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A Bengaluru tech executive looked back at leaving Canada to return to India for his ageing parents, saying the move came with compromises but changed his life in unexpected ways
His experience has resonated with many NRIs. (LinkedIn/Ramesh NN and Pexels)
Bengaluru-based tech executive Ramesh NN recently looked back on one of the biggest decisions of his life: leaving Canada and moving back to India nearly six years ago. While the move meant giving up a familiar life abroad, he says being closer to his ageing parents made every compromise worthwhile.
In a LinkedIn post, Ramesh, who is the Director of Engineering at IT firm Corcentric, said the decision was difficult but has given him a sense of fulfilment that he never expected. His post has also encouraged many others to share their own stories of returning home after living overseas.
Why He Chose To Return
Ramesh said moving back from Canada to India was not an easy choice. He explained that he had to choose between “comfort vs. connection, predictability vs. responsibility, global exposure vs. being present where it matters most.” “It wasn’t an easy call,” he wrote.
For a long time, he tried to balance work and family while living abroad. But eventually, he realised that he could not keep postponing time with his parents. “For a long time, I tried to balance both – but at some point, it became clear that time with family isn’t something you can defer indefinitely,” he said.
The family finally moved to Bengaluru. Looking back, Ramesh said the experience has been “better than I expected.” “Not perfect – but deeply fulfilling,” he added. He said being physically present with his parents instead of meeting them only through video calls has changed the way he looks at life.
“Being physically present for my parents, being part of everyday moments (not just video calls), and having that sense of rootedness again – it changes your perspective in ways you can’t fully anticipate,” he wrote.
Ramesh also said the move turned out to be good for his career. According to him, Bengaluru’s fast-growing technology sector offered plenty of opportunities. “Professionally too, Bangalore has been energizing. The pace, the talent, the ecosystem – it feels like there’s constant motion and opportunity. You don’t feel like you’ve stepped back; in many ways, it feels like stepping into something more dynamic,” he said.
At the same time, he admitted that returning to India came with its own challenges. He mentioned adjusting to infrastructure, lifestyle changes and learning to navigate local systems again.
Even so, he believes the positives have been far greater than the trade-offs. He summed up his experience by writing, “If anything, this move has reinforced a simple truth: Success isn’t just about where you are in the world – it’s about being where you’re needed, and where you feel most connected.”
People Shared Similar Experiences
Many LinkedIn users related to Ramesh’s post and spoke about making similar decisions.
A user wrote, “I moved back from the US to India in 2015. The first year was the hardest. I compared everything. With time I made peace with it and began raising a family here. Whatever time you get with your parents around, you couldn’t trade that for anything.”
Another commented, “This is a great reminder that success isn’t defined by geography alone, but by the impact we create and the relationships we nurture.”
“I commend you on this decision. I am not in this situation but do understand the choice and effort to make it happen. I am sure your parents welcomed you and your family and ever grateful for your arrival ever since,” a user said.
“Such a brave decision, most of us have to make this call at some point. So glad it worked for you,” another added.
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