Living in Stockholm, building a career in Västerås

Meet Deepak Lakchaura, who found the work-life balance he was looking for.

There are people whose stories are not simply about moving from one country to another, but about redrawing the entire map of their lives. Deepak Lakchaura is one of them.

When Deepak left India behind, it was not an impulsive decision. It was something that had grown over time through years of work, experience and a desire for something more long-term. An engineer with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, he had spent many years working with web development, design, and digital solutions.

I wanted to build a life where both career and everyday life had room to thrive, he says. Not just one or the other.

That place turned out to be Sweden.

The move began when his wife was offered a job in Stockholm. Deepak resigned from his position in India and followed her to a country that had long represented more than just career opportunities. To him, Sweden stood for balance. Between work and leisure, ambition and peace of mind, nature and city life. It also represented a place where international talent was welcomed and valued.

When he arrived, reality quickly confirmed that image.

It was exactly as I had imagined, he says.

Building a career across the region

Today, Deepak lives in Stockholm, where he has built his social network. But his professional journey led him to Västerås, a place that has become an important part of both his career and his everyday life.

For Deepak, it has never been about choosing between Stockholm and Västerås, but about having the advantages of both. Stockholm offers access to an international network and the energy of a larger city, while Västerås provides global companies, career opportunities and a calmer pace that creates balance in daily life.

It feels like one region, he says. Two separate places.

Although finding his place in the Swedish labour market took time, it also became an important part of his journey and his experience of building a life in a new country.

He describes a process of applying for hundreds of jobs before the right opportunity finally appeared through Jobbsprånget, a programme that helps international professionals showcase their skills through internships and connections with employers.

Jobbsprånget became his gateway to the communications agency Haus in Västerås. Today, he works with digital development and web solutions alongside colleagues from a wide range of professional backgrounds. For Deepak, it became more than just a job. It became a place where he could fully apply his experience in design and web development.

He describes Haus as an inclusive workplace where he feels welcomed, appreciated, and trusted to contribute his ideas and expertise. It also became proof that it is possible to establish yourself and build a successful career in a new country.

Finding balance beyond work

But the move has never been only about work. It has also been about discovering a new way of life, with nature close by, a sense of calm, and the balance that Deepak quickly learned to appreciate.

Social life has been different from what he was used to in India, and building new relationships and communities has taken time.

In Sweden, my impression is that relationships take longer to build, he says. People value their personal space.

At the same time, he has found new communities through his wife, his colleagues at Haus and international networks where people with similar experiences come together.

Today, Deepak remains in Sweden and not just as someone passing through, but as someone who has put down roots. He describes a feeling of being in the right place, both professionally and personally.

I want to stay in Sweden, he says simply. This is my future.

What began as a move for work ultimately became something much bigger: a new life shaped by people, opportunities and places that together started to feel like home.