We Left Tech Jobs in California, Moved Back to India, and Gave Ourselves 2 Years to Decide If We Should Stay
From India to California
Shivanand moved to the United States a few months after graduating in 2016. She studied electrical engineering at the University of Southern California and later became a senior technical program manager at Meta.
She briefly joined Microsoft to learn from a larger group of program and product managers, then returned to Meta in less than seven months. She and Prajwal married in 2021 and lived in Santa Clara, first renting a two-bedroom apartment before buying a home.
Finding a way to give back
After marrying, the couple established a charity in India. Because they were living in the United States, their parents ran activities on their behalf, prompting them to consider whether they could contribute in a more direct way than sending money.
In 2023, they launched Global Engineers Connect with around 35 friends and professionals from their international networks. The nonprofit aimed to help engineering students in rural India work on problems in their communities, offering project funding as well as mentorship, mock interviews, résumé feedback and referrals.
A two-year decision in India
Shivanand and Prajwal began questioning whether their lives were too closely tied to their careers, and whether staying at Meta was more valuable than pursuing their interests. With financial savings to support a change, they chose to spend two years in India and moved there toward the end of 2024.
Their experience in engineering became a foundation for the work: Shivanand had worked in AI and network infrastructure, while Prajwal had worked at Oracle. They also brought a global network of more than 150 mentors to support aspiring engineers.
Programs for aspiring engineers
Global Engineers Connect now focuses on entrepreneurship and AI. Its entrepreneurship program works with engineering students for 10 weeks, helping them turn an idea into a minimum viable product.
Shivanand said she does not regret returning. She credited her Big Tech experience with giving her exposure, confidence and financial support, while describing life in India as a mix of intense highs and lows, alongside flexibility, freedom and support to find a direction.
Key points
- Shivanand moved to the United States in 2016 for a master's in electrical engineering.
- She and Prajwal launched Global Engineers Connect in 2023 with around 35 people from their networks.
- The couple moved to India toward the end of 2024 and set a two-year period to decide whether to stay.
- The nonprofit supports engineering students through entrepreneurship and AI programs, backed by more than 150 mentors.