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Bengaluru founder questions idea of moving abroad as an ‘upgrade’: ‘For me, the opportunity is in India’
A Bengaluru founder said moving abroad was not always an upgrade and explained why he chose to build his life in India.
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A Bengaluru-based founder has sparked a conversation online after sharing why he believes moving abroad is not necessarily an automatic upgrade, particularly for Indians who already earn well and have strong family support back home.
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Taking to Instagram, Souveek Ray shared a video from London, reflecting on a time when he nearly relocated to the UK after receiving a job offer from TikTok.
“I know this might sound crazy, but I don't think moving abroad is always the best decision. And I say that as someone who almost moved to London a few years back,” Ray said.
‘What I’d be giving up’
Ray said that while London impressed him with its food, culture and historic landmarks, his experience made him think again about what relocating would actually mean.
“And a few years ago, I almost did. Had a great offer from TikTok, and I was so close to moving all over to London. But then I started actually thinking about what I'd be giving up, not what I'd be getting,” he said.
According to Ray, people earning a decent income in India often have access to a support system that can be difficult to recreate overseas.
“And that's when it hit me: if you're making decent money in India, life is honestly more comfortable than people abroad want to admit it. Uh, you've got family nearby, help raising your kids, people around you for all that everyday stuff. And here, you're just doing it all alone,” he added.
‘Moving abroad isn’t automatically moving forward’
Ray said relocating may still be the right decision for many people but argued that it should not automatically be viewed as a step upwards.
“I'm not saying that trade is bad or it's wrong. For a lot of people, that is the right choice. I just don't think that's the automatic upgrade people treat it to be,” he said.
He further added, “So yeah, London's beautiful, but moving abroad isn't automatically moving forward. Sometimes it's just moving sideways and calling it as upwards. For me, the opportunity is in India, and I'm not ready to trade it for a cleaner photo.”
In the caption, Ray wrote that India has its challenges but also “an incredible opportunity ahead”, adding that, for him, it is the right time to “build in India, for India and for the world”.
Take a look here at the clip:
Social media reacts
The post drew several reactions, with users weighing in on the India-versus-abroad debate. One person wrote, “This is such a refreshing perspective on moving abroad.” Another commented, “Moving abroad doesn’t automatically mean upgrading your life.” A third said, “There’s no universal answer to India versus abroad.” Another user added, “A higher salary abroad doesn’t always mean a better life.”
(Also read: Woman shares pros and cons of living in Bengaluru for nearly 3 years: ‘Weather pampered me so much’)
HT.com has reached out to the user for his comments, and the copy will be updated once his response is received.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
