Watch: Why We Left Google, PayPal, and Microsoft Jobs to Move Back to India

3:19 >> Got it. >> Yeah. >> So were you always been in Bay Area after your masters? >> Yes, always been. >> Got it. Cool. So I think sounds like

3:29 You had a good career, everything was going great in US. So why the thought of moving to India occurred and when did this thought started brewing? >> Yeah, sure. So let me go. so basically when we moved to US the whole thought reason was to go for a take a good engineering career software engineering career get good opportunities learn something different in the masters like the bachelors what we did was way different we really actually learned things in masters through our different projects got really good opportunities to like work on projects with with my friends over there really talented So same with the work got really good challenging opportunities like flex the muscles during the initial years and then after like right we had our first daughter like in 2021 in May that's when we were started to realize that things are not exactly

4:32 Going to work out because it was like a monumental change for us in our lives the biggest change I would say for both of us having our kid and as you know like in US and most of the parts of the world like it's it's tough your visa the parents can come just like few months and they are not like exactly suited to that world as well but they do so because they immensely love us and their grandkids so we were realizing that we had an India trip in 2022 December I specifically remember that and we were like hey like this this is very different to what u our life could if we keep on continuing in being in US the life is pretty monotonous at some point even when you're surrounded with your friends the social connect like the being around with your family we both have relatives in Pune so it was very easy for us to like when we come here like we met with a lot of people and that that sort of belongingness I would say is what drove

5:33 Us and u at certain point what you feel like is when you go to US you had certain things in and you have done all that. now it's just time to come home. That's all. >> >> you go baby. >> Yeah. Yeah. That's he summarized it pretty well. just 2021 we when we had our daughter so she had to go to the daycare like being there both working parents. So she had to go like entire day in daycare. So that didn't really like like we didn't really like that. we we couldn't like I know many people many people can cross that hurdle like but with us I felt like she's growing up like outside home and >> it's very few years they grow up very fast >> and like very at very young age we had to like do that to send her >> to daycare so that that was that was one of the biggest things I wanted to

6:35 Keep her home like a small school is fine but for two two and a half year old going for going out of home for so long we just couldn't couldn't do that and grandparents also they we felt like each trip they are getting older they are aging so those are the golden years that they want to spend with their grandkids and grandkids are also fond of them. So we we it really broke our heart when they left because our daughter would cry and then we had to console her even my mom my my mother-in-law like they they were very emotional leaving leaving leaving the kids. So >> so we thought like yeah maybe maybe this is these are the years that we don't want to miss. so that's why we really started like when we went back from here in 2022 that's when we really like started to like be on the path. We we always used to say this like we one day we'll go back but that one day we started planning in 2022.

7:33 >> It was always 3 years down the line five years on the line but >> yeah we'll go and we really enjoyed our life before kids in US so we traveled a lot. We were in thankfully we were in Bay Area so both of us were in same city always. So we explored all the national parks. We traveled a lot. We had like we had pretty good careers like so we are we were satisfied with US and like and we are really thankful of that that part. The next next chapter of our life I I we didn't feel like US is the place. One more thing which got also added in 23 I specifically remember the RTO or the back to office thing started >> you were sort of getting used to that being at home and managing everything also like as you know of late the companies have started a very different push in Silicon Valley starting from like 2022 onwards there's a lot of different things happening pressures increasing all sort of adding up things didn't feel that

8:34 This is where the way we want to go >> yeah the environment didn't feel very friendly for the two working parents we've tried. So >> yeah. >> So yeah, >> so sounds like I think it's upbringing the kids the kind of environment where you want the kid to grow up.

8:50 What about the other factors in your decision- making process especially on the career side or maybe the lifestyle side like I know how does that weigh in in your decision- making process and what tilted you to make a decision yes let's go to India. So at the time I was in Google he was in PayPal. So PayPal has office in Bangalore. Even Google has a pretty big presence in Bangalore as well as Hyderabad. So first of all we started thinking on those lines like let's go to Hyderabad or Bangalore. That would be pretty easy for us to transitioning career-wise. Let's just like it will just be like a change of country that we already know and everything else will just be smooth. but as we progressed we we really felt like Hyderabad and Bangalore we have we have never been to Hyderabad and Bangalore really like for a long time.

