H-1B hurdles won’t hold us back as US can’t ignore India’s tech talent: AP CM
Despite Trump’s $100,000 visa fee jolt, the AP CM says Indian engineers remain indispensable worldwide as nations and companies tap India’s deep, cost-efficient skill pool
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Visakhapatnam: There cent tightening of the H-1B visa regime in the United States is only a temporary setback, and the cost advantage Indian tech professionals offer is bound to bring them around, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said.
Naidu, who is credited with having the vision of developing Hyderabad as a cyber hub two decades ago when most didn’t see the huge opportunities lying in the technology sector, said Indian tech professionals continue to be in high demand across geographies as they offer a strong mix of advanced skills and cost advantages.
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana account for the most Indian tech professionals going to the US on H1-B visas. President Donald Trump recently imposed a sweeping overhaul of the H-1B visa programme, which allows US employers to hire foreign professionals in specialised occupations, by introducing a $1 lakh supplemental fee for new visa petitions filed on or after September 21, 2025.
While Trump had argued the fee hike was to curb ‘abuse’ of the programme, he seems to have softened his stance, acknowledging that the United States needs to “bring in talent” from abroad as America simply does not have ‘certain talents’ domestically, particularly for highly technical and complex roles.
“Cost is very, very important...you (Indian techies) are providing cost-effective services. They are bound to depend on us. That is going to happen. I am very clear,” Naidu said in an interview with PTI. Any restrictions on Indians, he said, cannot stop their progress. This is a ‘temporary setback’, he said. “Some people will suffer. But we have to make use of them.”
