New Delhi [India], September 20 : Former NITI Aayog CEO and ex-G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant sees US President Donald Trump's H-1B visa overhaul as a potential boon for India's innovation ecosystem, asserting that the restrictive USD 100,000 fee per visa application will stifle US foreign talent inflows and redirect global brains to India's tech hubs like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, and Gurgaon.
In a post on X, after Trump issued a proclamation imposing a USD 100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications, Kant emphasised that India's top doctors, engineers, scientists, and innovators now have a greater opportunity to contribute to the nation's development and progress towards a 'Viksit Bharat', noting that the move will be "America's loss" but "India's gain".
"Donald Trump's 100,000 H-1B fee will choke U.S. innovation, and turbocharge India's. By slamming the door on global talent, America pushes the next wave of labs, patents, innovation and startups to Bangalore and Hyderabad, Pune and Gurgaon. India's finest Doctors, engineers, scientists, innovators have an opportunity to contribute to India's growth & progress towards Viksit Bharat. America's loss will be India's gain," the former NITI Aayog CEO wrote.
Kant's optimistic take comes after Trump signed a presidential proclamation titled "Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers" on September 19, imposing the steep annual fee on H-1B petitions for skilled foreign workers outside the US. The measure, effective from September 21, aims to combat what the administration calls widespread abuse of the H-1B programme, particularly by IT outsourcing firms accused of displacing American workers and suppressing wages.
Kunal Bahl, former CEO of Snapdeal and entrepreneur, said that due to the new regulations, a large number of skilled professionals are expected to return to India.
"Because of the new H1B rules, a tremendous number of talented individuals are going to be headed back to India. It will no doubt be tough in the beginning to move base, but will work out for them given the tremendous opportunities in India. The talent density in India is going up," Bhal said in a post on X.
This increase in HIB Visa Fees could hit the tech arbitrage model where Indian software engineers and other talent works onsite in the United States but could see a rise in Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in India.
The proclamation issued by the Trump administration also argues that the original purpose of H-1B, to bring in highly skilled foreign talent, has been distorted, with the administration claiming that low-wage, entry-level H-1B hires have harmed American graduates and also highlights national security concerns, pointing to investigations into visa fraud and money laundering involving companies that rely heavily on the programme.
As per the order, employers must now provide proof of payment when filing H-1B petitions, with enforcement overseen by the US Departments of State and Homeland Security. Limited exemptions are available for cases deemed in the national interest.
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