US Tech Talent Drain? H-1B Uncertainty Pushes Skilled Workers Back To India

What was once a one-way pipeline drawing ambitious Indian engineers to Silicon Valley is now showing signs of reversal, with uncertainty around the H-1B visa program pushing professionals to look elsewhere, often back home, Bloomberg reported.

Written by FE News Desk

The US is increasingly losing highly skilled tech talent to India as tighter immigration policies under President Donald Trump reshape global talent flows.

What was once a one-way pipeline drawing ambitious Indian engineers to Silicon Valley is now showing signs of reversal, with uncertainty around the H-1B visa program pushing professionals to look elsewhere, often back home, Bloomberg reported.

Former CEO of Snapdeal Kunal Bahl shared his experience with Bloomberg. His American career ended abruptly in 2007, when his H-1B visa was denied.

At 23 he packed his bags and returned to his home country. “My heart sank when I got word,” he said. “Such decisions are one-sided and irreversible,” he added.

Bahl later co-founded Snapdeal, one of India’s earliest e-commerce successes, and today backs startups through his venture fund Titan Capital.

Following Trump’s latest H-1B announcements, Bahl has seen a surge of interest from founders and professionals seeking alternatives to the US. He said visa uncertainty is already driving a steady flow of talent toward India, a trend he expects to accelerate.

Many Indian-origin CEOs relied on H-1B

Indian engineers have long dominated the H-1B system, accounting for nearly three-quarters of annual visas. Many of today’s most powerful tech leaders, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, once relied on the program.

But recent policy shifts, including a steep hike in visa application fees, tougher eligibility rules, and heightened scrutiny, have made US careers far less predictable, particularly for early-career workers and start-up founders.

There are already signs of a shift. LinkedIn data showed a 40% increase in tech professionals relocating to India in late 2025. Global companies that once hired Indian engineers in the US are now expanding operations directly in India, particularly for AI roles.

H-1B uncertainty bringing talent back to India?

To bypass the US immigration system, some global corporations that once relied on visas to hire Indian engineers in the US are hiring them in India instead. Vikram Ahuja, co-founder of ANSR Inc. in Dallas, specialises in helping global corporations set up in-house tech centres in India.

He told Bloomberg he’s seen a 35% surge in applications from H-1B holders living in the US since the announced changes to the program. His company has established 38 such centres in India in the past 12 months.

Tony Klor, a 32-year-old Arizona State University graduate, also moved to Bengaluru last year to start ‘Badchain’, an AI-driven product discovery startup that’s raised $1 million in pre-seed funding.

“There’s a depth of developer talent and an openness to innovation here,” Klor said. “India is a sleeping giant. The word is getting out,” he added.

(Courtesy: https://www.financialexpress.com/)