New Delhi, Sep 20 After US President Donald Trump announced that American companies have to pay $100,000 for securing H-1B Visa for a foreign employee -- a move that could impact the Indian tech talent at the most- Radhika Gupta, MD and CEO of Edelweiss Mutual Fund urged Indians to return home, saying India of 2025 is a far more exciting place than India of 2005 ever was.
Sharing her own story in a post on social media platform X, Gupta said that during the 2008 financial crisis, many Indian students felt upset, and many returned home and built their fulfilling lives here.
"I was fortunate to graduate in 2005, when H-1B norms were far more favourable in the US. But things changed quickly in 2008 during the financial crisis -- many Indian students felt upset, lost, and stuck," Gupta wrote on X.
"Some eventually returned home, and years later, even those of us who still had the visa made the same choice. Today, we’ve built fulfilling lives here -- with tremendous professional opportunities and the deeper joy of creating in our own country. Personally, I wouldn’t want to go back -- at all," she added.
Considering the current scenario in the US and the kind of potential India offers, the Edelweiss Mutual Fund CEO urged Indian students to come back to their home country, saying that when one door closes, many other doors open back home.
"So, if you’re on a US campus right now feeling shaken or disheartened, I know what that feels like. But remember: when one door closes, many others open back home. And India of 2025 is a far more exciting place than India of 2005 ever was," she wrote.
She concluded by saying, "Chin up. Aao, ab laut chalen!".
Post Trump's announcement, US tech giant Microsoft has advised employees with H-1B and H-4 visas, who are currently outside the US, to return immediately -- ahead of the September 21 deadline.
The US administration has decided to impose a $100,000 annual fee on each visa.
The new rule will take effect on September 21 and remain in force for 12 months, the US President said.
According to reports, companies like Microsoft and JPMorgan have instructed H-1B workers currently in the US to continue their employment in the country “for the foreseeable future” and avoid international travel until further guidance.
The H-1B visa allows US companies to hire skilled foreign workers in fields like technology and engineering.
Since roughly 71 per cent of H-1B visa holders are from India and mostly work for tech companies like Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant, and Tata Consultancy Services, the move will have the greatest impact on the Indian diaspora.
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