Trump’s H-1B crackdown risks US tech, fuels India’s rise
When President Trump announced a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas, it was framed as protecting American jobs and reducing reliance on foreign talent. On the surface, it sounds like a populist win. Why not train and employ local workers rather than bring in engineers from overseas? But beneath the bluster, the reality is stark: this policy is less about safeguarding American workers and more about walling off talent in a way that risks backfiring—undermining US innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic leadership.
Trump’s contradictions only add to the confusion. One day, he calls India’s economy “dead” and imposes 50% tariffs. Another day, his associate, Peter Navarro, absurdly labels the Ukraine war as “India’s war.” Then, Trump calls Modi on his birthday, thanking him for his role in Ukraine-Russia talks—only to follow days later with an executive order slapping an unprecedented H-1B visa fee, hitting Bharat’s talent pool hardest.
Is Trump openly challenging Modi, dangling carrots and wielding sticks to force a trade deal? Or is this just another case of Trump’s trademark unpredictability?
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick justified the fee as a way to deter “low-level hires” and reserve visas for “top-tier” talent. That remark is both insulting and ignorant. H-1B workers—especially from Bharat—are hardly “low-level.” They are scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs who powered Silicon Valley, solved America’s Y2K crisis, and kept the US at the global tech frontier. Labeling them otherwise should, by itself, deter ambitious talent from ever considering the United States.
My heart goes out to Bharatiyas preparing for their H-1B journey who now face sudden uncertainty, courtesy of a president increasingly defined by unpredictability and unreliability. Patience may be the only option, as the policy faces serious legal hurdles: only Congress can authorize such drastic changes. Litigation is inevitable, and employers as well as workers are gearing up to challenge this in court. Perhaps the lawyers are burning the midnight oil to prepare for a litigation on Monday morning.
In the meantime, tech giants like Google and Amazon—heavy users of H-1B talent—have already warned employees not to travel overseas to avoid immigration snarls. Industry groups like NASSCOM and legal experts warn of serious disruption to innovation and business continuity.
Impacts on US innovation and entrepreneurship
The H-1B pipeline has supplied America with thousands of highly skilled STEM professionals, perhaps mostly from Bharat, who transition from graduate programs into full-time roles, fueling startups and established companies alike. The exorbitant visa fee will disproportionately hurt startups and universities that cannot absorb the cost, stalling innovation, delaying spin-offs, and in some cases, shutting down ventures altogether. If not halted by the courts, this executive order could smother the very ecosystem that made America the global hub of innovation and entrepreneurship.
Make in India: Bharat’s launchpad
Here lies the irony. Just as Trump’s tariffs spurred Bharat to embrace Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) and “Make in India,” his latest visa bombshell may accelerate Bharat’s transformation into a developed nation. By discouraging talent from migrating, Trump may be fueling a reverse brain drain.
Instead of pouring into California, Bharat’s best and brightest may now stay home—strengthening its startups, building unicorns, and driving economic growth in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, and Noida. This will not only bolster India’s tech sector but also expand its space industry, defense startups, energy innovation, and advanced manufacturing.
The timing couldn’t be better. Bharat’s ISRO has put a rover on the Moon (Chandrayaan-3) and is preparing for human spaceflight missions. Its semiconductor push, supported by billions in incentives, is attracting companies like Micron and Foxconn. In defense, startups are developing drones, avionics, and indigenous weapons systems, reducing dependence on imports. In energy, Bharat is scaling solar and green hydrogen projects at a record pace. Now, with its top engineers and entrepreneurs more likely to stay at home, these initiatives gain rocket fuel.
Trump’s policy could inadvertently halt America’s long-standing “brain gain” and accelerate Bharat’s “brain gain.” Since the Y2K days, America has been the biggest beneficiary of Bharat’s high-tech talent. Now, instead of fueling US innovation, that same brainpower could create multiple Silicon Valleys in Bharat—propelling its economic rise at home rather than abroad.
The bottom line
America’s strength has always been its openness—to ideas, to people, to talent from anywhere. H-1B has long been a channel for that. By imposing a $100,000 wall around visas and treating skilled workers with disdain, Trump is undermining the very foundation of US prosperity.
Bharat, meanwhile, is ready to seize the moment. Its young innovators no longer need to drain away; they can build their future on home soil. What was once a “brain drain” is poised to become a “brain gain.”
Trump may think he is protecting American jobs, but in reality, he is building Bharat’s launchpad—not just in space technology, but in high tech, defense, manufacturing, semiconductors, green energy, and beyond. History may remember this as the moment Trump didn’t make America great again—but made Bharat greater than he ever imagined.
Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
3. The author acknowledges the use of ChatGPT in researching topics and the meaningful improvement of content.
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Formerly, a researcher in Italy, Japan, and France, he has widely travelled and came to the US in 1978. He was a faculty and academic administrator in several different universities in PA, TX, NJ, MN, WI, and NY, and an Executive Fellow in the White House S&T Policy during the Clinton administration.
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