came in response to Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu’s open letter, in which Vembu urged Indians living in America to consider returning to India. In his letter, Vembu wrote: “As difficult as it is for many of you to contemplate this, please come back home. Bharat Mata needs your talent. Our vast youthful population needs the technology leadership you gained over the years to guide them towards prosperity. Let’s do it with a missionary zeal.”
What made him move back
Responding to the letter, the professional said his decision to move back began during an H-1B visa stamping trip six years ago. During that visit, a conversation with his uncle made him rethink his future plans. His uncle asked him, “If you want to do something of your own eventually, why not do it in India? Create value here.”
He added that this conversation was the turning point, and about six months later, he moved back to India.
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The positives of returning home
He said one of the biggest positives was being closer to family, describing “waking up with parents nearby” and festivals “lived and celebrated with family and cousins, rather than performed on the nearest weekend,” along with a packed social calendar.
He also spoke about the professional opportunities he found in India, saying the professional network there is “dense and generative.” He wrote, “One phone call opens doors that would take months of LinkedIn outreach in Chicago or the Bay Area.”
He also highlighted the relief of not dealing with visa-related uncertainty, writing: “There is no hanging sword of a visa or green card, no ‘go back to your country’ muttered in a parking lot. You are home. That alone is worth a great deal.”
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Struggles he faced after returning
However, the professional also shared difficulties he faced after moving back, related to infrastructure, traffic, business processes and pollution.
On civic issues, he said roads were repeatedly dug up without coordination: “The road to office itself is dug up at least nine months of the year! Water, then cables, then broken drainage slabs, then white topping, then water again, with no coordination between any of them.”
He also spoke about the challenges of running a business, saying permissions that “should take a week” instead take a year, along with frequent inspections. On commuting and pollution, he wrote: “The twenty-minute commute takes sixty. The air requires purifiers in every room, an expense Americans simply do not have.”
He further raised concerns about housing costs, saying real estate is priced too high, adding that “even after 5 years of working I cannot afford a home in a decent locality on my salary income alone.” He also mentioned difficulties finding affordable quality schooling and blocked footpaths.
Despite these concerns, he said these issues were not enough to make him regret returning. He explained that his decision came down to multiple factors. He explained that his decision came down to multiple factors, family, opportunity and a wish to contribute to India.
“Bharat needs us, yes. But Bharat also has to become a place worth coming to, not just a place we owe ourselves to.”
