Watch: What I Learned After Living in India for 10 Years and Moving Back to the US

3:38 Months over there I felt you know the social life I mean US is not not what you see in movies or what you think it might be right and and staying lonely away from the family you have to do everything from cooking cleaning to even getting groceries which again not having car in the initial year or so it makes it even more difficult so that's when I thought you know it's good to get an experience and maybe as I mentioned in the beginning get some financial stability or or growth. But eventually my heart always belonged to India. So I thought you know back then it was like hey maybe you know what what is the times I was like maybe I should stay 6 to 7 years and then when the timing is right plan to move back. So that thought was always in the mind and as they say right whatever you whatever you think the nature will make it happen. So that that's that's the rest is kind of history.

4:29 >> Got it. So what happened in six to seven years like so that was the idea but what triggered you know people always think yeah I want to go back after certain time but reality is something comes up or something changes. Yeah. So why the move to India solidified after 6 to 7 years. So as I said the thought was always there and again like most people you know my journey was primarily the same after a year after completing first year. So yeah, I moved to New York City. I worked for the contracting or the consulting company for a year and then after that started looking for a full-time because again the contract was for a year. I always like working full-time. I kind of applied and was fortunate to get the company back then you know to sponsor or transfer my visa in in between I visited India after completing a year and then I again felt more attachment to home and missing that thing especially when you come back right 3 weeks go by in a flash and then when you come back you start feeling is there a life or is it only like you know the money that that's in the US you what

5:30 What are you missing versus what are you gaining so that was always there eventually of those parents want you to get married. So after a year in 2001, I got married. But I always had that thing. I even kind of communicated very very kind of you know transparently to my spouse like hey this is my plan. She was okay but then again things don't always go the way you plan it right I mean the job was going good. I also had a career shift into what I was doing into into more of a I mean within the technology which we can discuss in a bit. But over the years again my feeling of you know again I was kind of more into the married life but again there are more challenges with that you you end up like you know buying a house and expanding your footprint in the US. Still that inner self my heart as they say right my brain was in US but my heart always belonged in India and after few years I happened to go backh to visit. So there was like a gap of maybe two two to three years. I visited India 2003 4 that Christmas and then again

6:31 Ended up meeting extended relatives whom I haven't met for like maybe 10 years or so. Then I realized you know of course the life is good in US but is that where I want to you know be forever or should I start thinking and again the planning began in 2004 waiting for the right opportunity to make that move. >> Got it. So it was you know the heart and that kind of brought you back to India and maybe you can talk about like you know that visit in 2004 triggered the process and when did you

7:02 Actually move and how long you planned the move for? >> Yeah. So I think what triggered was again it was again maximum 3 weeks if I remember if my memory is still correct. Yeah. It was about 3 weeks and I traveled alone. My spouse was here. I traveled alone again too many places. I visited Mumbai, my my native and again my uncle aunts you know. So I kind of visited multiple places. Of course back then it was all train journey flights and everything was not at all all the locations except for metros. Again I saw and and I felt there was so much human connect in in India which obviously we all miss whether it's for festivals or or even any socials or or weddings or other events right and you see like people kind of like aging right I mean you haven't seen for 10 years. So again you realize like hey is is this the future I want to be with >> people around you or or over here. So that kind of triggered a stronger feeling like hey now I was more determined like maybe I should start

8:03 Thinking in the next 2 years because you know before either the kids are born or before you know they get to the phase where I've always seen you know once the kids are at phase when they start going to school it becomes much more challenging and difficult not for you as parents but for the kids as well. So that's when the thought triggered. Obviously my goal was as I said right my I was kind of like you know I ended up buying a house and kind of you know when you buy a house you keep investing and like in the house and everything else. So I knew it's going to take a longer time but also I did not want to move without a job not just like you know move and then do nothing because obviously I'm I'm I I'm passionate about what I do. So I'll just mention in brief I do cyber security. So I was like hey I want to do this thing and if I get an opportunity to do the same in India that would be the ideal move right.

