US President Donald Trump made waves this week after urging American tech giants to stop hiring workers from India and toher countries. The POTUS has led an extensive crackdown against immigration since taking over in January — with thousands facing arrest and deportation. The increasingly volatile atmosphere has left many wary about pursuing higher studies and subsequent jobs in the Western nation. Investor Akshat Shrivastava, however, noted that the issue went beyond the ongoing crackdown against immigration — with the economic policies of India playing a key role.
‘Anyone who can escape, tries to’
“If you are an Indian student, eying to study in the US: times are going to be tough. AI is eating jobs in general. But, first it will eat jobs that would be given to immigrants (including Indian immigrants). You will always have 0.001% exceptional people like Aravind Srinivas or Parag Agrawal. But, in general, life will get tough for most job seekers from India,” Shrivastava warned in a LinkedIn post.
While the natural reaction would be to ‘blame’ the US, Shrivastava also cited Indian economic policies as being part of the problem.
“When our internal economic policies are a mess: we can’t really blame Americans. It is their land, they set the rules. If we are too busy extorting 2% people in India for more taxes: the focus is not on economic growth or job creation. The focus is on how to squeeze more juice from existing folks. This attitude is unlikely to change anytime soon,” he added.
“Anyone who can escape, tries to. Anyone who is left, is taxed to death. Solution for you? Do things that are tax efficient in India. Most people in 10 years, might become a 1 person agency. So, start learning about it today. Give yourself a head-start,” he urged.
What did Trump say?
Trump issued a clear warning for companies such as Microsoft, Google and Apple while addressing a national AI summit on Wednesday.
“For too long, much of our tech industry pursued a radical globalism that left millions of Americans feeling distrustful and betrayed. And you know that. Many of our largest tech companies have reaped the blessings of American freedom while building their factories in China, hiring workers in India, and slashing profits in Ireland. You know that. All the while dismissing and even censoring their fellow citizens right here at home,” he said.