9:42 >> Yeah. So we didn't really want we didn't really want to move to a new city and everything. We are really coming back for our our family, our friends, our so we dropped that middle way. He actually did a lot like >> yeah I actually moved to Microsoft trying to think if we could get remote but of course things didn't plan that way because Microsoft started the RTO back to office and so I I specifically remember that conversation with my manager like he said it's very difficult to get that right now and I was like if it's not happening in Pune I cannot walk in Pune I'm not going to be moving to a different city because I don't want to do the same thing again where I have to travel back every weekends. and it was not something that that would have suited for us at while the transition to India and we were pretty much aware that while we were there for like so many years we grew up there after 15 12 10 to 15 years

10:44 Like it it's a very different you're not actually going back to that but you're going to imagine going to a different country altogether in a sort of way not exactly but >> yeah we felt more home in Bay Area than had >> yeah because yes >> yeah so that's why that's why it took like 3 us because we tried we were not sure of the city first then then we were we we also explored the option of like you know me staying back home if that would change so in 2024 May around that time I took a seat back and we felt like that let's try that option if two working parents is if that's not working out let's let's try this also before we before we leave us.

11:30 We wanted to try like everything. So we had our second daughter. Then I took a break. >> yeah, we moved back when our second daughter was like like just 6 months. We I think we landed here 6 months. >> But that also didn't like work out like so. that's why like we tried different options and then we zeroed down on like let's go to Pune first. a few of our friends also moved here and we thought like we have built a decent we have decent saving >> and we could at least take a few months break and we'll find something in >> I think our careers with that we that definitely we got that freedom that hey let's both take a step back just take a chill pill just see around like how the transition goes how does fair and especially What I felt was during these young years with the kids you won't get that time again. fortunately with being in US and Silicon Valley in tech

12:30 Companies we got that freedom. We wanted to make sure that we don't lose that out. career I felt like >> it could come back again whenever want and even if that doesn't happen I'll probably do something else. maybe not even in software engineering but >> yeah we were from software so we were we still have the thinking like at least in 6 months to a year we should be able to find something at least one of us should be able to find something and that should be enough for us for for to get our lifestyle is pretty decent like so we should be able to manage that's what that was the thinking >> instead of going materialistic we wanted to see if we could slightly lower it and then maybe enjoy the other parts what we like like traveling and other Yeah. >> Yeah. Thanks a lot for sharing that. I think you know the options that you have evaluated before making the decision and finalizing it, you know, giving all the options a try. So let's talk about the

13:21 Planning, right? I know you kind of started this idea about moving to India in 2022, right? And then it took almost 3 years. you know, I know you kind of mentioned about career like you know having these conversations with your employers. what are the planning that you have done in these three years? Why 2025 even a thought occurred in 2022? What are the different things that went in the mind or like that went into the planning? >> Yeah, I think we started off like a when we came back from India in Jan in 23 we sort of thought like let's give ourselves that two or two years because we were owning a home we had everything set up there like in a way to have our lifestyle and have our life with our two kids. So the transition was not going to be easy. before making the move, we just said like what one last thing like I remember having that conversation with her as well. We for a year we thought like let me get our finances right. Let us get our finances right. let's see what the because

14:22 The market in for the house sale was also very shaky. it was up and down in during those years. so we gave ourselves that time to think about how we want to have our lifestyle over there in India. Explore different cities. At that time we were trying to explore even Hyderabad and Bangalore in the initial few years. I was talking to a few folks who who like a friends my friends over there who belong to Bangalore and Hyderabad. I was having a lot of conversations with them. trying to get some idea over there. all those things were happening and I think by 2024 in the beginning like the companies also like were very working were pretty hectic our schedule was very tight >> at that point when she said like we thought of let's take first a step back let's see if maybe one of us takes a step back and see if things we can make them move here make it work here >> but >> if we feel any differently if we wanted to like make sure that if it is exhaustion that is driving us to India or if it is like we really want to go.

