After 18 years in US, Meta executive returns to Bengaluru to be closer to family: ‘The bay gave me my career’

A senior Meta executive has returned to India after spending nearly two decades in the United States, saying the decision was motivated by family rather than career. In a LinkedIn post shared two days ago, Balaji Gururajan said he and his family relocated to Bengaluru to be closer to his aging parents and to ensure their children grew up around extended family.

“A month ago, my family and I packed up 18 years in the US and moved to Bangalore — closer to aging parents, growing kids, and a stretch of family life we didn't want to keep watching from a distance,” he wrote.

The post has resonated with many professionals online, especially those navigating careers abroad while balancing family commitments back 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 an Engineering Leader for Meta Ads Core.

Reflecting on his years in the US, Gururajan acknowledged the role Silicon Valley played in shaping both his career and outlook.

“It still doesn't feel entirely real. The Bay gave me my career, my closest friendships, and a way of thinking about technology and leadership I will carry for the rest of my working life,” he said.

He also thanked the people who supported him throughout his journey.

“To everyone who took a chance on me, taught me something I needed to hear, or simply made the hard years easier — Thank You!! I mean that more than a LinkedIn post can really carry.”

Starting Over In Bengaluru

Alongside his post, Gururajan shared a photograph of an airport trolley stacked with suitcases, offering a glimpse into his family's relocation.

He described the emotional and practical realities of settling back into Bengaluru after nearly two decades away. The move, he said, has 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.

“Settling in has been its own kind of project — school, home, the everyday logistics of starting over in a city I last knew as a much younger person. It's been humbling and, more often than not, genuinely good,” he wrote.

In the same post, Gururajan revealed that he had used AI tool Claude to build "an app called Bhavitta, for people navigating exactly this kind of cross-border financial life — planning a retirement or a return that spans two countries, two currencies, two tax systems."

He concluded the post by expressing gratitude for the experiences, opportunities and relationships that have shaped his journey over the years.