Moving back to India after 10 years in the US. Need advice on Industrial Engineering Roles, Salary, and Career Pivot Possibility.

Hey everyone,

I am planning a move back to India after 10 years of studying and working in the US. The main drivers for my return are constant US visa uncertainties and wanting to be close to my aging parents, as I am an only child. There is no timeframe for me to move back as such, but i would like to do it EOY 2026 or by 2027 first half at the latest. I am 33M & unmarried. I have about 300k USD saved up in total.

I hold an M.S. in Industrial Engineering from a mid tier US university, a low-tier US MBA, and have 7+ YOE working as Industrial Engineer/ Production Engineer for major automotive and electronics manufacturing companies in the US. Some of these roles have been contract roles.

I am originally from Mumbai, but since pure-play manufacturing roles are limited there, I am open to relocate to Pune (2nd preference), Bangalore, NCR, or Hyderabad.

I do not have any industry contacts in India (who are reliable) and have no prior experience in India.

• What roles should I target?
  • IE in India refers to junior shop floor roles it seems. My experience is with plant workforce optimization, automation integration, and new product launches, which may be performed by different tittles in India.
• Is applying from the US even worth it?
  • I have read and heard that applying from the US is barely any useful, unless you have industry contacts, are in software roles or you are in some niche fields. I certainly will apply for Indian jobs from the US, but should I remain hopeful?
• What are realistic salary expectations?
  • I have no clue as how much salary to expect. I make about 120K in LCOL USA (small town, Midwest).
• Are Manufacturing related engineering roles quite difficult to manage in India? Should I seek to Pivot to some alternative related roles?
  • Manufacturing engineering roles are 6 days a week in India and often do not pay as well. I would prefer working in an office setting with a 5 day work week. Where can I pivot to and how? Would an additional MBA help to get into Operations Excellence roles? I may be able to get into Top 10 - 20 schools in India, based on my research.

Please let me know if this post does not belong here, or if there are better subreddits where I can post this.