The nation Wants to Attract its Top Talent Back from the US – However It Won't Be Easy
Latest visa fee hikes in the United States, such as a significant rise of H-1B visa fees, have motivated the Indian policymakers to actively encourage qualified professionals to relocate and support nation-building.
An influential bureaucrat close to the prime minister recently stated that the administration is dedicated to repatriating overseas Indians. Meanwhile, a different expert suggested that US work permits have historically benefited the United States, and the new fee increase could potentially benefit India in wooing international professionals.
The main argument is that the moment is right for India to orchestrate a talent repatriation and lure highly skilled workers in IT, healthcare, and diverse cutting-edge industries who departed the country over the last several years.
Anecdotal evidence show that a more restrictive immigration climate in the United States is leading several Indians to consider coming back. Yet, specialists warn that persuading hundreds of thousands to leave American hubs for Bengaluru will be challenging.
One returnee is one of the few of expatriates who, after a long stint in the United States, made a bold move and moved to Bengaluru last year.
The decision wasn't easy. He abandoned a lucrative position at a leading firm to enter the risky arena of start-ups.
"I long desired to start a personal venture, but my immigration status in the United States hindered that opportunity," he stated.
After coming back, he's founded multiple ventures, among them a initiative called Return to India that helps additional NRIs living in the America "navigate the personal, monetary, and professional difficulties of relocating to India."
He revealed that latest changes in American entry regulations have resulted in a significant surge in enquiries from professionals interested in move, and the H-1B issue could accelerate this trend.
"Numerous experts now realize that a permanent residency may never come, and requests to our service have risen – nearly increasing threefold following policy updates commenced. In just the past half-year, over 200 NRIs have contacted us to look into relocation possibilities," he commented.
Other talent scouts who focus on Indian talent from US universities support this growing trend.
"The number of Indian students from top-tier schools aiming to come back to India after their degrees has increased by thirty percent this season," an executive explained.
She continued that the volatility is also making senior Indian executives "think harder their professional paths in the US."
"Even though many are still based there, we notice a significant increase in senior and experienced experts exploring India as a credible alternative," she added.
Such growing interest could further supported by a massive expansion in Global Capability Centres – or offshore operations of international corporations in India – that have provided viable career options for professionals coming back.
These GCCs could serve as destinations for those from the tech industry if the US closes its doors, making GCCs "more appealing to professionals, notably as overseas postings diminish," based on an asset manager.
Yet driving talent return on a large level will need a coordinated and dedicated campaign by the leadership, and this is lacking, explains a ex- media adviser to a previous leader and author on professional emigration.
"Leaders will have to reach out and effectively pinpoint experts – such as elite researchers, professionals, and entrepreneurs – it wants back. That demands effort, and it should be prioritized by leadership," he emphasized.
He said that this method was used by India's first prime minister in the past to bring back brilliant individuals in fields like space and advanced research and create centers like the esteemed a top research institute.
"The returnees were motivated by a strong nationalism. Where is the motivation to come back now?" he questioned.
On the contrary, there are multiple attractive and repelling elements that have caused educated workers consistently exiting the nation, he explained, and India has celebrated this trend, rather than stopping it.
Overseas incentives comprise a growing range of countries granting golden visas and permanent status through visa options.
Actually, as the US strengthened its immigration system, countries {such as
