As over 50,000 tech jobs vanish in early 2025—thanks to AI disruption, cost cuts, and downsizing—many professionals are reassessing their careers. According to Layoffs.fyi, the latest wave has hit giants like Microsoft, Meta, CrowdStrike, and Block. Amidst this turbulence, a Reddit post by a US-based Indian software engineer has gone viral.
“Hello everyone! I’m currently working as a Software Engineer in Silicon Valley and looking to move back to Mumbai to be close to parents. I have 8 years of experience working in Big Tech in California. The decision to move back to India is final. I’m wondering what are the job opportunities in Mumbai for Software Engineers. Requirements: Needs to be remote. Don’t want to travel for job anymore. And High Paying,” the post read.
The internet had some great reactions to the post. “You really living in LA LA Land,” one user shot back, summing up the collective sentiment.Others chimed in with cautionary tales and practical advice. “Generally you only move back if you have enough money to live the rest of your life on investment returns. Do not expect to get any job at all,” one commenter warned. Another asked, “Why can’t you do an internal transfer with your firm?”
Several users pointed out that high-paying remote jobs in India are rare. “There are very few remote jobs, and almost all of them aren’t high paying,” said one. Another added, “Getting back into the flow is very important. Don’t put conditions to begin with. Once you land a job, then you can negotiate. According to an HR we spoke to recently, IT hiring is currently slow. So do your research.” Others touched upon deeper structural issues. “NRIs are not a hiring priority due to mismatch in work culture and client expectations,” someone noted, suggesting the poster Google an article on why India’s IT sector is wary of returnees. And then came the tongue-in-cheek advice: “Apart from the job, you can walk around pretending you’re very used to the US, and everything in India shocks or surprises you to the core.”