8:50 >> Yeah. >> But again cyber security did not I would say did not exist or was not really one of the core domains back in 2004 5. So I started like you know applying multiple places again. Goal was to come back to Mumbai because that's where my hometown has all the relatives but unfortunately lot of jobs were in south Hyderabad Bangalore. So it was again a dilemma. I'm going back but again I'm I'm not going back to my hometown to the people. So is it going to be right move? But then later in discussion with my spouse and myself you know I wrote it down. Okay I may not be in Mumbai but again if I ended up in maybe Bangalore or someplace it's not too far maybe 2 hours flight or 24-hour train journey still much closer and you're still in the same time zone because time zone is always one of the challenge. The second thing is coming from Mumbai as I've been mentioning I don't prefer cold and my journey from San Francisco to New York City and New

9:52 Jersey staying in New Jersey for majority of my time since 2000 till 2005 the winters are very harsh as you are aware so winters and then doing everything especially snow and then your fall I think that's like adding up too much work so I kind of like hey am I really enjoying or should I start focusing fusing on just getting a job somewhere in India and then maybe you know trying to see if I can move around. So that's where the whole journey started. It did take I'll be honest based on my memory. It did take I started like you know applying I would say around summertime in 2004. I did apply and I I was looking for an organization who would wait for me to wrap up because obviously getting rid of everything getting an offer and then getting rid of everything packing up and going back as you know it takes like at least 3 months. So I got it. I was fortunate you know again after trying multiple places. I came across who were building their security program or

10:54 Security yeah function in Bangalore and they said yep they're willing to wait and that's how you know that kind of like hey okay I I have a job I have something to look forward to so maybe it's time to you know then start wrapping up and moving back. So was it in 2004 or 2005 that you moved to >> 2004 is when the journey when when this whole thing started but towards the end of 2004. >> So I knew it's going to it's going to go into 2005 because I I I did communicate very transparently to the HR and the people who interviewed that I'm going to need at least 3 months you know to wrap up everything and then come back because I didn't want to like just go some of my friends they suggested hey maybe you go try and then come back and sell. I said I mean once I'm going forward there is should be no looking back because that's the dilemma that people have right >> if you have one foot over there and one foot here you're always anyways it's not an easy decision as you know so >> once I have made up my mind whatever it is I'll go there >> and just just make it happen right there are challenges everywhere so

11:54 That's so it started happening in 2005 is yeah early 2005 >> got it and I think you kind of touched about it let's talk on the career planning side I think you started applying for the job opportunities from US in India. how did you approach? Maybe at the time it was different. I don't know if the LinkedIn existed at the time or not. So >> okay. Yeah, >> it was not LinkedIn. >> Yeah, >> it was not LinkedIn. It was only I think No. No was the only one to my knowledge. I mean there were maybe a one one more competitor. I forgot there was one more but primarily it was No was the one. So I started applying through that and >> obviously you know once you apply from remote I was not getting too much responses because people I think back then the culture was you know meet in person the zoom and all did not exist over there. I did not even remember having a video conversation was all the phone call based interviews right they had to make an ISD call to to me to US phone number or mobile number and then we all the conduct all the interviews.

12:54 No, it was no I think and then yeah through that I I came across VRO and yep that's that's how it all started. >> And did you end up moving to Bangalore because of this opportunity? Got it. And how was the life in India after the move? >> Yeah, I mean we we can talk after the move or pre- the move because there were challenges even before. So >> okay, let's talk let's talk. I know you I think I I thought like you know the planning and then the move was smooth so I didn't dive into it. So let's talk about like you know some of the things that you have gone through. I think you keep mentioning about the house which is a big one I think that you have to sell and then wrapping up the things. Let's talk about that. I think you know from a financial planning logistics all that stuff. >> Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. No, I I I think that's because again this is for awareness of everyone, right? Because especially when you own a house for anyone who's moving for a reason or for no reason of their choice, that's a that's a big investment and house >> it's it's not as easy to sell, right?

