The United States is witnessing some kerfuffle over the H1B visa, which is majorly availed of by the Indian IT industry to send their techies to that country. The pushback against these Indian workers is coming from Donald Trump’s MAGA base, which is accusing the Indians of stealing American jobs.
The fact that Trump has selected some Indian origin people in his government, particularly Sriram Krishnan as the White House’s chief policy adviser for AI, has triggered unhinged reactions that are primarily driven by racism. This has shed light on the broader question of brain drain, with the brightest and the best from this country going to the US and becoming American citizens and eventually the most prosperous demographic in that country, apart from going on to head billion dollar corporations.
Does the latest turmoil spell the end of the road for those who, after pursuing an education in India—often subsidized, and thus paid for by the common Indian—want to pursue the American dream and want to make America great again, like Donald Trump? It could be, given that Trump has come to power on an anti-immigration platform and his voter base will not forgive him if he does not deliver on his campaign promises.
While this may be bad news for Indians whose sole ambition in life is to become an American citizen, it may be a blessing for India. Given that most developed countries neither have the capacity to absorb the huge number of job seeking Indians trying to go abroad, nor the industrial ecosystem that the US offers, this is a huge opportunity to retain this workforce at home and build in India.
For this the government needs to loosen the grip of regulations on our system, simplify labour laws and better the ecosystem here. Instead of trying to make America great, it’s time for these techies to try and make India great. Excuses like India does not have the ecosystem will not work, given that the Narendra Modi government has been working towards improving the system and different sectors are reaping the benefits of it.
But still a lot needs to be done, for instance in semiconductors, for which India needs its best and the brightest to work and take India among the topmost countries that manufacture chips. But to achieve this, Indians must develop the sensitivity to think beyond their immediate gains, and must have the willingness to repay the country for all it has done for them. It’s not just America, India too is full of rags to riches stories—maybe fewer than that in the US, but they are there aplenty. So the opportunities are there.
Think of the number of start-ups that India has now, the progress India is making in different sectors. It’s not for nothing India is the fifth largest economy in the world, which proves it has the potential and the wherewithal to reach even higher. The population is young, aspirational and willing to work hard, but they must see a future in India, not in Silicon Valley. India cannot afford to lose its talents to America.
For this to happen, even Indian origin people in the US need to stand by their country of birth. For instance, will it be too much to expect Indian origin venture capitalists based in the US to fund small startups in India and introduce them to the world?
As for the H1B visa, it has to be remembered that issuing such a visa is the prerogative of the US. It’s not India’s right to claim the H1B visa for its America-bound population. So corporations should not expect the Indian government to lobby with the US on their behalf to relax the rules for Indian citizens seeking to immigrate. Corporations will have to look for alternate ways to manage their work—maybe get most of it done in India itself, thus energising the jobs sector in India.
The target is simple, India must be a developed nation by 2047, the centenary of Indian independence—a target that has been set by the Prime Minister himself. To achieve this, India cannot afford to lose its talents. It’s time to make India great again..
