Anyone here move from the Bay Area/US back to Mumbai after 10+ years in tech? How did it work out career-wise?
My wife and I are considering moving back to India in the next ~2 years, and Mumbai is one of the places we’re seriously considering. We’re both originally from Mumbai and have family there, so from a family/social perspective it would be our preferred city.
We’ve both been in the San Francisco Bay Area for about 10 years and currently work in big tech. We’re at fairly senior levels now, and would ideally like to continue on a similar trajectory in India rather than take a major step back professionally.
There are a couple of big reasons we’re considering moving back. Being closer to family is obviously one. The other is getting out of the perpetual US immigration uncertainty. After spending a decade here, the idea of living somewhere where our ability to stay, change jobs, take a career break, start something of our own, etc. isn’t tied to immigration status is increasingly appealing.
The biggest question mark for us is careers.
Bangalore obviously seems to have a much deeper tech ecosystem, especially for senior engineering/product roles. Mumbai seems more limited from the outside, although I’m wondering whether the rise of GCCs, remote/hybrid roles, startups, fintech, etc. has changed that.
I’d particularly love to hear from people who were in a similar situation — spent a significant amount of time working in tech in the US and then moved back to Mumbai.
A few things I’m curious about:
What kind of role/company did you move into?
How difficult was it to find Staff/Principal/Director-level opportunities in Mumbai?
Did you take a significant compensation or career-progression hit?
Are there enough interesting roles that you feel you can switch companies without having to move to Bangalore/Hyderabad?
Has remote work made Mumbai a more viable base for senior tech people?
Did anyone manage to transfer internally from a US office to Mumbai/India?
For those who had the option of Mumbai vs Bangalore, do you regret choosing Mumbai?
More broadly, after living in the US for 10+ years, how has the move back worked out for you and your family?
We’re not expecting US-level compensation, and this isn’t purely a financial decision. Being close to family and having more certainty/control over where we live are major reasons we’re considering it.
At the same time, we don’t want to unintentionally constrain our careers for the next 10–15 years by choosing the wrong city.
Would especially appreciate first-hand experiences from people who have actually made a similar move rather than general impressions of the Mumbai tech scene.