An NRI woman says family pressure to stay in the UK is clashing with her plan to return to India an start a business.
The woman said she wants to return to India to start a business. (Unsplash/Representative image)
In a Reddit post titled ‘Family pushing me to stay in the UK, I want to move back to India and start a business. Feeling stuck’, the woman described growing emotional exhaustion as her father and extended family repeatedly questioned her decision. “They don’t understand business at all and keep questioning every small thing, asking ‘will you really do this, will this even work,’ and dismissing the idea completely,” she said.
“At this point it’s not even about advice, it just feels like constant doubt and pressure,” she wrote, adding that she feels she is no longer being taken seriously as an adult.
The woman said she has been clear about wanting to build something of her own in India, but the constant dismissal of her plans has left her feeling stuck between family expectations and personal ambition. She asked fellow users how they dealt with similar resistance without “burning bridges or giving up” on what they wanted.
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Social media reactions
The post has prompted a wave of responses, many from users who said they had faced comparable dilemmas. One commenter told her she was “lucky and unlucky at the same time,” noting that while parental support to stay abroad is rare, it can be equally frustrating when it clashes with entrepreneurial goals. “Your passion seems to be entrepreneurship but you’re not getting the required support,” the user wrote.
“In the same situation. My husband and I are moving to India and inlaws are extremely upset about it. We have secured PR and I have a background in marketing plus experienced in business. Set clear boundaries. Have a clear financial plan if things don’t work out immediately. Businesses take time so don’t give up in six months of starting. If you want to chat DM me. Good luck!” commented another.
“My take is a bit different. I’d ask you to think about everything rationally without any bias whatsoever. Understand deeply the reasons why your family is asking you to stay. Do you have answers for those? Are their concerns legit? What is bad in coming to India vs staying in the UK. Is the move permanent. Unless you’re ultra high net worth, understand that a LOT of people want to move and live in a different county than India,” wrote a third user.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