13:54 You have your closing period once you get the right buyer and the offer. So again, I was I was probably a little bit lucky, I would say. but again it all started like after the Thanksgiving and the market was decent to my to my memory and I I kind of maintained the house pretty good you know I had to invest because again all the houses back there were 1960 so I did invest something so it was in a good decent condition it was just me and my spouse and then we did a little bit upgrade based on the realtor's suggestions and then put on the market and we were actually the good part I'll start with the good part and then the moment it went on the market it was a President's Day if I remember February it had so much snow you know generally when you have open house or put on the market >> you expect a lot of people but because being a snow weekend although it was a long weekend not too many [clears throat] people I remember only three people came in and I was like damn me and my wife if it doesn't go now we may have to wait for the next long weekend which is probably like in May >> or you know get some buyers every

14:55 Weekend so was lucky that we came across a family maybe third or four rather and they were kind of interested and they put an offer. Of course, everything is conditional, you know, like you go through all the process and the inspection. Everything worked out except for minor glitches, but yeah, it it went out and again the closing was if I remember, yeah, was sometime in April. So that kind of line I had to keep asking Vipro the extension because the 3 months was probably somewhere in April and I I knew like it's going to go past like four or five months and and they were like very very very cooperative and say okay you're good to join from me. So the house selling did happen mostly for most part of course then the other problem is selling the stuff you know you accumulate so much stuff over the over the course of four or five years how do you ensure you get some money because again I I don't know if people know like resale does not work the same in in US similar to India right sometimes you have to pay money to get rid of the stuff but I was I was sort of

15:56 Lucky in a way that you know most of the big stuff were able to you hand it over not at a good price but also to people who I felt would make some some use of it. So everything was done and then my journey started. I did take like couple weeks, three weeks as I remember of you know just want to make sure before I step into Bangalore just again meet the relatives the timing was bad because April May and I've never been after coming to US pretty hot season in India right was very hard so but I made it and then the whole journey of my job with vapor at Bangalore started

16:32 >> got it cool let's talk about the journey in India you know the life and how it evolved called and how it went and so on. >> Yeah. So as I said so again meeting everyone I think the vacation was over the hyped up the the feeling of hey I' I've arrived in India I didn't want to think anything back everything was good was very positive came back getting getting to I if I remember getting to Bangalore itself was challenge as I said being a summer time you know again >> getting there was I had to like you know take a train and and I I remember it got routed through Chennai to Bangalore because there were no direct tickets available or whatever. So I reached there eventually the company offered like a week or 10 days hotel stay went there and then again started looking for for apartments on rent to begin with. so that that's that was the beginning of actually experiencing things and and

17:33 Back then there was no real internet or anything. It was still all in person through any known references. For me the downside was I did not have any friends or relatives. Maybe one or two friends but long long back yeah alliances but yeah I didn't know anyone. So I was kind of like you know building new partnerships and trying to get some referral for an agent to find something and I had like you know 2 weeks or 10 days to find something to move in and then think think above and beyond. The problem is I mean as you know like every place requires you to sign a lease for at least 11 months. So you're kind of locked in. You want to move to a place where you think you will be able to you know stay there for about a year. So that's that's how the journey started. That's like getting moving into your house. The second thing is I did ship a lot of stuff about 35 boxes if I remember correctly through container or whatever.

18:27 >> So that came about after at least a month or 2 months after you know I moved into the apartment. So again starting the life it it felt like starting all over again. >> Yeah. and experiencing the real India as I said no internet everything is yeah the phones were there but again there's no discipline right you you reach out to someone and no home delivery nothing what do you see the facility is like yeah maybe the order guy may come in and he says minute that minute could be 50 minutes or could be 2 hours and you're just waiting you can't do go anywhere and if he comes after 2 hours he will say so that's the thing right you are always under that pressure that someone has to be there if you're ordering something but it was it was good. I think my neighbors were pretty nice. One thing that I started, you know, I I was always like, I don't know the language and Canada is the primary language. Back then there was not too many north Indians or or Mumbai art in Bangalore.

19:21 >> So language was one definitely problem. Traffic roads were another one which the reality check you get the reality check pretty soon right I I'll share one quick thing. So the first day of my work to WRO of course they had a long orientation for 3 days or a week I don't remember but the first day going back from electronic city people know where that is from there to MG road where my hotel took like literally 3 and a half to 4 hours you leave at like you you left at 6:00 and then I realized you have Vipro has like 50 buses and so does Infosys and other companies so you have like so many so many buses and everyone leaves at 6:00 I reached like at 9:30 that was practically going from Mumbai to Pune I was like, damn, is this is this the reality? Is this I came here for definitely not worth it. But then I was like, yeah, there are going to be challenges everywhere. You are being explored and I think I had to kind of adapt to it. I think that's that's the whole thing I would put in one word.

