'Rs 40 lakh loan, dad mortgaged land': Indian woman shares journey of becoming a director at Microsoft

Indian woman recalls her long road to becoming a director at Microsoft. (Image: pvergadia/ Instagram)

When people leave home in search of better opportunities, whether for education or work, it is rarely a solo journey. Behind every student who boards a flight to another country is a family that quietly gives up something of its own, savings built over years, a piece of land, or even the comfort of having their child close by. These are the unseen sacrifices that often make big dreams possible.

This is exactly the story of Priyanka Vergadia, now a Senior Director, Developer GTM and Marketing at Microsoft. Her journey from a small-town upbringing in India to a senior leadership role at one of the world’s biggest tech companies did not begin with certainty or comfort.

She revealed that her journey started with a massive student loan and a deeply personal sacrifice at home. “I took a 40 lakh student loan and boarded the first ever flight of my life. A one-way ticket from India to the US for my master's. Everything was at stake. My dad had mortgaged our land for that loan. Even the ticket was taken on loan,” she shared in an Instagram post.

From that uncertain beginning, she stepped into a completely new world in the United States, where she had to adjust to a different education system, live alone for the first time, and manage the constant pressure of repaying her loans while building her future.

Life in the US was not easy in the beginning. Beyond academics, she had to learn how to live independently from scratch, something many international students quietly go through but rarely talk about.

She reflected on those early struggles, saying, “There was a quiet pressure that I didn't fully understand yet, but could feel. It was my first time leaving home. My first time being completely on my own. In the US, my first semester wasn't easy. The way classes worked was different and difficult to adapt to. But that's why I was here.”

Every day brought new responsibilities, from managing studies to handling daily life alone. She further explained, “And then there was life outside of the classroom. Learning to cook, to clean, to live alone, and to manage expenses. All of it came with one constant thought in the background. I have to get a job immediately after graduation because I've got those loans to repay. But alongside all the pressure, there was something else too. Hope. A quiet excitement about the life that might be possible. A belief that the risk would pay off eventually.”

Despite the pressure, Vergadia’s journey slowly began to shift. Step by step, she moved from uncertainty to opportunity, eventually building a career across some of the biggest names in the tech world.

She shared how far she has come since those early days, saying, “Cut to today. I've worked at Google, Microsoft, Intel, and I've taken countless flights for work to different parts of the world. I even brought my parents to the US and on their first flight ever for my graduation. I've travelled for meetings, for conferences, for opportunities I once only imagined. And yet, no matter how many flights I take, that first flight has a special place in my heart.”

Beyond her achievements, Vergadia also shared a message for people going through similar uncertainty. She addressed students and young professionals taking loans, moving away from home, and managing responsibilities quietly, reminding them that it is normal to feel scared and unsure, and encouraging them to keep working towards their dreams with hope.

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Her post has been widely praised online, with users calling her journey “inspiring” and deeply relatable. One user commented, “The risk was more than worth it. Congratulations.. It Opened a whole world of opportunities for you.”

Another said, “This inspiring story are true stories of every immigrant. This is why America 🇺🇸 is why the land of immigrants. And obviously India is always home. Shoutout to every hard working immigrant.”

Another added a more cautious view, writing, “Congratulations to you however it’s dangerous if someone were to copycat you! I don’t mean to say that it worked because you were lucky but because may be you had your prepared well for it, you worked super hard to be where you have to be today! Congratulations again!”

Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content shared on social media. Moneycontrol has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.