‘Golden handcuffs’: CEO recalls why he quit a promising H-1B career in the US to Build in India 

Kumar Vembu, Founder & CEO of GoFrugal Technologies, has shared a deeply personal reflection on his early career in the United States and the life-changing decision that eventually seeded one of India’s biggest tech success stories. 

In a candid post on LinkedIn, the younger brother of Sridhar Vembu described how his H-1B visa — once seen as a gateway to opportunity — quickly turned into what he calls a “golden handcuff.” 

“In 1995, I was working at Qualcomm in San Diego on an H1B visa. On paper, I was in the world’s freest country. But in reality, I felt trapped,” Vembu wrote. “I couldn’t freely change jobs because of visa restrictions. Friends planned life decisions like marriage around green card timelines. I kept asking myself: Why is nothing on American shelves made in India?” 

That sense of restriction and disillusionment, Vembu said, became the turning point of his career. “One evening, I made what many considered a ‘crazy’ decision: I quit my job in the US and returned to Chennai to start something of my own. Looking back nearly 30 years, that decision seeded what eventually became Zoho, today employing 19,000+ people and inspiring hundreds of startups.” 

Freedom in theory, limitation in practice 

Vembu, who first moved to the US in 1994, recalled his time as a consultant at Intel before moving to Qualcomm. While employment was technically “at will,” the visa’s conditions restricted his professional mobility. “I felt it was a soft bond. Sometimes, it felt like modern slavery to me,” he admitted. “I was in the world’s most free country but didn’t have the personal freedom to change jobs if I didn’t like them.” 

He also described how conversations with friends revolved around green card filings, marriage timelines, and the constant negotiation of life choices around visa restrictions. “The thought of staying longer for a green card was suffocating,” he said. 

The spark of ‘Why not India?’ 

A pivotal influence came from his elder brother, Sridhar Vembu, who would point out during shopping trips in San Diego how none of the products on shelves were made in India. “The question — why nothing is made in India — haunted me,” Kumar said. “The spark ignited by Dr. Ashok Jhunjhunwala to make India self-reliant on technology motivated me further.” 

Comparing engineers in the US and India, he felt India’s young workforce was hungrier, more aspirational, and ready to push harder for success. “An average engineer in India had more drive and aspiration than what I saw in the US. I felt I was a fish out of water in America, and this realization made my life miserable.” 

A risk that paid off 

In November 1995, Vembu returned to Chennai. The move, though risky, set in motion a journey that eventually led to the rise of Zoho, now a global SaaS leader. “Was it risky? Absolutely. Was it worth it? More than I could ever imagine,” he reflected. 

For Vembu, his story is also a call for others to think beyond visa-bound careers. “If one person’s choice could lead to this, imagine the possibilities when more of us choose freedom over visa restrictions.”