- Couple Hemant Pandey and Vaashu Sharma moved from California to Bengaluru in November 2024
- They previously worked at IBM, Meta, Google, Tesla, SAP, and Salesforce in the US tech sector
- Emotional ties and faster growth in India motivated their return after years abroad
A couple with high-paying jobs at top firms like IBM Meta, Google, S&P, and Salesforce have shared why they returned to India. Hemant Pandey and Vaashu Sharma relocated from California to Bengaluru in November 2024, leaving behind a successful life in the US.
The couple met during their master's programme at New York's Stony Brook University in 2016, according to a report in Business Insider. In 2020, they got married but always had the feeling that they would like to move back to India.
"After we graduated in 2017, Vaashu went on to work at IBM, Meta, and then Google. I worked at Tesla, SAP, Salesforce, and Meta. We got married in 2020," said Mr Pandey, who has worked at Tesla, SAP, Salesforce, and Meta.
Quizzed about what prompted the pair to return home after all these years abroad, Mr Pandey said it was a combination of logical and emotional reasons.
"I had so many reasons for wanting to move back, some logical and some emotional. I felt happier whenever I visited India for holidays," he said, adding: "I also saw the crazy speed at which India was growing from when I had left. My friends back home were all making good money, and their lifestyle was just like ours was in the US."
As for Ms Sharma, her family was the biggest reason to leave the US and return to the homeland and live closer to them.
"My biggest reason was that our family is based there, and I felt closer to the social and cultural values I was brought up with," said Ms Sharma.
"I was also tired of missing big celebrations like my mother's retirement, my cousins' weddings, and being home for festivals. We were based in the Bay Area, and Indian festivals were celebrated with a lot of energy, but they could never match India."
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Tech scene and visa troubles
The couple also highlighted the evolving tech scene in India, which made the decision to shift base to India easier.
"I saw a huge difference in the opportunities India had to offer, in terms of the number of teams Big Tech companies had in India, the products they were building, and the salaries they were offering to employees," said Ms Sharma.
Additionally, the visa problems while staying in the US contributed to the couple's decision. Mr Pandey said the H-1B visa felt "quite restrictive" and despite making good money, they did not have the opportunity to pursue side projects, owing to the legal challenges.
"H-1B holders are not allowed to have secondary sources of income. There was no room to take a career break either, because our visas were tied to us working full time."
Every year, millions dream of moving to the US for better careers and a high-quality life. Yet, Hemant Pandey and Vaashu Sharma's journey reveals the powerful pull of the Indian roots which drew them back to Bengaluru from Silicon Valley.
