In late February, Abhijith Nag Balasubramanya packed up his life in Sweden into one suitcase and boarded a flight to Bengaluru. What adopted was days of anger and resentment over the way in which he was handled by Swedish authorities. Now, the India-born entrepreneur is able to discuss why he was compelled to promote his startup and depart Sweden.
Over a telephonic dialog with HT.com, 30-year-old Abhijith stated that Swedish paperwork killed his enterprise, regardless that he had nothing however reward for the individuals of Sweden and its regional governments and Municipalities.
Working in Europe
At 30, Bengaluru-born Abhijith Balasubramanya has extra levels than most individuals — one in electrical engineering, a second in worldwide advertising and marketing from Germany, and the third is a analysis grasp’s in Sustainable Economics from Sweden.
Regardless of this, academia by no means enticed him. And the company world left him burnt out.
“I’ve been working for the final six years. I labored at an organization in Germany referred to as Murrelektronik, then in Sweden at an organization referred to as Northvolt. I additionally labored at an eco-village in Sweden referred to as Suderbyn, the place I received into hydroponics,” he advised HT.com. “Briefly, I additionally labored in France at an organization referred to as Verkor, which was into electrical battery manufacturing for EV vehicles.”
It was whereas working in France, the place he was incomes round 45,000 euros a 12 months ( ₹48 lakh roughly), that Abhijith skilled burnout so extreme he needed to return house to India.
After returning house, he determined to observe his ardour of rising produce on a extra skilled stage.
Relocating to Sweden
Abhijith started making use of for a Sweden visa and was fortunate sufficient to get approval for a Job Seeker/Potential to begin a Enterprise Residence Allow, which permits recipients to remain in Sweden for as much as 9 months. In November 2024, he moved to Sweden with the dream of beginning his personal hydroponics enterprise.
Abhijith had labored in Sweden prior to now as properly, which is when he had realised that the north of Sweden had little provide of contemporary produce. Along with his startup, he aimed to handle that hole.
“The eco village Suderbyn is the place I discovered my ardour for hydroponics as a result of I used to be working as an utilized analysis coordinator. That’s the place I fell in love with hydroponics,” he stated.
“However because it was a part-time job and I used to be additionally writing my grasp’s thesis, I couldn’t make it my full-time job.
“After that, I needed to discover a full-time job to remain in Sweden, so I utilized to Northvolt and received in. This was round 2022. I moved about 700 kilometres north of Stockholm, near the Arctic Circle.
“There, I observed an enormous difficulty — the meals in supermarkets wasn’t nutritious as a result of it travelled lengthy distances. By the point you purchased it, particularly greens and greens, they’d go dangerous shortly. That’s the place the thought got here from to make use of my hydroponics expertise to develop native meals in northern Sweden,” he stated.
A startup in Sweden
Abhijith began rising produce in his basement, utilizing a small hydroponics package. “I began small — rising in my house unit and speaking to native municipalities to know find out how to begin a enterprise there. I began rising in my basement in Skellefteå,” he recalled.
“I posted on a neighborhood Fb group asking if anybody needed to strive my produce. Inside two hours, I received 40 responses. I distributed every part totally free, although many individuals insisted on paying. That actually motivated me.
“Then I approached a grocery store, ICA Kvantum. I confirmed them a presentation of my work and gave them samples. They liked the standard and had been fascinated by working with me,” he advised HT.com.
At this level, Abhijith was working alone and doing every part from rising the produce to market analysis to approaching potential prospects.
“This was earlier than formally registering the corporate. I needed to validate demand first. After getting affirmation, I registered the corporate in Might 2025,” he stated.
That’s how he turned the founding father of Hydro House Sweden AB, with the dream of constructing north Sweden meals safe.
The challenges of being an immigrant entrepreneur
Nonetheless, rising the startup was not straightforward. Abhijith needed to contend not solely with operational delays and setbacks but in addition with the Swedish Migration Company — which was in the end answerable for his eviction.
“Our tools arrived late attributable to transport delays from China. We began full-scale manufacturing in December. However quickly after, I used to be requested to go away Sweden,” he stated.
In July 2025, Abhijith’s preliminary visa was set to run out. He had already filed paperwork for a enterprise visa.
“I needed to verify every part was authorized, so I uploaded all of the paperwork that I had. After which I even wrote to them saying that in the event that they wanted any extra paperwork, please let me know. I will be glad to supply. After that, I by no means heard again from them until the primary week of December,” he stated.
Causes for deportation
“Within the first week of December, I acquired a letter from the migration company stating that, primarily based on the paperwork I had submitted, my utility was prone to be rejected. They listed 4 causes, however none of them made a lot sense,” stated the entrepreneur.
