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‘Live close to or with family’: Entrepreneur advises youngsters in their 20s not to move to Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai; X post sparks debate

He clarified that he wasn't criticising metropolitan cities, but was against the belief that success depends on living in them.

3 min readNew DelhiDec 31, 2025 12:32 PM IST

Rohit Aryan shared his belief that staying in one’s hometown can be more fulfilling in the long run (DMRC) (File)

Rohit Aryan, founder of White Dust, urged young people to reconsider the idea that moving to a metro city is essential for success. In a post shared on X, Aryan highlighted the growing trend of people in their 20s relocating to bigger cities for career opportunities.

Calling his view an “unpopular opinion,” Aryan advised against choosing cities like Delhi, Mumbai, or Bengaluru despite the opportunities they may offer. “Unpopular opinion: In your 20s, life will give you a chance to move to or choose Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, or any other city. Don’t choose any of them,” he wrote.

He clarified that he wasn’t criticising metropolitan cities, but was against the belief that success depends on living in them. “Be in your hometown, earn and live peacefully. Live close to or with your family. It’s not that these cities have problems; it’s just that the mindset of moving to a metro city to become successful is wrong,” Aryan added.

Acknowledging that many may disagree, Aryan shared his belief that staying in one’s hometown can be more fulfilling in the long run. “I know many will not agree with this, but trust me, this is the best thing you can do in the long run,” he concluded.

See the viral post here:

It’s pretty awesome how dancing makes robots less intimidating. Looking forward to seeing more nontrivial Machine Learning on these robots. Credit: Boston Dynamics. pic.twitter.com/wnB2i9qhdQ

— Reza Zadeh 🇺🇸 (@Reza_Zadeh) December 29, 2020

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The post quickly gained traction, garnering a wave of opinions and sparking a debate. “fair take but there is nuance to it. Do this, not at the cost of exposure or complacency. Independence goes both ways, lots to learn by living by yourself. Wherever you go, do plan to come back and settle in your hometown!” a user wrote. “Worst advice ever. Do exactly opposite. Your surrounding matters a lot,” another user commented.

“People move to cities for jobs bhai. Smaller cities dont have economic opportunity of the scale that Mumbai/Delhi offer, unless you have generational wealth that is,” a third user reacted.