An Indian techie working as a software engineer in the US consulted the internet on Friday as he planned a return home after eight years abroad — prompting a mixed response. The Reddit user explained that he looking to relocate within a year in order to be closer to his family and to ‘prioritise his health’. He also cited “visa restrictions and constant inability to travel home” as well as extreme stress at work as reasons for the decision.
“I am a 33-year-old single gay guy planning to return to India by end of year or by next year. No kids and parents are doing well financially. I do not own an apartment in India. I work as a software engineer currently,” the lengthy update began.
The update was posted on the r/ReturnToIndia subreddit and outlined a plan to take some time off before relocating to Bengaluru for work. The user explained that he had saved up around Rs 5 crore while seeking financial advice from fellow Redditors.
“I plan to spend some time at home and then move to Bangalore. I know traffic sucks there and all the water and flooding issues but so far it is the only city I could short that is close to home (Kerala), has ample job opportunities and has at least some level of LGBT tolerance. I do not intend to buy an apartment right away. I plan to rent for a year to see if I actually like it,” he explained.
He also sought relocation advice — explaining to others on the social media platform that he was eyeing Bengaluru as the best option. The Kerala-origin Redditor said he was also considering Kochi, Coimbatore and Chennai as possible alternatives while Pune and Hyderabad were slightly farther.
“I don’t plan to work at least for a year. After that, I will look for jobs. Will the one year break be an issue? I don’t have any defined plans for what I will do if not for software so I may just end up finding a coding job in Bengaluru and the toxic work culture gives me anxiety,” he added.
The post evoked a mixed reaction on the social media platform with several users advising against a return to India while others lent vehement support to the plan. Several people on the thread also urged him to share follow-up posts as they were contemplating a similar decision.