Abhijith advised HT.com that Migrationsverket, the Swedish Migration Company, gave him 4 causes as to why his utility had been rejected. He refuted all 4 causes, calling them baseless.
“The primary motive was that I didn’t have prior expertise working a enterprise. This was incorrect. I had been actively concerned in my mother and father’ firm and was managing its full-scale operations. Whereas I didn’t personal 100% of the corporate—as it’s a espresso enterprise and I didn’t have the capital to carry full possession—I used to be nonetheless working it in a big capability,” he advised HT.com.
The second motive
“The second motive they gave was that I didn’t have enough information of Swedish, which once more was not true,” he stated.
“As a part of my utility, I had submitted proof of my language proficiency by means of SFI (Swedish for Immigrants), a government-run programme that certifies language ranges. I had accomplished ranges C and D, and whereas I used to be nonetheless ready for the official certificates for stage D because of the midsummer vacation closures, I already had my outcomes.
“I shared screenshots of these outcomes together with my stage C certificates and knowledgeable them that I’d submit the ultimate certificates as quickly as I acquired it.
“Furthermore, their very own tips acknowledged that candidates wanted proficiency in both Swedish or English—not each. English is my native language, and I’ve accomplished my whole schooling in English, together with publishing my grasp’s thesis within the language. So, even independently of my Swedish proficiency, I met the language requirement,” Abhijith claimed.
The third motive
“The third level they raised was that I didn’t have sufficient prospects, which I discovered significantly irritating.
“By that stage, I had already secured ICA Kvantum as a consumer and had formal acceptance documentation from them. I had additionally approached eating places and different smaller provisional shops on my own offering them with style bins as samples and had them as my prospects,” he defined.
The fourth and remaining level
Lastly, the Swedish Migration Company advised the Indian entrepreneur that he didn’t have sufficient private capital to help himself. Abhijith dismissed this too.
“There was additionally a fourth concern they raised—that I didn’t have sufficient private capital to help myself in Sweden. In keeping with their very own tips, I wanted to indicate round 200,000 Swedish kronor ( ₹20 lakh roughly). I had already submitted proof of 250,000 kronor ( ₹25 lakh) in my private checking account—not my enterprise account, simply my private funds,” he stated.
(Additionally learn: Bengaluru tech founder says his US visa was rejected after query on wage)
“What made this significantly complicated was that they already had full entry to my financial institution statements. Regardless of that, I despatched them an up to date assertion once more on the identical date, confirming that the funds had been nonetheless intact and had not been used.
“I additionally talked about that I might present statements from my Indian checking account if required, as I had further funds there however had chosen to not switch every part to my Swedish account,” Abhijith claimed.
Leaving Sweden
Regardless of sending clarifications, financial institution statements, buyer contracts, and certifications, Abhijith by no means received a correct response from Swedish authorities. By this time, his case had begun to obtain consideration in native media.
On February 6, 2026, Abhijith’s utility was rejected. He was requested to go away Sweden inside 28 days.
He directed his frustration in direction of the migration company basically and his case officer specifically.
“Due to the publicity surrounding my case, the officer knew who I used to be. I requested him whether or not further private funds or funding into the corporate’s account might enhance my possibilities, however he by no means gave a direct reply. “He averted answering me and stated he couldn’t give me any such info,” Abhijith defined.
“Once I adopted as much as ask if there was some other technique to safe a visa, he stated he couldn’t present specifics, as the choice was made on a case-by-case foundation and solely he knew which paperwork had been required.
“Once I pressed for steerage, he laughed over the decision. The interplay felt dismissive and, frankly, xenophobic,” stated Abhijith.
Promoting the corporate
With simply weeks to wrap up his operations, Abhijith confronted the daunting process of promoting his produce and shutting down the enterprise he had poured a lot time, vitality, and sources into. He instantly contacted the procurement supervisor at ICA Kvantum, explaining the scenario. The supervisor, recognising the worth of Abhijith’s merchandise, agreed to assist.
Abhijith and his intern harvested all their produce in a single day, packing round 800 objects into 60–80 baggage. Every bag was bought at a deep low cost to make sure nothing went to waste, and inside hours, every part was pre-booked and bought.
For this remaining batch, the startup earned roughly 12,000 Swedish kronor (round ₹1.2 lakh).
So what’s subsequent for this entrepreneur? As of proper now, Abhijith just isn’t certain. He’s again in Bengaluru and has joined his household’s espresso enterprise, and isn’t sure whether or not he needs to go overseas anytime quickly.
