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Indian American entrepreneur on why he chose to build in india
Pai said financial security gives him the freedom to pursue impact over income while building his company in India
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Malvika Choudhary - Wed, 12, Aug 2026
- 17:34 EDT
- 40
Vikram Pai / X/ @vikpai
Indian American entrepreneur Vikram Pai explained why he chose to build his business in India despite being a U.S. citizen.
“Someone asked why money isn’t my main motivation, and why, as a U.S. citizen, I chose to build in India,” Pai, CEO and co-founder of ReferRush, a Bengaluru-based affiliate commerce platform, wrote in a post on X.
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Someone asked why money isn’t my main motivation, and why, as a U.S. citizen, I chose to build in India.
— Vikram Pai (@vikpai) August 12, 2026
It is a little ironic. So many Indians dream of moving abroad or working with American companies. I chose to come here and struggle.
Two reasons:
1. I don’t need much to be…
“It is a little ironic. So many Indians dream of moving abroad or working with American companies. I chose to come here and struggle,” he added.
Pai said he does not need much to be happy, citing a hot meal, a roof, a gym, sports, books, friends and family. He said his needs may grow in the future, particularly if he has a wife and children, but that even a good job in India or the U.S. would provide the financial security he needs.
That security, he said, allows him to focus on impact rather than income.
“The marginal impact I can have building ReferRush in India is far greater than the impact I could have as another well-paid executive in America,” Pai wrote.
He also highlighted the impact he believes ReferRush has had on its affiliates, saying some have earned enough through the platform to travel abroad for the first time.
“That means something to me,” he wrote.
Pai said building the infrastructure and culture for affiliate commerce in India could create livelihoods, businesses and opportunities “at enormous scale.”
“I know my floor is enough. So I’m free to chase the highest possible ceiling of impact,” he wrote.
The post drew criticism from some users, particularly over Pai’s views on money, employees and his decision to build in India after obtaining U.S. citizenship.
One user urged Pai to be transparent with prospective employees about his priorities.
“Don’t get me wrong. If you are so inclined towards impact then please ensure that you are not opaque about this when you hire talent. Because people who join you in your ride may have real responsibilities & dreams to fulfill. Be clear and call out in first interaction that you are not doing this for money,” the user wrote.
Pai responded that pursuing impact and building a successful business are not mutually exclusive.
“Impact is made through technological progress and through technical progress you can build a great business. Its absolutely not mutually exclusive,” he wrote.
Another user criticized Pai’s decision to obtain U.S. citizenship before returning to India.
“First: You are from Bengaluru, you never needed to go anywhere. Yet you went, got the citizenship and then back giving gyan,” the user wrote.
The post also drew support for Pai’s argument about financial security. One commenter wrote, “Knowing your floor is enough changes the equation,” arguing that once people understand what they need for financial security, higher income becomes a matter of choice rather than necessity.
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