15:23 So >> all those that was the year those were the years where we were trying everything out. >> and >> and in 2024 like we we found found out like we are having our second daughter. So we thought let's >> yeah that that almost like let's have the daughter here get everything done and then because we knew we we had our first kid here we knew how things work the hospitals and stuff we have everything set up here the nannies and stuff. So >> yeah it felt like more more natural to let like like just have second and then >> that sort of delayed like another >> 10 months or so a year >> and then after that we moved back we felt pretty confident with our finances so we felt like let's jump in and I I felt like it was very essential also like I couldn't imagine like doing all the things that we did so far without with two jobs that would have been crazy. Yeah, >> with two kids.

16:18 >> With two kids. Yeah, we didn't want >> with a six month old transitioning year. it's it's a lot I felt like. So, we enjoyed that that's why. So, >> and like start of I think 2025, we just decided let's let's fix a date. because we were trying for jobs in Pune as well at that time but remotely interviewing with two kids. It was crazy. So we were like if we if we if we like wait for the perfect moment where we have our jobs and everything is ready we are not going to get there because our daughter is also going to grow up and all that. So let's just fix a date whatever we can get by that date we we'll do it everything else we'll figure out when we land here. >> So that's sort of we like decided a date in like after Diwali will come and >> and so Diwa actually this is the first time we spent Diwali in India. in 12 15 12 13 years 12 years. Yeah. So that was a really good that's why we planned it that way.

17:14 >> Yeah. So we tried everything we can until that date and then we let it go. >> yeah and we also had to sell our home. We decided that I don't want to deal with all the things with the renter from India. It's just too difficult. Don't don't want that hassle. So I remember with a 4month-old we were staying in an airnb for a month. so that the the weekends we could have the open houses. Luckily, our house got sold within within a week. the realtor was really good that we working with we got the price that we wanted. So, we said like, "Hey, I don't want to haggle now. Just get the clothes and go back." >> So, were you able to close the house just before the move and you don't have to like >> We signed like three days or four days? >> We actually we changed our flight tickets by a week so that we could just sign it. We had given like my is in US so we had given him power of attorney in case it doesn't go but we could close it in a month so we we just postponed our move by a little bit and we could we could wrap everything by

18:15 >> got it cool. while we are on the topic of on the house right like anything that you can talk about on a financial planning side like you know

18:22 Have you considered like you know when you're talking about some corpus right have you did anything on the living expenses side like what is a good amount or anything that you did with the 401ks or the stocks anything that you can talk on that side? >> Yeah sure so you want to go first? >> yeah so we we actually had two homes like at different points. So we had taken a starter home in 2017 and then we had sold that and this was our second home. So we were pretty familiar with the process like how it goes and everything. It's it's pretty it's it's pretty straightforward in US I feel like as compared to India. So that part we were like in terms of logistics we were aware of how everything would work. in terms of finances, we didn't really do like very nitpicky like not like we had like ma like idea like yeah just scale >> back of the paper envelope things.

19:16 >> The only thing is like going completely like transitioning yourself into into like in a retirement mode was very difficult because with our young kids it's just too many uncertainties and too many things still to go. So we thought like we we'll land in Pune, we will have at least software engineering that's what we know. So we'll have a job one or two jobs whatever we get and we will we were we were pretty confident that with with our like pretty modest lifestyle with one income at least we should be able to manage >> and in next five 5 years or so once we have confidence of like how much like how much corus and everything is needed we can do something else or things 401k we have still haven't like we don't have like 100% plan but we were initial >> exploring options We are exploring. We have kept everything there. We just for the for the initial setup whatever corpus is needed we have brought here. Then we are talking to the professionals and we are figuring out if

