"Indian Tech Professional Relinquishes Dreams in the West for Country's Instability but Authenticity: Reveals After Ten Reflective Visits, Swears Allegiance to Vibrant Yet complex India"
In an unexpected turn of events, a 25-year-old Canadian citizen, who goes by the Reddit handle @Competitive-Group-80, has announced his decision to move back to India permanently. The post, titled "Moving back to India," has sparked a meaningful conversation about the growing shift among young Indians abroad, questioning the default script of success and the allure of Western lifestyles.
Born in India and raised in Gurugram, Haryana, the individual has spent the past few years working in Canada's tech sector. However, feelings of unhappiness with life in Canada and a lack of fulfillment have led him to contemplate a return to his roots. Upon returning to India, he experiences a sense of nostalgia, describing it as a "rewind button on the soul."
The post echoes an unrest that is often hidden beneath polished social media updates from the West. It resonates with a deeper connection between a Gurugram childhood and returning to India. The individual acknowledges the flaws in both India and Western countries but does not see a happy future for Indians in general in the West.
The trend of young Indians moving back to India is driven by multiple factors reflecting changing aspirations and practical considerations. Booming opportunities in India's startup and tech ecosystem, shifting immigration policies and wait times in Western countries, a desire for cultural connection and improved work-life balance, and a changing mindset among the diaspora are all contributing to this shift.
India’s rapidly growing economy, especially its startup and tech ecosystem, is attracting Indian professionals back home. With India ranking as the third-largest startup ecosystem globally and over 110 unicorn companies by 2025, career opportunities in fintech, edtech, health tech, and SaaS are booming. This creates attractive prospects for returning Indians compared to Western markets.
Stringent and evolving immigration rules in Western countries, along with long green card wait times, discourage some Indians from staying abroad permanently. This pushes them to consider return migration for better stability and career progression. Many returnees cite reasons related to family, cultural roots, and improved work-life balance in India. Despite the allure of Western lifestyles, factors like cost of living and closer family ties motivate people to leave the "Western dream."
There is a notable change in aspirations where the younger generation no longer views Western countries as the only or ultimate destination for success and fulfillment. Instead, many see India as a land of opportunity and personal satisfaction. The individual's decision and feelings resonate with this changing mindset.
The Indian diaspora continues to play a vital role economically through substantial remittances and investments. NRIs are strategically funding India’s startups, combining cultural familiarity with economic foresight. Remittances to India hit a historic high of $135.46 billion in FY25, indicating strong ties and continued engagement regardless of physical location.
As the individual contemplates his decision, he is considering buying a property in India for himself. A user suggests experiencing life in India for six months before making a permanent decision. Another Reddit user advises against overthinking and encourages following one's happiness. A measured optimism is offered, suggesting the individual to give India a try for 3-5 years.
The answers to the individual's potential dissatisfaction with the West are not in immigration paperwork or tax laws. The individual remains single, having shared a house with someone in Canada. His parents do not share the same desire to move back to India.
This story serves as a testament to the changing landscape of aspirations among young Indians abroad. As the world becomes more interconnected, the concept of success and happiness is evolving, and India is increasingly becoming a destination of choice for many seeking personal and professional fulfillment.
- The individual's decision to move back to India permanently has sparked discussions about the shifting mindset of young Indians abroad, challenging the traditional notion of success and the allure of Western lifestyles.
- Moving back to India has become a trend for young Indians, driven by factors such as booming opportunities in the startup and tech ecosystem, cultural connections, improved work-life balance, and changing family dynamics.
- India's rapidly growing economy, particularly its startup and tech sector, is attracting professionals back home, offering promising career opportunities in fields like fintech, edtech, health tech, and SaaS.
- Strict immigration rules and long green card wait times in Western countries are discouraging some Indians from staying abroad permanently, pushing them to consider return migration for better stability and career progression.
- As the world becomes more interconnected, millions of Indian diaspora continue to play a significant role economically through substantial remittances and investments, funding India’s startups with both cultural familiarity and economic foresight.
- In contemplating his decision, the individual is considering buying a property in India for himself, but questions about his happiness and family dynamics remain unresolved.
- The changing landscape of aspirations among young Indians abroad shows that India is increasingly becoming a destination of choice for many seeking personal and professional fulfillment, challenging the long-held belief that success lies only in Western countries.
