After 18 years in US, Met manager returns to Bengaluru to be closer to family: ‘The Bay gave me a career’ | Today’s news
A Meta executive returned to India after spending nearly two decades in the United States, saying the decision was motivated more by family than career. In a LinkedIn post shared two days ago, Balaji Gururajan said he moved to Bengaluru with his family to be closer to his aging parents and ensure their children grow up in an extended family.
“A month ago, my family and I wrapped up 18 years in the US and moved to Bangalore – closer to aging parents, growing children and a slice of family life we didn’t want to watch from afar,” he wrote.
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The post resonated with many online professionals, especially those navigating careers abroad while balancing family commitments at home.
Check out the post here:
‘The Bay Gave Me My Career’
A 2003 graduate of the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Balaji Gururajan began his professional journey with Wipro in Bengaluru before moving to the United States in 2007.
Over the next 18 years, he built his career at some of the world’s biggest technology companies, including Microsoft and LinkedIn, before joining Meta in 2022. He currently serves as the Technical Lead for Meta Ads Core.
Reflecting on his years in the US, Gururajan acknowledged the role Silicon Valley played in shaping his career and outlook.
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“It still doesn’t feel quite real. The Bay gave me my career, my closest friendships and a way of thinking about technology and leadership that I will carry with me for the rest of my working life,” he said.
He also thanked the people who supported him on his journey.
“To everyone who took a chance with me, taught me something I needed to hear, or just made a difficult year easier for me — Thank you! I mean, it really can carry more than a LinkedIn post.”
Start over in Bengaluru
Alongside his post, Gururajan shared a photo of an airport trolley stacked with suitcases, offering a glimpse into his family’s move.
He described the emotional and practical realities of settling back in Bengaluru after nearly two decades. The move, he said, involved enrolling his children in school, setting up a new home and adjusting to life in a city he last knew as a much younger person.
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“Settling down has been its own kind of project — school, home, the day-to-day logistics of starting over in a city I last knew as a much younger person. It’s been humbling and often really good,” he wrote.
In the same post, Gururajan revealed that he used the AI tool Claude to create “an app called Bhavitta for people who navigate exactly this kind of cross-border financial life — planning for retirement or a return that spans two countries, two currencies, two tax systems.”
He ended his post by expressing his gratitude for the experiences, opportunities and relationships that have shaped his journey over the years.
