🔗 Share this article

Latest immigration reforms in the United States, such as a sharp hike to H-1B visa fees, have prompted Indian leaders to actively encourage talented Indians abroad to come back and contribute to economic growth.

A high-ranking bureaucrat working with the PM pointed out that the administration is dedicated to bringing back NRIs. Meanwhile, another economic advisor noted that American immigration policies have historically favored the United States, and the latest change could potentially benefit India in drawing skilled workers.

The central idea is that conditions are favorable for India to engineer a talent repatriation and attract highly skilled individuals in software, medicine, and various innovative fields who departed the nation over the last 30 years.

Preliminary evidence suggest that a more restrictive immigration climate in the America is encouraging several Indians to evaluate moving back. Yet, experts caution that convincing large numbers to exit American hubs for Bengaluru will be easier said than done.

Nithin Hassan is one of the handful of expatriates who, after 20 years in the United States, took a leap of faith and relocated to a tech hub last year.

The move proved challenging. He quit a high-paying role at a leading firm to explore the risky world of entrepreneurship.

"I've always wanted to start a personal venture, but my immigration status in the United States restricted that opportunity," he mentioned.

Since his return, he's founded multiple ventures, including a initiative named Back to India that helps fellow NRIs living in the US "manage the personal, economic, and work-related hurdles of relocating to India."

He noted that current adjustments in US entry regulations have caused a sharp surge in requests from professionals interested in return, and the H-1B fracas could speed up this shift.

"Many experts now realize that a permanent residency may remain elusive, and requests to the platform have surged – roughly tripling after policy updates started. In just the last six months, above 200 expatriates have reached out to consider return options," he said.

Further recruiters who focus on Indian talent from institutions abroad corroborate this shift in attitude.

"The figure of graduates from top-tier universities wanting to come back to India post their education has risen by thirty percent this season," an executive explained.

She added that the instability is also causing experienced professionals "think harder their professional paths in the US."

"While numerous are still anchored there, we observe a significant rise in executive and top professionals exploring India as a serious choice," she said.

The growing interest could further supported by a significant boom in Global Capability Centres – or remote units of multinational companies in India – that have opened up promising job prospects for professionals coming back.

Such remote centers could become options for those from the tech industry if the United States restricts entry, making GCCs "more appealing to professionals, particularly as overseas postings diminish," as per an asset manager.

But facilitating talent return significantly will demand a focused and serious effort by the leadership, and such efforts are absent, notes a previous media adviser to a former PM and expert on professional emigration.

"The government will have to go out and truly select experts – featuring top-of-the-line scientists, workers, and innovators – it aims to attract. That demands resources, and it needs to be prioritized by leadership," he emphasized.

He said that this approach was adopted by India's first prime minister in the previous era to recruit top minds in sectors like science and advanced research and create institutions like the renowned a top research institute.

"Those individuals were driven by a strong sense of purpose. Where is the reason to relocate now?" he wondered.

Conversely, there are various attractive and repelling elements that have resulted in highly qualified professionals repeatedly leaving the country, he said, and India has applauded this pattern, rather than reversing it.

Overseas incentives involve a rising variety of countries granting residency programs and permanent status through visa options.

In fact, even as the America strengthened its work permit rules, countries {such as