'Is staying in India inferior?': Post from techie making Rs 1 lakh a month triggers debate

A 23-year-old IT engineer earning ₹1 lakh a month has sparked a discussion online after revealing his internal struggle in a Reddit post. 

Despite his comfortable salary, he expressed a inferiority, questioning whether staying in India is holding him back compared to friends who have moved abroad for higher studies. “I think I earn pretty well but I still have an inferior feeling in myself that I’m not doing well,” he wrote.

The engineer went on to explain that seeing his friends’ lives abroad on social media has triggered feelings of jealousy. “This is because I see my friends doing higher studies abroad, and their stories and posts make me jealous, to be honest. Is staying in India inferior to settling abroad?” he asked.

While he is confident in his ability to secure a high-paying job within India, he expressed doubts about whether he can achieve the same standard of living here as he might abroad. 

“If I wish, I can study well and jump to a high-paying job in India, and I’m pretty confident I’ll do it. Still, I feel I won’t get the infrastructure or the standard of living I will get abroad,” he continued.

The engineer’s dilemma centers on whether he’s underperforming simply because he’s chosen to stay in India. He admitted that although he doesn’t want to abandon his stable job, the social pressure is making him reconsider his choices. “I don’t wish to go to other countries and study, leaving a good job and all other things here, but the social pressure is making me feel inferior,” he wrote.

His post triggered a slew of responses. One user commented that social media is designed to induce feelings of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), suggesting that the engineer conduct a risk analysis before making any decisions.  "At least ur close to your family, and earning 1lakh is great, ur already earning someone's dream salary, and moving abroad coz of friends stories and all is not a good idea," wrote a user. 

Another user dismissed the idea of relocating based on Instagram posts as “lame,” while others highlighted the benefits of staying close to home and enjoying a decent income. A more practical suggestion came from someone who advised the engineer to consider working abroad without first pursuing a master’s degree, arguing that the experience, rather than the degree, could be more valuable.