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Former McKinsey Executive Returns to India After 13 Years
Dr Neeraja Nagarajan is a doctor who lived in the United States for more than thirteen years.
She studied at a famous school called Johns Hopkins and worked at a big hospital.
She also worked at McKinsey, a company that helps other organizations make important decisions.
Many people around her thought she should stay in America forever.
But Neeraja always planned to come back home to India.
She kept her Indian passport and even told her future husband on their first date that she wanted to move back.
She chose McKinsey partly because it gave her chances to work in different countries.
Now she lives in Chennai and works in healthcare.
She wants to help more people get good medical care in India.
She is happy because she can hear Tamil every day and wear the Indian handwoven clothes she loves.
Dr Neeraja Nagarajan, a former McKinsey & Company associate partner, permanently moved back to Chennai, India after more than 13 years in the US.
In a LinkedIn post, she said every rational framework and most well-meaning mentors advised her to stay, but she had always planned to return.
Her US journey began at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, followed by work at Brigham and Women's Hospital, where she found her calling in systemic change.
After more than seven years at McKinsey, she said her work included supporting efforts that helped vaccinate millions of people.
She cited improving access to healthcare in India, hearing Tamil every day, working with inspiring leaders, and wearing Indian handloom as reasons for her move.
- Who
- Dr Neeraja Nagarajan, a former McKinsey & Company associate partner and public health professional
- What
- Permanently moved back to India after more than 13 years in the US and explained her decision in a widely shared LinkedIn post
- Where
- From the United States to Chennai, India
- When
- About three months after her permanent relocation; reported on August 5, 2026
- Why
- To improve access to healthcare in India, hear Tamil every day, work with inspiring leaders, and wear Indian handloom
The Stay-In-The-US View
The Return-To-India View
Leaving a successful US career
The Stay-In-The-US View
Most well-meaning mentors and rational frameworks advised Dr Nagarajan to stay in the US and remain at McKinsey, where she had built a successful career and held a long-term EB1 green card.
The Return-To-India View
Dr Nagarajan argued that no decision is purely professional, saying every major choice is a bit professional, a bit personal, and a bit political, which made returning to India the right call for her.
Moving abroad as a one-way journey
The Stay-In-The-US View
Moving to another country is often seen as a one-way journey, with many professionals building successful careers abroad and choosing to stay.
The Return-To-India View
Dr Nagarajan deliberately kept her return possible by never giving up her Indian passport, choosing an international firm, and telling her future husband on their first date that she planned to go back.
Key facts
- Person
- Dr Neeraja Nagarajan
- Former role
- Associate partner at McKinsey & Company
- Time in the US
- More than 13 years
- Tenure at McKinsey
- More than 7 years
- Return destination
- Chennai, India
- Education
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- Earlier employer
- Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Report date
- August 5, 2026
Quotes
Dr Neeraja Nagarajan
Former McKinsey executive who returned to India
“"Every rational framework – and most well-meaning mentors – said stay. Stay in the US. Stay at McKinsey. I’m three months into having permanently moved to India. Here’s why."”
news18.com
“"McKinsey taught me how the real world actually works – who makes decisions, how they make them, and what moves them," she wrote.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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