20:16 We actually when we came here and talk to professionals we we thought like we can actually pull this off. So yeah otherwise the always the option was like go get a job and then manage right >> in terms of that X number I think it's very difficult to come with that X like how much is the monthly expense like you can come up with these things on a piece of paper but unless you land here and actually know what you really like what you don't like what do you want to actually spend on and not spend on it takes around a year I believe at least to like come up with a good estimate of what you really think that your monthly expense would be especially with young kids like once they grow up they will probably have some extracurricular activities right now my older one already is we are searching a few things for her so like even in the if you change the neighborhoods within a city like Pune or Bangalore and Hyderabad I'm sure it must be same things change dramatically so so we we are giving ourselves that time

21:18 One thing is for sure that the two jobs in Silicon Valley have given that freedom to us so that we could take ourselves time ease ourselves in see what we really like what we don't like what kind of a job we like we don't like we really want to go for low stress jobs because that's one of the reasons we also like we don't want to be in Silicon Valley so >> so let's see how that goes and we'll keep that updating as we go ahead >> yeah but for now like 401k and everything we have kept >> yeah we have kept most of things in US while we moving back we are figuring it out how we bring back how which percentage of it you want to bring and how much to keep. >> we'll do that. Yeah, >> that makes sense. I mean even within the same metro, right? I mean depending on one's lifestyle, the number ranges so so much. Yes. Like you know.

22:03 >> Yeah. And we we never had a family here. When we went we were like students, no like no responsibility. So our lifestyle then and our lifestyle now is very different. So >> yeah, it started with like paying the electricity bill. Never did that. So >> Cool. So let's talk about the career

22:21 Right I think you know you kind of looked at the internal transfer it didn't work out sounds like I think you tried to apply from us I don't know how it went and also like you know where you are how did it go so if you can talk about it that would be >> right so with my with with her I think she decided to take a break anyway so she didn't really I think you didn't really try out >> yeah I I didn't so through Google I had I didn't have like directly I didn't have team in India. My dream team was in Brazil. So I was going to get transfer in Brazil. I could have applied for different teams and it was it could but we didn't feel like we could do that with the second kid and pregnancy and everything. So I didn't really try much. I took a step back in 2024. and I felt like I'll take at least until my younger daughter is just 9 months. So until she becomes like 2 years old or something I will take her seat back. So I didn't explore many options but my plan was to apply through

23:22 Google. I was pretty happy with my career there. I had great manager, great team. I had changed teams inside Google as well. So I had I had had a pretty fulfilling career. So my thing was to try Google. even Google has a small presence in Bou. So that's that's what my plan was. but I decided to take a few years off. >> Makes sense. >> Yeah. For me I think initially when I left PayPal that was one of the reason first to see if I find a remote company which offers remote in India. unfortunately didn't pan out. So after having that conversation with my manager then I I started looking thing like are there any remote opportunities in India? how does the hiring work? and by that time when I was thinking of applying I realized that the the things that I needed to do in order for us to close the chapter in US was a lot. So I said like I I'll not do that. I'll explore once I land. I wanted to give myself that time of wrapping things here and also taking care of the family like

24:23 With the young one with she being pregnant and then afterwards having the baby. We had a lot on our plate at that time. So I decided that I'll just pause and go to India and figure it out. well it's still being figured out yet. So so but the plan is now to just see if we can find something important. >> Got it. Cool. so how is the life in

24:45 India since you guys moved? You >> go first. >> it has been great. So we landed just like before Diwali. So we celebrated our Diwa Diwali with family after so many years. It was like great. >> That was a blessing. >> It was reallying. my older daughter is four and a half and younger is 9 months. So she both of them are like over the moon. Both grandparents both their grandparents live in the same building. So we were also initially we when we landed we were there just got a rental. >> So it was it was just like a big family and every like many cousins and so we met with everyone after so many years. So Diwali was was a blast. >> then after that also when we started looking for schools for our daughter so she was in junior KG like she will be in junior KG here. So we we started exploring schools after Diwali and we realized that the kind of schools we liked are either on east side or west side of Pune. So not really commutable from where we were. so we

