r/returnToIndia

One thing I’ve noticed during my return to India is how much small things around civic sense can affect the overall experience.

I recently stayed at one of the better high-end resorts in Bangalore over the long weekend, and honestly, that’s what made some of these things stand out even more. You’d expect a place like that, where most people are reasonably well-educated and paying for a premium experience, to set a certain standard.
Even at the simplest level — standing in a queue and having someone casually squeeze in from the side and start giving their details first. Small thing, sure, but it happens often enough that it gets frustrating.

At the pool, there was another incident. We had collected our towels ourselves since there wasn’t anyone around to help. I put my three towels down, with my jute bag, T-shirt and glasses on top so we could easily identify our spot. Another family was sitting nearby, which was completely fine.

A few minutes later, someone came over, moved my things, took the towel from underneath them and walked away with it. I had to go over and explain that those were my things and that I had already gone through the trouble of getting the towels myself. He eventually went back and got another one. (Fun fact: I had told this as a joke to my wife that something like this can happen with those folks, and it really happened after 5 mins)

None of these are big incidents individually. That’s actually the point.

It’s the casual assumption that “I’ll just do what’s convenient for me” without thinking whether it inconveniences someone else.

After living outside India for several years, I think this is one area where we can genuinely do better. Not through some big rule or enforcement, but just by being a little more considerate of the people around us.

Small things, but they make a big difference to how a place feels.

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.

I recently moved back to India after almost a decade in the US. This is the perspective of a 30M moving to a Tier 1 city.

I know a few people in my circle who are considering moving, so I thought I’d list a few things that could influence your decision.

1. Family: This can singlehandedly make/break your decision. It’s extremely important to understand the context in which your parents, siblings, and extended family live. Family dynamics, expectations, and boundaries may be very different from the West. If you are neurodivergent or particularly sensitive to social expectations, navigating this can be exhausting.

2. Contacts: Life runs through personal connections. Hospitals, schools, government offices, religious institutions, housing, contractors are broken institutions. Without a “contact,” even getting basic things done can become unnecessarily difficult.

3. Boundaries: You need to be comfortable establishing boundaries. People will test what you are willing to tolerate. You may need to be more assertive, push back, raise your voice and occasionally establish hierarchy.

4. Workplace: You may have to put effort into communicating what you consider inappropriate/toxic workplace behaviour. Some colleagues and managers may respond positively.

5. Baggage: India carries a lot of historical, cultural, class, caste, region, language, generational baggage. If you cannot learn to navigate some of this without internalising, it can become frustrating.

Most of these problems can be solved with one of three things: money, time, or mental health. My preferred solution is money.

Despite, I think moving back to India can be extremely rewarding. But it helps to come back with realistic expectations.

Hi all,

I’ve been following this subreddit for a long time, and everyone’s experiences here have taught me a lot. I wanted to share my situation and see if anyone has gone through something similar.

I have an approved EB1A I-140, and my Date for Filing (DFF) has now become current.

At the same time, I’ve realized that I really miss India and would like to take a break from living in the US. I’m currently interviewing with a few companies in India, and things are looking positive. My plan is to relocate to India and complete the green card process from there once my Final Action Date (FAD) becomes current.

I have already discussed this with my immigration attorney, and he has confirmed that there should not be an issue pursuing the green card from India when my FAD becomes current.

We’re currently planning to relocate around mid-January. We’ll also be moving with our two cats and our dog, so that adds another layer to the move. We’ve already discussed the relocation with their vet, who will handle the required tests, health certificates, and documentation for travel to India and, eventually, back to the US.

I’d love to hear from anyone who has:

Moved back to India after an approved EB1A/EB1 I-140 while waiting for FAD to become current
Completed the immigrant visa/green card process from India
Moved back to the US after spending a couple of years in India
Relocated pets from the US to India and later brought them back
Made a similar decision simply because they wanted a break from the US

I need to move some money back to India, close to $160K .

Was thinking use zoom and move on chunks of 10K one weekly basis .

I am still a green card holder and applied for reentry permit on my way out.

Do you see any concerns ?

Destination will be Resident INR account.

Most of my money $800K + is invested in IBKR. The money I am moving is in checking and is my liquid funds and want to move this to India to have liquidity in case of emergencies needs and also earn some interest.

I asked about FCR, hdfc folks at the front desk don’t know what it is and KVB said they can give me a current account without any interest, but KVB recommended IOB or bank of Boroda if I want to earn interest . Not sure if i want to go this route.

Have you done this ? Any suggestions??

If you are going to come here with one line comments discouraging people not to return, find another sub. Here was a person from NZ asking genuine questions about returning, and people telling him one liners, that they would never return is not helpful. Or, complaining about traffic or pollution, to people who are originally from India is also not helpful. Go to a different sub to channel your negativity on India.

Posting personal experiences is ok, but don’t make the sub a cesspool of negativity. People want to return for all sorts of reasons with all sorts of personal situations. If you can relate and help, do so. Don’t spread blanket negativity.

I am a conservative investor, all i need is peace of mind. I have about 75k in Principal. I am looking for the lowest stress possible. I will not keep my US phone number later and I will close my US bank account. Any suggestions on the best option?

Hi,
I have been holding an apartment in Hyderabad for the past 7–8 years. It was a brand-new property when I bought it, and I recently sold it for a decent profit.
Initially, I had invested some money in mutual funds, but the market doesn’t seem to be doing that well right now. I’m considering bringing around ₹50–60 lakhs back to the U.S. I can see that both ICICI and HDFC have options to transfer the money to U.S. bank accounts.
I understand that I may lose some money due to exchange rates, taxes, or other charges, but I feel that once the money is transferred to the U.S., I may not have many opportunities to invest additional money here in the future.
My main goal is to set this money aside for my two kids, who are currently 8 and 7 years old. Hopefully, this money can benefit them when they start college. At this point, I don’t know whether they will attend college in the U.S. or India, so I’d like to keep the money flexible.
Do you think this is a good approach? I’d really appreciate your thoughts.
Thanks!