- By Shibra Arshad
- Fri, 13 Feb 2026 10:02 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
A family of Indian origin with US citizenship has decided to abandon their plan to shift back to India after spending 5 years in Mumbai. A redditor, who elaborated on the experience in India and whether it is worth it to return and settle back home country, said it is important to have an ‘exit strategy’ or an option to return if the transition fails. providing input for those planning a permanent return to India, the person said that despite the plan to permanently settle in India, they returned to America after spending 5 years in Mumbai when ‘reality started hitting them hard’.
“Returned to India for 5 yrs, regretted it, came back to US - sharing my experience,” the Reddit user wrote, adding, “I have a US citizenship so had the option of returning to US - and I chose to come back.”
“I grew up in Mumbai, my parents are still there. Came to US for undergrad and studied / worked here for 13 years, got my citizenship through marriage. I kept wanting to return to India for a lot of the same reasons folks have shared here - missing family, food, culture, family support. I have a 3 YO son the family support was a big factor. So we took the leap and moved back to Mumbai, close to my family. The first 3-6 months felt amazing. But then reality started hitting us hard,” the redditor continued.
What Led To Return Of Indian To US
The Redditor listed several reasons why he does not find India compatible for spending the future there, including a judgmental society and a work culture that lagged behind the US in both ethics and innovation.
“All in all, it felt like we had given up too much financially, professionally and quality of life-wise by moving to India at the peak of the AI boom. So we moved back at the end of last year and are very happy with our decision. We are lucky we were able to try both sides so I wanted to share this in the hope that it gives everyone more information, especially if you don’t have an option to come back. Ultimately, it’s your personal decision based on what works for you and your family - I definitely romanticised moving back to India and hope everyone can choose more objectively than I did.”
The social media post garnered types of reactions, with the majority of them asking way out if one does not have US citizenship. Echoing similar concern on wrote, “Thanks for sharing, I’m basically in the same boat, 13 years in the US, but a big caveat is that I don’t have US citizenship, so it’ll be a one-way move back. The only reason is to be close to family, financially and culturally. I’m not seeing a huge fit for me, but I don’t want to regret not spending time with my parents later on. You hit all the spots I’ve been concerned about, so it’s good to see this.”