A techie, who quit his high paying Oracle job in Bengaluru in 2016, has shared how he found a career that aligned with his interests in the tourism sector. After three years of corporate hustle, Soham Chabrabarty finally decided to move on from his IT job.
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A chemical engineering graduate, he had kept his resignation letter as his desktop screensaver for months. Despite his family's concerns about leaving a stable corporate career, Soham chose to pursue a more meaningful life. He returned to his hometown, Kolkata, in 2017 and explored different opportunities, including driving an Uber.
Eventually, he ended up founding Calcutta Capsule, a walking tour company.
On leaving his stable job and returning to his hometown in Shyambazaar, Soham said that his family initially struggled to understand his reasons.
"I'll do anything. I'll sell bananas on the street if I have to, but I won't do this because this has to have more meaning in life," he recalled telling his father before resigning. His father eventually gave him the push he needed. "He told me, 'You're not married, you don't have kids. If you want to explore your avenues in life, go ahead and do it now.'"
After returning to Kolkata, Soham spent nearly a year driving for Uber while exploring his next career move. Though the job paid less and was physically demanding, it introduced him to unfamiliar neighbourhoods, local eateries and diverse people. This experience eventually deepened his understanding of Kolkata as a city. It eventually also inspired him to establish “Calcutta Capsule”, a heritage walking tour company.
According to a report, Soham revealed that the idea for Calcutta Capsule started when he began helping guests at his parents' Airbnb explore Kolkata. Once, one guest asked him to personally show them around and he agreed. That casual favour eventually turned into paid walking tours. Over time, his venture has garnered a lot of good reviews and growing demand, becoming a thriving business.
“People started taking my tours and then asking me if I had a homestay. It started cycling around,” he added.
Soham also revealed that he took nearly two years to become financially independent after leaving Oracle. Knowing that he would face uncertainty, he had planned his savings carefully to cover living expenses and student loans before quitting.
As per a report, he now claims to earn four to five times more than his previous salary.
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