From Uttar Pradesh to a Solar Plant in Saudi Arabia

It started with an ITI qualification in Uttar Pradesh, followed by years of work in Gujarat and experience with some of India’s biggest companies. Along the way, Shailendra built something that would later help him take the next step: technical experience, confidence and savings.

After completing his ITI training, Shailendra moved to Gujarat for work. He spent around three years with L&T and Reliance, followed by another three years with NTPC. Working as an electrician gave him practical experience across different workplaces and helped him save for his future.

Then, an opportunity through 2Coms took him to Saudi Arabia.

Today, Shailendra works at a solar plant there, bringing the skills he developed in India into a growing renewable energy sector.

A new country, but a familiar workplace

Moving abroad can mean adjusting to a new language, culture and way of working. For Shailendra, however, the transition has been relatively comfortable.

He works alongside people from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, so communication has not been a major challenge. He also says he has not experienced any significant cultural differences at work.

In some ways, his workplace in Saudi Arabia feels familiar.

His job also provides food and accommodation, which has helped keep his living expenses low. He works in shifts, with a break between 12 pm and 3 pm before returning for the second part of his working day.

On average, Shailendra spends only around 100–200 Saudi Riyals a month on personal expenses. A portion of his earnings goes back to his family in India, while he saves the rest.

What the move has meant financially

Before moving to Saudi Arabia, Shailendra was earning around ₹18,000 a month at NTPC.

His basic salary in Saudi Arabia is around 1,100 SAR. With overtime, particularly on Fridays, his monthly earnings can reach around 2,000 SAR approximately ₹50,000.

But for Shailendra, the difference is not only in the salary.

With food and accommodation covered by his employer, he does not have to spend a large part of his income on everyday living costs. This allows him to save more and continue supporting his family in India.

There is another part of this transition that matters to him: he did not need to take a loan to make the move.

The savings he built during his years with NTPC, L&T and Reliance helped him finance his move himself.

One opportunity can lead to another

Saudi Arabia may be Shailendra’s current destination, but he is already thinking about what comes next.

He plans to stay in Saudi Arabia for around two more years. After that, he hopes to explore opportunities in Australia or Europe and continue building his career internationally.

He knows that reaching that next stage will require preparation. He is planning to pursue further training through NSDC as he works towards strengthening his skills for future opportunities.

For now, the journey continues.

From an ITI in Uttar Pradesh to Gujarat, from some of India’s largest companies to a solar plant in Saudi Arabia, Shailendra’s path shows how technical skills can travel far beyond the place where they were first learned.

And perhaps that is what makes his story worth telling.

An opportunity abroad is not always the end goal. Sometimes, it is simply the next step one that allows a skilled worker to gain experience, support a family, build savings and begin imagining where their skills could take them next.