What the H-1B visa angst reveals about India

It is odd that India strenuously promotes the exodus of its tech talent while failing to foster innovation at home

- By LATHA JISHNU

THE GLOBAL Innovation Index which ranks the world's most innovative countries does not usually make for headlines since it is a fairly predictable list. But the 2025 index grabbed attention because for the first time China broke into the top 10, the only middle-income economy to do so. It should have made us sit up just as the developed world is doing. But this news did not catch media attention in India, possibly because we came in at a lowly 38 on the list and more likely because the nation was completely caught up in the angst of the H-1B visa problem with the US. And herein lies one of the biggest ironies of India's development story: the government actively promotes the exodus of its tech talent while doing precious little to foster an innovation culture at home. Without this, India would be unable to catch up with China's technological leaps that are reshaping the world's innovation landscape.

Let's take a close look at the H-1B visa issue. These are work permits issued by the US for skilled workers, primarily technology and engineering professionals, for employers to hire the best global talent. Donald Trump's announcement of a massive hike in the visa fee to US $100,000—it is normally less than $2,000—has so upset India that it has taken over much of the mind and media space. While the H-1B visa is a passport to professional success at the individual level, particularly in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields in the US, and offers career pathways that are largely unavailable in India, the country's stance on it begs a fundamental question. Why does India celebrate its brain drain while most countries try to stem it?