Aakash Dharmadhikari, co-founder of AI platform Realfast, has chosen to relocate from Singapore to Bengaluru, expressing a wish for his family, particularly his daughter, to embrace life's uncertainties. Dharmadhikari announced his decision on the social media platform X, reflecting on how the pursuit of perfection in Singapore influenced his return to India.
Dharmadhikari elaborated that he and his wife aimed to expose their daughter to life's unpredictabilities, which she had not experienced while living in Singapore. After residing in Singapore for seven years, Dharmadhikari acknowledged that he and his family had grown accustomed to the city's structured environment, forgetting the chaotic nature of life in India.
"Partly we are shifting to Bangalore to get my daughter used to uncertainties of life. Singapore is just way too perfect, and we thought it’s making her soft. Unfortunately, we also had forgotten what the Indian chaos feels like.. turns out we have also become soft," he wrote in his post.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Dharmadhikari's professional journey began in 2005 as a software engineer at Infosys. Over nearly twenty years, he's held various roles, with the early part of his career centred in Bengaluru. Since September 2017, Dharmadhikari has been living in Singapore, a period that has influenced his recent decision to return to India.
His post saw multiple reactions from X users. Some empathised with his decision, acknowledging the cultural and emotional challenges of living abroad. Others cautioned him to reconsider, pointing out the potential challenges of life in Bengaluru.
“Moved back from the US in 1996 and loved it! It isn’t about the place or your daughter, it’s about where your heart feels at home because that’s what you offer to your daughter … pray that you find yourself here,” wrote one of the X users.
Another user added, “This is a constant debate in ‘bubble’ countries. But someone said recently, is it really that bad to be soft. I think the kids ( and us) adjust when we have to.”