UK executive lists problems of working globally with Indian passport: Rupee keeps sliding, bad air...

The AI tech executive also described the emotional toll of returning to India only to encounter hazardous air. 'You step outside and feel it in your lungs,' Kunal Kushwaha said. (Image credit: Kunal Kushwaha, Unsplash)

A London‑based Indian tech executive has ignited a wider conversation on global mobility after sharing a candid account of how holding an Indian passport complicates both professional life and personal relationships. The post, originally shared on X by senior developer advocate Kunal Kushwaha, detailed the mounting “friction” faced by Indian professionals working across borders — from visa hurdles that consume weeks of productivity to a weakening rupee and deteriorating air quality back home.

A passport that restricts, not enables

In his post, Kushwaha wrote that an Indian passport “no longer adds value” to his life, describing how even routine travel had turned into a bureaucratic maze. Despite living and working in Europe, he said he could not join friends in Dublin for Christmas because he did not have enough days left to apply for a new visa.

He wrote of standing in long queues, shuffling through folders of documents he has “already submitted multiple times”, and spending hours preparing Schengen applications that “feel like a full‑time job”. Bank statements, cover letters, proof of intent, booking histories — the stack of paperwork, he said, had become inseparable from the experience of being an Indian citizen abroad.

the London-based tech executive

Economic realities add to the weight

Kushwaha also pointed to the slow, persistent slide of the rupee, which has eroded the value of investments made in India. What once appeared as “good returns” on paper, he said, “didn’t feel good anymore” once currency depreciation was factored in — a concern long raised by globally mobile Indian workers whose salaries and financial obligations often span multiple countries.

Air quality: A crisis that follows you home

The executive also described the emotional toll of returning to India only to encounter hazardous air. “You step outside and feel it in your lungs,” he said, referencing the country’s repeated appearance in global pollution rankings. Users responding to his post agreed that poor air quality has now become a significant factor — not just for public health, but for long‑term decisions about where to live, work and raise families.

Bureaucracy out of step with a global workforce

Beyond visas, Kushwaha highlighted legacy systems in Indian banking, KYC checks and paperwork-heavy processes that feel outdated compared to standards abroad. “Endless paperwork. Delays. Follow-ups. Re‑submissions,” he wrote.

For many global Indian professionals, especially those in tech, this mismatch is jarring. Their work is borderless, fast and digital; their personal administrative processes remain slow, physical, and fragmented.

A debate larger than patriotism

Kushwaha made clear that his comments were not anti-national. “I’m not angry. I’m tired,” he wrote — a distinction many users echoed. Yet several also warned that voicing such concerns often invites accusations of disloyalty. “Don’t be surprised if people start telling you to 'Go to Bangladesh'… speaking the truth is an anti-national act now,” one response read.

Social media users agree with harsh realities of global slide

The London-based tech executive's frustration struck a chord. Replies on X ranged from resignation to anger, with several users echoing the same sentiment. "I feel the same way. The fact that I can’t travel, not because I don’t have money, but because I have a dogshit passport which requires a visa for every place feels so frustrating," wrote one user. "Now I have to build an immigration history before applying for any major visa or it will get rejected. And we all know what happens when visas get rejected."

Several users said the mismatch between global exposure and domestic economic reality has become increasingly stark.

"Visa restrictions like these limit mobility and networking, impacting both personal and professional opportunities, commented another user, while a third added, "You really understand the value of your passport by how long it sits at a visa office (Schengen, two months)."

Some X users also asked Kushwaha to exercise caution. "Don't be surprised if people start telling you to 'Go to Bangladesh'. Speaking the truth is an anti-national act, false pride and defending everything wrong in the country is patriotism now," commented one, while another pointed out how some media houses in the country have been explaining "the benefits of rupee downfall" and misleading the public.