20:18 >> Got it. so how long did you live in India before the thought of moving to abroad occurred again? Yeah. So I I was in India for like 10 years. So from 2005 till 2015 I was there and from Bangalore actually I moved to Pune. So I was there for about less than a year I would say 9 months or so. And then u I always had that as I mentioned the desire to go to Mumbai but of course there were not too many opportunities in Mumbai. I did come across an opportunity in in Pune >> and it did work out. so I decided to take that opportunity and then and I moved there in 2006 and I was I was in Pune for most part since then till 2015.

21:07 >> Got it. So pretty much you spent most of your time in Pune closer to the family that was one of the main objective to move. what about I think on the family side like kids so you know I'm assuming they started their education in India and all that stuff. So >> yeah this this is again very interesting story. So my my first child the eldest one was born in Bangalore actually. >> Okay >> so she was born in Bangalore and maybe that was the reason I ended up going to Bangalore. I think that's what I always feel you know sometimes there is a destiny. There was no other reason. I mean I got a job offer I had good neighbors relatives but again the general lifestyle was not the same what we hear today right I mean what what's Bangalore as of today. Of course the traffic conditions have worsened what I've heard. I've not been there since since I moved out. Of course, the airport also has moved out of the city.

21:56 Used to be in the city. So my child was born there. my second child was born in Pune. Yeah. >> In 2008. So my kids were born there and of course they started their early education in India in in Pune. Both of them. >> Got it. And sounds like I think you know you had the ideal situation close to the family not exactly Mumbai but you know Pune and the field that

22:21 You are interested in that you want to work. so why again the thought of moving back abroad come up? >> Yeah that's primarily for the family reasons. I I don't want to get too much into the the family things. Yeah. But yeah I mean India also I've seen up ups and downs. So although when when I started working with pro I as I said like I don't want to I mean they were great in offering me the role as well as waiting for the time for me to wrap up and come back. But the job opportunity they were still building that function. So they did not have the security function. Then I came across semantic who went through the merger and they were bu they were wanting to you know build the security domain or the function. They hired me again a lot of change in management. Then I I switched another job and had to come back to semantic as well. So things things were good. Of course, one of the thing that kind of was the work life balance after having kids and once they started

23:22 Growing up primarily working in India, I was actually although I was working day hours but also I had a team I was doing 24/7 across the globe. So I had to be available in late evenings and maybe at times at night. So again the work life balance because of most of the the customers or my parent company was in the US the work life balance was not that great. I had a very good you know team and then people working in in India. So that kept me there for quite long but then again I think it came to a point where my family chose or wanted to move back to US and this time wanted to move to Los Angeles which again weatherwise was not a concern to me. So that's one of the reasons the family like hey we'll go and try it out. So they actually moved before me.

24:12 >> Okay. >> And they were here and I was still in India kind of doing back and forth which again is a long journey as we know right long travel. So I kind of started exploring are there any jobs in this area because again LA is not the hub for security jobs primarily New York and San Francisco. So one of the thing for me was hey should I move here and find a job or should I look for the job while being in India now being in India it was very difficult to get a job or even the interviews in the US even even if you have a US number at times you and again this is I'm talking about 2014 15 since I since I started exploring yeah there was no zoom or no I mean maybe the video conferencing were getting started but primarily the phone based communication so even if they call you even if you have a US number or India number it may go to your voicemail or ring when you're sleeping right so the timing was not ideal so that's when I thought maybe in 2015 I I'll I'll come here after not really wrapping everything but

25:12 Kind of closing what what I was doing there and explore a few months you know if things work out in the area because one of my primary requirement was if I come back to US I have to be in the LA area Los Angeles only then I'll be close to the kids so I came here and started applying ing and you know started with a consulting opportunity in 3 months of my arrival. >> Got it. And so you have been living

