Bloomberg Businessweek Trump’s H-1B Chaos Is Fueling an AI Boom in Indian Tech Industry
Jan 30, 2026
Saritha Rai, Bloomberg Asia AI reporter who covers technology and policy in India, explains how U.S. visa upheaval is reshaping talent flows. She discusses the huge H-1B fee hike and its fallout. She explores how visa anxiety is altering students’ choices, sparking return migration, and fueling a surge in India’s AI startups and policies to lure skilled workers back.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
H-1B Was India's Gateway To U.S. Tech
- The H-1B program has been a primary gateway for Indian engineers to reach top U.S. tech roles and leadership positions.
- Recent policy changes are disrupting that pipeline and removing a longstanding career pathway.
Fee Hike Makes H-1B Economically Unviable
- The administration increased H-1B application fees to $100,000, creating a huge cost shock for employers.
- That tenfold hike and other reforms make H-1B far less attractive to U.S. companies.
Indians Dominate H-1B Allocations
- About 65,000 H-1B visas go out annually via lottery, with roughly 70% awarded to Indians.
- An additional 20,000 advanced-degree visas also disproportionately benefit Indian applicants.