25:49 Liked many schools on the west side. So we decided to move within Pune. we got a rental here and that was that was definitely hectic with a baby and >> I remember I just used to go on like to take an Uber go there in the west side search for home search for schools come back talk to her at night once the kid like we didn't really get time even to speak once the kids slept that was the time when we got really to think about what we wanted >> it was it was deeply exhausting but it was deeply fulfilling as well schools schools. We we toured many schools because education of our daughter it was like it was one of the very like top priorities for us. >> So and we we are really happy like average quality of schools also like when we were kids and now is like very very different >> and with these like international boards and everything coming up international even parallel schools and everything. So every like I I will I think like you would find a school any any kind of

26:50 Person would find a school to their liking. I think we both like passionately like searching for schools for kids. So we were like that's the most time we've both spent like I I remember like when we landed here I was pleasantly surprised with the kind of options that you have right now >> like with with even like state boards to IBS to Cambridge like you have everything >> alternate schools you talk about it like everything is here. So >> everything is here. So and we we got her into school that we liked. U so she she's she transitioned really well as well. so that that was that was great. so houses also like we this area we are still exploring. but >> we decided to go in a rental. So just we explore the area before taking some of >> Yeah. But yeah we like this area. This is commutable from our parents as well.

27:38 They are also happy to come here. It's not as far as us. It's like 30 minute drive for them. So they they come like every every now and then they are here. So the house is so we we are really happy with with >> the transition has been really good. while it we had some issues like in within the family like some health health related stuff which we to take care of. >> >> yeah and we were really glad that we are here for that. >> yeah during those tough times I think it's it's really important as a family to come together especially with my cousin and my uncle. So >> they had some health issues. is really glad that I could be here on time for them to be with them in those tough times. and then transition wise I believe like it was it was much smoother in terms of the kids and us like literally in Diwali the second or third day we were here like

28:40 When she was going she went down there to play with kids. >> yeah, we we always thought she's kind of introvert, but we found out she she really is not. So that was a pleasant surprise. then in terms of pollution, yes, pollution and traffic, traffic still like bo traffic bothers me a lot. So I that that I'm still getting used to. But yeah, we we booked a two-heer and now like I used to drive in India like way back. Yes. But it's very different now. So >> I think it she's she has need she probably took some time to get used to it. >> For me I I remember the first time I just it was a very busy street. I took off my two wheeler and I the first turn that I had to take two times I waited the third time I was like if I wait more it will be half an hour more. So but yeah after that it's been it's been really good. So complaints wise nothing. like few things yes like in India like service- wise yes we have

29:41 Improved few services like the human interaction like but yeah you always have to make a call and make sure that the person comes comes on the time so those things yes are there still but otherwise the quick deliveries are like such a such a big relief it just happens asynchronously like you just do that book it and then it's here in 15 minutes So that's been a lifesaver especially with the younger one at home for us. >> Yeah. And in in terms of like house and the the amount of help you get is like we are we are pretty we are not used to it but we are very happy that we get it we get that. >> Yeah. I guess we are not commuting every day to job that that makes a huge difference. >> Huge difference. Yeah. Yeah.

30:26 >> But yeah we're taking it in soaking it in spending time with kids in order to get that again. So since the cafe >> yeah during like Christmas time we we missed us a little because we we had Christmas tree and like big house and like everything. So >> the streets were like amazing like you walk down the lane and you just have >> every now and then we we do miss the like clean air and foot paths and everything. >> The parks. Yeah, I miss the parks. >> Kids parks. Kids parks. >> My kid enjoy used to enjoy that. >> Yeah, every now and then we feel we do like miss that but yeah not not like major. We we haven't come across like we we never felt like we made a mistake yet. At least >> it's been Yeah, it's been good. Yeah. >> Sounds like I mean I think there are minor things and especially when you lived there for more than 10 years, right? I think there are some things that you get used to and you can tell the difference like after living there for some time.