25:38 In US for the last 10 years. >> how was you know the work life balance that you seek right you know moving to US and maybe anything that you can compare and contrast like your experience in India. I think you kind of shared because most of your clients are you know different time zone based. so one is the work life balance and also the other one is the opportunities you know for someone working in a particular technology domain from your own experience from your own journey what are your insights or thoughts on that? Yeah, I mean definitely we we all know right US is a land of opportunities. Of course, right now we are going through some major recession with with all the organizations pulling back but yes everything sort of most of the stuff starts in the US right whether it's any new technology India even when I was there and I was working for for an organization for their internal IT or security right not for the clients even then I think you always get like level

26:38 One or level two kind of work but the core functions stays within the US so that's the difference in terms of you know the exposure you get in India is a little bit different than what you experience in in the US work life balance yes US does respect that for most most part compared to India but the thing is you also don't have that social balance in in the work field right most of your colleagues colleagues you don't even know I mean what's their family you're not supposed to ask them or know unless they get comfortable unless They're very close, right? So there are some goods but also there are some things which I always feel like you know it's missing. You don't feel that bonding right? Staying you you can work with someone for like say 5 years and you hardly know about their family what it is and what to ask and I mean age age and family doesn't go along right so yeah that's that's the difference major difference that I observed you again.

27:36 >> Got it. I know during your first

27:41 Phase of journey in abroad your heart is in India. So in the second part of your journey in abroad like where is your heart and you know what changed or what's what's what's going on? Yeah. >> So my heart is still in India and I'll tell you when I came back I was actually pre-COVID I was visiting two times to India. So I used to go like two times almost trying to spend like a month and a half and I was I was kind of lucky that my company was offering you know working remotely as well for for for a couple weeks. So the initial years pre-COVID I used to travel like summer and winter. So at least to you know stay connected because that's where my heart was including travel with kids. Now as kids are growing up and then covid hit I couldn't go for 3 years and then India is growing every time I go. I still go I mean after co was the two years I couldn't go I go every year even this year I went I try to spend like a month five weeks over there just to experience I would say you know consume the best like the feeling of 11 months

28:41 So I just think that one month I want to get everything for 11 months my heart is still there but also you know up to you have kids you want to be close to them till they get independent so my kids right now they've grown up my daughter's in college but yeah you still want to be with them or around them for anything you that you can contribute to their growth. So it's kind of split but if you ask me my my heart is still over there and I have very strong desires and feelings once my kids settle to you know be or get back to India where I feel you know >> yeah sounds like I think you know that's a peak of like what you are thinking in terms of the future. the other one I want to check with you is during your stay in India for 10 years was there anything that you missed living in abroad during that time?

29:31 M yeah primarily I I I think of course India was growing and again the 10 years but still whether it's your shopping experience I know India was kind of flourishing with all them and C's coming in I saw like the Amazon and all they probably started much later after 2010 if my memory but again things were like not getting the the broadband again the frequent outages right I mean you could not work from home >> back then even even even before 2005 I had like a full VPN setup from very early days you know as a prototype. You had your wireless setup. So the technology did not exist in India what we see today. Now I think we are at par you know with US or other places you have like your fast internet or broadband I think back then yeah getting the basic facilities were missing a lot of stuff I mean paying bills online did not exist right you have to still stand in line for hours of course then then things started getting better or old reliance on mates one good part is like

30:31 You get household help but then you are so much dependent on them that you don't end up doing any work or you can't because of you know how our culture is, right? You have to clean every day. Here you probably do a vacuum once in a week. You're good with it with the dust and the the cleanliness you have to maintain and especially cooking. Yeah. So, what I was missing is probably you know a little bit more discipline, a little bit more ease because I think things are much more easier get done. there is no like you know because now I think it has improved I would say in the last 10 years whenever I go at least my experience but staying in India back then like you try to get anything done people always ask you for their share or what's in for them right whether if it's a government office forget about it even to go for like your house agreement or something they will tell you openly give like 500,000 you know so that you get called first so I was kind of missing that you know hey you have to pay someone to get the work done which is a

31:32 Little bit against the principle but at times you know you have to balance like hey do you have to wait or do you have to really really you know try to get the things done but yeah I mean basically the US lifestyle again the the driving sense I would say which I missed >> which I had to adopt I know we did not talk about the driving which I did adopt driving in India pretty soon but yeah that was one thing like you know driving on the roads traffic discipline those those things you know didn't miss >> and just a quick check I think on the first time you were in abroad you went on H1 and I'm assuming you returned as an H1 like you know when you moved to moved back to India or >> no I I was fortunate I did I did got my green card converted although you know it's it's kind of very interesting and funny as I as I mentioned right I was never like in fact I was hoping I don't get a green card >> so that you know I don't have to return back you know that one thought is if you don't have the visa that there is no way that you could return back or your wife or family would foresee them and give it a try.

