Trump’s hard stance on the H-1B visa might have shattered thousands of American dreams, but in the heart of India’s capital, hopes are still alive. Months after Trump announced a sweeping $100k fee on H-1B employers, people walking into the Delhi metro station outside IIT Delhi noticed something unusual. According to a Bloomberg report, huge banners from an AI hiring company were hanging everywhere.
The banners carried phrases like, “We still sponsor H-1Bs” and “$100K isn’t going to stop us from hiring the best.” According to Bloomberg, the banners are not limited to just one metro station. It’s visible across India’s top engineering colleges.
Indian students are rethinking US dream
For decades, IIT graduates have moved to the US to work in tech, finance, and other high-paying fields. Many became global leaders. Some of the prominent names are, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and IBM CEO Arvind Krishna.
But things are changing. Big names like Microsoft, Amazon, JPMorgan, and Goldman Sachs have built giant tech centres in India. India’s startup world is also booming. According to one IIT professor, who spoke to Bloomberg, these factors are giving young engineers confidence to build careers and companies in India.
Trump earlier imposed a $100,000 fee for all new H-1B applications. The work visa that the US grants to foreigners so they can work in the country. After a brief panic mode, several professors in India now believe, these moves could actually push some talented Indians to return home. According to the Common App, applications from Indian students to US colleges have dropped 14% since Trump returned to office.
On the other hand, the ripple effects of the H-1B fee hike are being felt by US employers as well, who have long relied on skilled talent from India and China, especially for tech jobs. While a few smaller companies have paused the process, major firms are still willing to spend the money. Tech leaders like Elon Musk and Jensen Huang of Nvidia have openly voiced their support for H-1B workers.
With recruitment season only a few weeks away, professors and students at two IITs told Bloomberg News that young engineers today don’t think a US job is the only way to build a great career. They say India’s own growth is convincing students to dream bigger, at home.
India’s economy is rising
India is close to overtaking Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy. More than half of India’s economic output now comes from services. Cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune continue to attract global companies because of India’s massive engineering talent pool. “A good number of students are now staying in India,” said Ashok Jhunjhunwala, founder of the IIT-Madras Research Park. “There is tremendous raw talent here.”
But not everyone feels secure. IITs make up only a tiny slice of India’s massive engineering workforce. Students at smaller colleges still worry, and many of them continue to see US degrees as a key to better jobs.