For many immigrants, a US Green Card is seen as the finish line.
For nutritionist and entrepreneur Bharathi Ramesh, it became the starting point of a very different decision.
She gave up the status she had worked hard for and moved back to India to build her own startup.
Her decision surprised many people who saw her life from the outside.
Key points
- She moved to the US in 2020 to pursue a master's degree in nutrition research.
- She secured an EB-1A Green Card, a category for people with extraordinary ability.
- A personal loss and a health crash pushed her to rethink her life.
- She and her husband moved back to India so she could focus on her startup.
So where did this journey begin?
Bharathi moved to the US in 2020. Her goal was to learn how research could be applied to nutrition practice.
She later pursued other visa routes, partly to gain flexibility while working towards her startup.
What made the hard part so difficult?
When she was finally ready to take the leap, life took an unexpected turn.
She lost a parent, and she describes that loss as a turning point.
She also struggled with her health and the pressure of a demanding career.
She said she was working mainly to pay rent and keep health insurance, when she really wanted to work on her startup.
Did she finally reach a turning point?
She said she was a compulsive high performer who had chased goals for years. Then she finally crashed.
It took her eight months to find herself again. That quiet period led her and her husband to make a difficult decision.
Graphic: News Anek, from the facts in this report
Where is she now, and what does she say?
She and her husband left the US and moved back to India.
Now she can focus on her startup without the distractions of her old life.
She wrote, "And finally, I'm happy to call myself a founder." Her post drew warm responses from people who found her journey inspiring.
India Today first reported this journey.
Startup Story
3 lessons from this journey
- Look honestly at what you are working for, and ask whether it still serves your real goal.
- Rest and recover before you make a big decision, because clarity often comes after a crash.
- Decide with your partner, and build the next chapter around what you truly want to do.