32:32 >> Somehow I applied and back then you know things were a little bit much better than here. So I did get the green card and I kept it active actually was something that you could keep it active and then keep visiting and then when I left someone suggested somewhere back in the mind also I'm a citizen so I got that converted which kind of helped me you know returning back so that I I don't have to keep coming frequently. Yeah. So it was it was something that I was not really wanting but sometimes you call it destiny right maybe destiny had me come back second time and that's why I kind of got through the immigration process. >> Got it. Cool. Is there anything that we haven't talked that you want to bring up? I mean there there's there's so so many things right over the course of years.

33:24 So so many things I mean of course India is what what I can share is like when you go in there go in with your full heart and mind if you if you decide to move right because if you are uncertain about certain things then always as they say right grass is always green on the other side even when you change the job then you start missing the previous job so it's it's the same and then switch from US to India or from India to US it's it's not the same you don't this positives both sides I mean it's not denial right responsible both sides and then there are areas which you may not like right being in one place or the other I mean the travel makes it much more difficult if it's not like Singapore or Dubai where you can go much frequent right I mean the travel makes it more difficult the time zone makes it even more challenging you see aging parents

34:12 Yeah which I was kind of fortunate although the parents they were visiting they they did not move close to me but yeah I was fortunate I spend I was able to spend some time with them you know till they left so I That's one thing I know that's one of the reason that people always have that regret, right? We should have moved because what it matters to you, right? To me, I could have stayed here and and earned another million dollars. But to me, money is Yeah. Just just go where your heart is because success and money will follow. If you're content and satisfied otherwise, you know, I've seen people living in mansions and just not happy, right? Then so >> yeah, >> just your health is I think most important just just follow your heart and dreams. Yeah, there are challenges both sides and we haven't talked like I've actually gone through it's it's interesting I've gone through layoff in the US which we did not talk through way early in 2003 I was out of the job and then also in India I had to quit a job because of some company politics or internal so I've gone through the same experience both the sides it's it it pinches you right but it is I think it's

35:13 Easier when you don't have a job it's comparatively easier to survive in India because again of of the mandatory expenses you have like you have to have your health insurance, your car insurance, your rent in India in a fraction of money if you own your own house, you can still survive if you don't have a job or even if you like to. >> Cool. is there anything that you wanted to share as an advice for someone who is thinking about or considering moving to India? >> I would advise and this is what I did when I did the first move. of course I mean follow your heart but also think from your brain be be practical right that hey is this move making good sense of you because I was fortunate to come back not everyone does and I've actually heard it's kind of interesting people did move back for whatever reasons whether it's their visa or the project ending they always have that desire don't live your desire that hey I may have to return one day or I would return if you're going just go with one directional and and let the destiny you know decide for you and

36:16 Then write it down. What I did is like yeah always even even when I take a new job right write the points however like hey what are the benefits of moving what are the benefits of staying for yourself for your family I mean consider holistically I mean situation what I had gone through may not be the same for others right no two people are same >> so that's that's probably a quick way of like you know retrospecting right ask yourself there's nobody's going to give you this answer I would say like every person is very different some people are very happy moving some people curse the day one right so it's it's very personal decision and I'll tell you the more people you ask the different answers are going to make you even more confused and I have seen people like taking someone else's advice on coming up to one decision or conclusion and and then they end up like oh I should have moved like you know last two years back when the opportunity was nice or I or or why did I move because you know I thought I had a good career here so it's both ways Yeah.

37:17 >> Great. No, thank you very much Mr. Yogesh for taking the time and sharing your journey and some of the insights in terms of your experience and the reasons to move to India and again move back to abroad. So really appreciate you joining with us and sharing your thoughts. >> Sure. My pleasure. >> Great. Thanks a lot.