Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu believes that the Donald Trump administration’s H-1B crackdown is nothing more than a “temporary setback” that may be impacting Indian talent aspiring for the ‘American Dream,’ according to a PTI interview.
America’s ‘specialty occupation’ nonimmigrant visa program has largely been dominated by Asians, especially Indians, in recent years. Numbers speak for themselves as Indian nationals still make up for a little over 70% of H-1B recipients, according to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services data.
The figures further show that these visa holders particularly shine bright in the tech world, as over 80% of computer-related H-1B seats go to Indian workers.
On top of that, a new PTI report indicates that most Indian tech professionals going to the US on H-1B visas are from the Indian states Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Andhra Pradesh CM Naidu: US depends on cost-effective Indian techies
In his interview with PTI, Naidu advantageously employed those very arguments the Donald Trump administration and other Republicans have been using to slam the H-1B visa program for replacing Americans on the work scene.
“Cost is very, very important… you (Indian techies) are providing cost-effective services,” he told PTI. “They are bound to depend on us. That is going to happen. I am very clear.”
Further addressing potential restrictions on Indians, the South Indian state’s leader asserted it would all qualify as a “temporary setback.” Naidu added, “Some people will suffer. But, we have to make use of them.”
Naidu is currently keeping his eyes peeled to see Andhra Pradesh “become a global hub for data centres,” especially in light of Alphabet Inc’s Google making its biggest overseas investment in the Indian city. The current five-year deal shows that the US-based company is pouring in $15 billion to establish a data centre in Visakhapatnam. According to Bloomberg, the chief minister is also optimistic about the tech giant potentially raising that investment beyond the stated amount in the future.
And so, Naidu was inevitably asked if he was open to offering opportunities to tech professionals whose futures may be left cloudy in the US due to new visa rules and policies. In his response, he affirmed India “will create opportunities,” especially as the country embraces the every-changing landscape of next-gen technology.
Naidu’s remarks flips the Trump admin’s H-1B debate on its head
Naidu’s remarks are particularly eye-grabbing because they’ve made headlines at a time when many American lawmakers and citizens are voicing their vehement dislike of the H-1B visa program.
Several Republicans, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, have repeatedly accused US employers of heavily relying on the nonimmigrant visa sponsorship to hire employees while shedding lower costs from their pocket. The issue has particularly gained spotlight with Trump in the office, as his presidential stance has been all about keeping ‘America First.’
As part of his efforts to keep clamp down on immigration, particularly the H-1B program dominated by Indians, he announced an additional $100,000 fee for new H-1B applications filed from September 21, 2025, onwards.
During the second Trump administration, federal authorities themselves have doubled down on labelling this particular visa system responsible for bringing highly skilled workers to the US a “fraud,” “abuse” or “scam.” Officials specifically have an issue with foreign workers filling job opportunities that could have been occupied by American workers instead.
However, the POTUS recently softened his stance on the issue, saying that there was a need to “bring in talent” from other countries as the US doesn’t have “certain talents.” But that doesn’t necessarily mean that others have always swayed from their critical stance.
