Bengaluru techie compares work culture in India and the UK after moving to London

Reflecting on his experiences, Arnav Gupta observed a stark contrast in the work culture between India and the UK.

In Short

• A techie shared his experience after moving from Bengaluru to London
• UK tech culture values passion for work over job security, he observed
• He observed a stark contrast in the work culture between India and the UK

Six months after shifting his primary residence from Bengaluru to London, a techie detailed his experience in a lengthy thread on X as he listed the key differences between the Indian and UK tech industries.

Having relocated on a Global Talent Visa, Gupta engaged with several startups before ultimately settling for a role at a big tech company.

To begin with, Gupta observed a stark contrast in the work culture between India and the UK. He said that there is an evident passion for the craft of software engineering beyond job security or financial incentives in London.

“The biggest 'vibe shift' for me was to see the average level of passion for the 'work' (not for the job, or the product, but just the work itself - and I am sorry if you don't get the difference) is just off the charts, in comparison to what I have seen back in India,” he said.

He said that discussions felt collaborative even in formal interviews, as employees concentrated on exploring multiple solutions and engaging in passionate debates on tradeoffs, rather than just evaluation.

One of the main differences was the manner in which compensation structures shaped workplace dynamics. While tech salaries in India vary drastically - ranging from Rs 8 LPA to Rs 150 LPA for similar roles - the UK maintains a more balanced pay scale, Gupta observed.

“Also unlike India, tech here doesn't pay 10-20x of literally every other job. In fact, here, finance is more that place where people go to if they want to purely optimise for earnings, regardless of loving their work. Tech pays well here, but it isn't like 95% people just do it for the money, without actually liking it. It makes a lot of difference,” he said.

This made him notice a “bunch of second order effects that arise out of it”, as he listed them in these subsequent tweets.

Gupta also explained how India’s vast pay disparity in tech roles creates a toxic dynamic where compensation often depends on “randomness” rather than experience, skill, or job complexity.

On the other hand, software engineering salaries in the UK range from £60K to £200K, a modest 3x gap compared to India’s 20x disparity, Gupta observed. With lower inflation and slower salary growth, UK professionals focus more on skill development rather than aggressively switching jobs for massive pay hikes.

Furthermore, Gupta added that the absence of authority bias in the UK is a game-changer, as technical discussions are judged on merit rather than hierarchy. Arguments are debated freely without personal offence, leading to a collaborative work environment. However, Gupta did admit that his perspective might be influenced by the "honeymoon period" of his experience.

Gupta concluded his post by explaining that “in terms of pursing a tech career there are some upsides in India.”

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