Indians settled abroad often dream of building a secure life overseas, but for some, the pull of home never really goes away. One 30-year-old software engineer in Canada is now facing that very choice.
In a Reddit post shared on r/returnToIndia, the tech professional opened up about his dilemma and asked whether he should continue his life in Canada or return to India.
The 30-year-old works as a government IT/software engineer in Canada. He earns around CAD 120,000 a year, which is approximately Rs 82.3 lakh.
He wrote, “I earn about CAD 120K/year (approximately Rs 82.3 lakh) and take home roughly CAD 6,700/month (approximately Rs 4.5 lakh) after taxes and pension contributions. The job is stable and well-paying, but taxes and deductions are high. I have around CAD 70K (~ Rs 43 lakh) saved, and I have also invested back in India in real estate.”
So, financially, he is not starting from scratch if he decides to return. He already has savings and investments in India. But then comes the bigger question. What kind of life does he actually want?
The engineer said he can see himself continuing his career in Canada. He explained, “I’m considering whether to continue my life in Canada or return to India. In Canada, I’d find a partner, marry, have kids and continue my government career.”
There is, however, one thing holding him back.
He revealed, “In India, I’d target software/product/GCC roles in Pune, Mumbai or Bangalore. Being closer to family and having a better social life appeal to me, but I worry about giving up stability for layoffs, pressure and insecurity in Indian IT.”
The techie asked experienced IT professionals in India about the job market for developers and whether opportunities remain strong as they enter their late 30s and 40s. He also wanted to know about job security and work-life balance at product companies and GCCs. Most importantly, he asked whether he should stay in Canada longer or return to India now.
Once the post went online, Reddit users offered very different answers. Some felt that walking away from a stable government job would be a mistake, particularly when he has not yet built a large enough financial cushion to stop working.
One user commented, “You don’t have enough saved, and working in India has a super-toxic work culture. Enjoy Canada. Also, you’re mistaken in thinking relatives are great in India. They’re nice during short visits but super judgemental and will ignore you after a short while.”
Another user also advised him, “I’d only recommend returning to India if you’ve paid off your house, have sufficient savings, and don’t need to work. It’s a decent place for early retirement.”
The advice was clear. Build the financial safety net first, then think about moving. But not everyone agreed. Some believed family matters more
30M | ₹43L saved | Stable $120K government job in Canada — should I move back to India?
by
u/ConclusionBright6579 in
returnToIndia
One Reddit user said, “Yes, please move back. Nothing beats the warm and loving people of India. Just curious, have you ever worked in a corporate setting in India? I don’t ever want to go back to that again. I’ll return after I achieve my retirement corpus.”
Another user shared, “Government jobs are nice, but time with family, career growth, higher earnings, investment growth, and memories to cherish for a lifetime outweigh those benefits. That’s why I moved back in my case.”
Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content shared on social media. Moneycontrol has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
