Job in Kenya better than working in Bengaluru, Mumbai: Techie fed up with toxic culture, poor infra

The techie's frustration mirrors broader industry trends as according to a recent survey, 72 percent of Indian employees work more than the legal 48‑hour workweek, while 83 percent experience burnout. (Representational image)

A Reddit post by an Indian tech professional has struck a nerve online after he declared he was “done working with Indians” and would rather “take up a job in Kenya” than continue in Bengaluru or Mumbai’s stressful tech corridors.

In the post, the user described chronic frustration with what he called a toxic work culture marked by corner‑cutting, inflexibility, and “sadistic pleasure” in making colleagues miserable. "I am done with working with Indians," the user wrote. "The mentality of Indians who are just not ready to adjust, work without cutting corners, and finally get sadistic pleasure by making others miserable is draining me out."

They also cited the cities’ gridlocked traffic and “bad vibes” as reasons they wanted out — not just of the metros, but of the Indian workforce itself.

The techie said he had no interest in migrating to Western destinations like the US, Canada, Australia or Europe because, in his view, they were already saturated with Indian professionals. Instead, the user sought advice from fellow Redditors. "What are the lesser-known countries that need IT professionals. It would be good to migrate there and improve the IT team's capabilities out there rather than trying to prove every second," they wrote on Reddit.

Responses reflect both empathy and resignation

One user described it as a “tough situation,” linking the sentiment to the growing popularity of FIRE (financial independence, retire early) — the early‑retirement movement driven by exhaustion with high‑pressure workplaces. Others suggested Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, where they claimed a more balanced mix of Eastern and Western work cultures exists.

Another commenter recommended most Southeast Asian markets except Singapore and, to some extent, Malaysia, noting that Indians often receive “extra consideration” there. Some pointed out that harsh work cultures are not uniquely Indian, citing Japan, South Korea, and Singapore as equally intense. A few users proposed Ireland or Eastern European destinations, arguing that company culture, not geography alone, determines how tolerable work life can be.

The frustration expressed in the post mirrors broader industry trends. According to a survey by Blind, an anonymous app for 13 million verified professionals, 72 percent of Indian employees work more than the legal 48‑hour workweek, while 83 percent report experiencing burnout, signalling systemic overwork and a widespread sense of depletion across generations.