31:18 >> So I know you mentioned that you really enjoyed like you know visiting different

31:22 Schools. So I'm very curious about how did you down select the school like you know because there are so many options there are so many you know school curriculums types and all that stuff like how did you go about down selecting one >> right you want to go I think >> yeah so initially when we thought we were like we were open to everything because like from CBSC to IB so we don't really have any close cousins or anything who are close to my daughter Sage so whatever Ever knowledge we had is like from 30 years back when we were kids. So we were we are we like things have changed dramatically. So we were open to everything like from CBSC. We were like just like we'll put the schools and we'll see. so we started with nearby schools first. there are few good CBSC schools and everything but we really liked like international curriculum with one of the schools. so >> yeah so they had option so right now

32:23 She's in junior KG so doesn't >> it's like a montary style >> Monty style so we were really looking for a school which is closely aligned she was my daughter went to the Montiser school there so we were looking for something very similar so that we got and this school has option of like changing boards and everything at later stage when like first second standard >> so that we felt is really nice this is a new school like it's in it started in 2022 do. So, we got midterm admission as well and we we went to like one all those top schools as well like where it was crazy to get >> to get a foot in was difficult >> but we for midterm admissions at least. >> Yeah. We didn't really feel like it resonated with how education how how education we want for our kids like not we didn't feel the values matched. Yeah.

33:09 >> So, we we explored few parallel schools as well. >> Yeah. We loved a couple of parallel schools. >> Parallel schools. So we are still but at this time the amount of time that that is demanded from parents like commitments that are demanded from parents I don't think as a family we can do it right now >> but down the line if we feel like that's more that's more suitable with how our kid turns out turns out. So we we can change that all the schools are in this area this vicinity. So yeah, right now she's she's going to a preschooler aligned preschool. She's very happy with the with how it's pretty similar to how her school was and later on we have options of international boards. So yeah, we we on paper at least we are not we have not looked into boards a lot because she's just in junior KG right now. We feel like like >> having an option is good >> is good because some of the votes like IB and I those things look good on paper

34:09 But we'll >> how it's implemented is very important. >> So we'll we'll down the line we'll we'll see how which one suits us. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Cool. Yeah. So I remember like we having this conversation like really what values the school brings in was very important for us. so while picking the right school we wanted to make sure that we understand and we give open thought to every school not just like internationals or not just like CTSC based we didn't want to box ourselves into a curriculum we wanted to really explore what how the teachers interact with kids how the what are the thoughts of the founders how the principal is conveying their message and how they are actually putting that into the ground reality. So I spent a lot of time actually going to these different schools, talking to different parents, talking to the principal, talking to the founders. I actually had a chance to talk to the founders of many schools and I and that that was more involved I thought of how they are actually envisioning their

35:10 School and how they're actually having their teachers deliver it that on that vision. So that was important. Yeah, that was important for us but for both of us. >> Yeah. Makes sense. So since you are one

35:21 Of the early followers of Diitan, I wanted to check like how did Desien help with your journey of moving back to India. >> It's been helping us since the beginning and it's helping even now. >> Yes. So when we found your channel, so I we we always thought that we would be in minority like people don't really go back. People just say like that was my idea like no one really goes back. That's what my thinking was and we will be the only ones going. That's what that was my thinking. But when once I started following the channel I thought like there are many people who who are in the similar similar shoes who think like us like it's not the unique challenge that we are facing we are facing like parents there there have been many parents in your podcast who have shared similar feelings.

36:08 >> So I felt really nice like to connect with people who are in like you know who think like us. it's it's nice to know that we are not in not in that much minority that we >> so it it kind of helped us solidify the decision u and we I always felt like when we we are in Silicon Valley two tech jobs we were in a bubble so we thought like all the people are like you know very career oriented this that but it's not the case so we we got to know different people who are from different walks of life so that was that was good we it it kind of helped us solidify our decision gave us a little confidence of like you know we we can really do this. so that was one on the like emotional or like intangible benefits and your your finance forum like most of the folks folks on that they are like >> kudos to those guys like they share a lot different things you probably might not hear those even from the

37:09 >> CAS but I think even when we started >> Jigger's Jigger's spreadsheet gave us another confidence like you know because it was otherwise we are not really sure how to approach some certain things. So that helped us a lot. >> even your checklists are really good. So in the written checklist that you just have it's very easy to find things at one stop in one place >> and >> and I think we got consultation from an associate as well. >> it was in in very early time that's the place when >> I yeah I mean I have to review that but yeah it was it was good for us. So yeah it has like many many things have helped us a lot even Hyderabad Bangalore we were in Hyderabad Bangalore channel initially as well so it zero we like we we kind of decided not going there so >> yeah it were there talked to people I I I

