Desi Return Diaries

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After spending 10 years in the United States on an H1B visa, Ravi made the difficult decision to move back to India with his family. In this candid conversation, he shares the real reasons behind his return — from H1B uncertainty and career stagnation to loneliness, family priorities, and long-term financial considerations like Social Security eligibility.

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What is life really like one year after moving back to India? In this video, Abhishek shares an honest update after returning to India after 16 years in Canada.
We discuss what surprised him the most during the first year of living in India — from adjusting to India’s changing lifestyle and weather, to financial planning mistakes NRIs often make, rising medical costs, and the realities of finding a job in India after years abroad.
This conversation is especially relevant for NRIs, OCI holders, and Indians living abroad who are considering moving back to India. Abhishek talks about living off savings, why health insurance is critical in India, how medical inflation impacts long-term planning, and why networking matters more than resumes for senior roles in India.
If you’re wondering whether moving back to India is the right decision, this video gives you a realistic view — not romanticized, not negative — just honest lived experience.

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In this episode, Mr. Yogesh shares his honest, lived experience of moving to the US in the late 1990s, returning to India with a clear plan, spending nearly 10 years building a life in India, and eventually making the difficult decision to move back to the US again.This is not a US vs India debate. It’s a real conversation about timing, career, family, kids’ education, work-life balance, identity, and the emotional complexity of long-term migration decisions.
 
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:35 Life in US
7:00 Planning and challenges during the move
16:32 Life in India 22:20 Why moved to US again?
25:37Career opportunities and work life balance
27:37 What's next
29:220Anything you missed while living in india?
34:09 Advice for future aspirants

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Many NRIs wonder whether they can still receive US Social Security retirement benefits after moving back to India.
In this episode, we sit down with Mr. ShivaSwamy, who successfully applied for and started receiving his Social Security benefits while living in Bangalore—and he walks us through every step of the process.
This is one of the most requested topics from the Desi Return community, and this video aims to give you clarity, confidence, and a real-world example of how the system works for Indian citizens living outside the US.

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In this heartfelt conversation, Sahithi opens up about one of the toughest periods of her life—a medical emergency that changed everything. From being a single parent in the US to rebuilding her life in Hyderabad, this video dives deep into the emotional, practical, and eye-opening realities of returning to India after years abroad.#desi #backtoindia #returntoindia #backtoroots #india #nri #usindia #reversemigration #nrilife #nrishaala #startup #movingbacktoindia #NRIstories

Amisha and Rutvik spent 13 years in Canada before finally moving back to India In this conversation we break down the real numbers, the planning, the Canada “exit tax” realities, and the lifestyle trade-offs that helped us decide. We share: monthly budgets, the exact items we budgeted for (household help, two cars, eating out, surprises), how we sold assets remotely, remittance realities, and the emotional and financial conversations between a planner and their partner. In this conversation, they share:
- Our estimated comfortable living budget in Ahmedabad for two (excluding rent)
-Why we sold assets in Canada (exit tax implications) and how we moved money step-by-step.
-How to plan 12–36 months before moving — asset review, tax advice, and transfer caps.
-Real estate: why buying before vs after moving needs careful thinking.
-How to make decisions as a couple (practical vs emotional) and avoid external pressure.
-Tips for moving with large pets and choosing airlines/agents.

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In this conversation, Garima shares her family’s journey of living in South Africa and the UK, and what eventually led them to move back to India after several years abroad. She talks about the day-to-day realities of life in London, including childcare, career growth, social life, and the healthcare system, and how those experiences shaped their thinking over time. We also discuss the challenges of job-hunting from abroad, the role of family support, and how her 5-year-old adapted after moving back. If you’re exploring the idea of returning to India — or simply curious about what the transition looks like for someone working in tech — this story offers a practical and grounded perspective.

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After 12 years at Microsoft in the US, Gopi and Ashwini decided to move back to India — leaving behind a comfortable life, financial stability, and unvested stock options.In this candid conversation, they share their real journey of returning to India, from dealing with medical challenges, selling their home in the US, and re-starting careers, to building a business and raising kids in India. Lot of take aways from this episode, Please check it out

After 6 years in the US, Shipra and her family moved back to India — then again to Europe and back to the US. Hear their story on kids’ education, career shifts & life lessons across 3 continents.
Shipra opens up about their life across three continents, the big decisions that shaped their journey, and the lessons they learned along the way. She shares:
How one movie and one advice changed everything for them
Why they decided to return to India
Their kids’ transition from ICSE to IGCSE, homeschooling, IB and college
How their careers evolved from corporate roles to entrepreneurship
The emotional and practical challenges of moving back and forth Tips on choosing schools, planning finances, and managing taxes when relocating If you’re planning to move back to India or thinking about raising kids across cultures — this episode is packed with real insights and relatable experiences.
📚 Planning your move from the US to India?
We created a step-by-step course for NRIs that covers:
✅ 401(k), IRA, stocks & brokerage accounts
✅ US home — sell or rent?
✅ Social Security rules
✅ Bank accounts, taxes, residency status & more
👉 Check out our NRI to India Financial Transition Course: https://pensight.com/x/desireturn/course-nri-to-resident-essential-financial-transition-blueprint

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In this episode, I talked to Nishka, a true global citizen who left India at the age of 2, studied in five different education systems (French, British, American, IB, and Indian), and eventually chose to move to India for upbringing her children close to family in 2009. She opens up about:
Her childhood across continents
Studying in India after years abroad
Moving again to the US, France, and the UK after marriage
Why she and her husband chose to move back to India in 2009
How her kids adjusted to life and schooling in India
Balancing identity, career, and family after returning
It’s an honest conversation about belonging, parenting, and the emotional decisions behind returning to India after a global life.