"I see my future here" – an engineer's road from India to Stockholm
Publish date: 23 October 2026
"Moving to Stockholm was the best decision of my life." Three countries in, Bhanupriya Chouhan knows what she's talking about. India was home, Switzerland was where she navigated the challenges of the pandemic, and Stockholm turned out to be where she and her husband found a place to call home, while she built a new chapter in her professional career.
Bhanupriya was trained as an electronics and communications engineer and worked as a research and development engineer at the National Brain Research Center in India. After marriage, she moved to Switzerland to join her husband, who was pursuing his PhD at the University of Basel and made the move to Europe to start a new life. However, arriving just before the pandemic made it challenging for Bhanupriya to build professional connections and integrate into the local community. During this time, she volunteered for a Scottish company while learning German and exploring opportunities to develop her career.
The whole adventure took a different turn when Bhanupriya's husband was offered a position as a postdoctoral researcher at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm.
"I got a lot of different opinions about the move to Sweden, because in India we often see Switzerland as a dream destination. It’s featured in many of our movies, and you'll find a lot of Indian tourists in Switzerland. But after moving to Sweden, I was pleasantly surprised by how welcoming and inclusive Stockholm felt, and by the support available to newcomers," says Bhanupriya Chouhan.
During her first few days, she felt a bit lost in Stockholm, but then discovered the wide range of networks, programs and support offered to newcomers.
"Things became much easier. I started with Swedish for immigrants (SFI) and there I learned about Jobbsprånget, an internship program that I applied for. Through it, I got selected for a six-month internship as Project Manager at EQT Group. I also got an amazing mentor from Stockholm Mentor Program to navigate through Swedish work culture."
This marked an important step in her professional journey. Building on her engineering background and the experience and connections she developed in Sweden, she later secured a position as Project Manager at Scania, the global manufacturer of commercial vehicles.
Her journey was also recognized when she received the SDCN International Talent of the Year award, presented by the Mayor of Stockholm – a particularly meaningful milestone after having benefited from Stockholm's international talent networks and initiatives herself.
"Moving to Stockholm helped me build confidence and gave me something very important when relocating: time and space to develop myself. I have built professional relationships, friendships and a better understanding of how I want to develop my career in Sweden, in both the long and short term."
She has always had the intention to learn the language when moving to a new country. Today she understands Swedish pretty well and can communicate in everyday situations, while continuing to work towards fluency. Being new to Sweden, she also soon realised that English made it relatively easy to navigate daily life.
"In Stockholm I didn't have to struggle with the language, because English works well for communication – but my goal is to one day be fluent in Swedish."
She has now celebrated four years in Sweden and built a life here. The Indian community in Stockholm has been an important part of her journey, but she has also made many friends through work and professional networks. Traveling beyond the capital, she has discovered more of Sweden and come to appreciate its natural beauty and wild forests.
"I see my future here. I want to continue growing professionally, become fluent in Swedish and experience more of what Sweden has to offer. I would love to raise a family here and see the next generation grow up as part of Swedish society. I have found my home here in Stockholm."