38:18 That so that why that's why we felt >> Yeah. So you're doing a great job, right? >> Thank you. Just wanted to hear because you're one of the early followers just want to. >> Yeah. No, it's really helpful and please do continue. >> yeah, we hope you keep up keep on doing this and maybe even expand more. So yeah, whatever we can from our side to help you. >> Definitely. No, thanks a lot for sharing your journey right this is kind of giving back you know where someone can get inspired or get some clarity about their decision making or planning process really appreciate it so was there anything that we haven't covered that you want to bring up or any advice

39:02 For the future aspirants >> I would say like give it an open thought like we always have apprehensions of things there are many things in India that have changed some things have not definitely But many things have changed. So give yourselves give give give keep your mind open. talk to different people. especially with this they say it in a channel like you'll get a lot of different things lot of stories lot of people who can help you out in certain ways. The decision is always going to be yours. but not making not saying basically delaying the decision and just kicking the pail is also a decision made to stay back. So thought if you've made a decision to stay back, make that thoughtfully. And if you're going to go back to India, do so thoughtfully as well. So not making a decision is actually not that way. It's actually you're making a decision to stay. so every year that passes is is a decision made. so I would

40:02 Encourage everyone to actively think about it. See what different options you have. Now with AI you will you will find a lot of different things there as well. So do explore it try to plan it don't jump to conclusions based on only a subset of things. and also like I would say what we felt like we couldn't do it because we had a baby and we are toddler and lot of things to close. We were very focused on wrapping up in US with home sale. a lot of different financial stuff that with trust and stuff like we had to do. So there are a lot of things that we had to be done before wrapping up US. So we literally like landed there in our parents' homes like just crash landed kind of thing. and then we figured out our life in India after landing here. I've realized that many people also spend time doing trying to make sure that everything is set up in India also that maybe you can try if you

41:04 Have time maybe do that and if career-wise if if if things pan out in your way in finance in the finances that you have if if you feel like you can take that liberty to just go in India and explore and then think about the careers it's okay sometimes like you take two steps back to go five steps ahead. So that's how I see it. and it's really important especially when as you approach your late 30s to really actively think how your life you want to live for the next half. because years pass by very easily and we just keep on thinking about what if. So I wanted to make sure that I I took we we took this path and we don't really think like hey what if we had moved back then. this decision of coming to India if it had gone like we had thought like hey this is just not working out we could have done something else we could have tried to find something else but not making that move would have for at least

42:05 For oursel for us for our family like we felt like it was essential to explore it >> right >> so and we're glad that we made that move >> yeah and also I just want to add to that so my kids are really young I felt that helped immensely so I I feel like once kids get older it would be immensely difficult because there is another factor another person in the in the decision and you have to think of them take care of them. So if if at all you can do it it will help immensely if your kids are younger. and don't I always like you are not going to get like all the green signals. So some things will work out some things will not but you just have to take that leap of faith and if you are open and flexible like things would work out and finances wise also we feel we felt like we we we were scared a lot just because like we didn't know things. We didn't know anyone who would sort of like just end their careers just go

43:06 There and explore like we hadn't where very few people have done that. So we already has that apprehension that should be >> I mean you have that perspective like you if you have had great careers in like us in in these companies or like so you have a bit of leeway there so think about it don't just be like blind or like you know just explore it. yes I would say yeah >> I think the key thing is like making an informed decision right whether staying there or moving back instead of just like having it let go and then leading the life consciously whatever the decision right I think you don't want to have regrets later in the life if you have an option especially young you can the path can change so much and then you can always go back I think that's the key thing yeah you know you don't want >> yeah so >> thanks a lot for you know taking the time and sharing your journey I really really you appreciate you know having this honest conversation about you know your thought process

44:06 About the insights of after moving back to India. So really appreciate you taking the time and sharing your journey with us. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Thanks a lot. Stay >> connected. Thank you so much.