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Journalism of Courage
IIT Madras Director Professor V Kamakoti has shared his stance on United States President Donald Trump’s recent decision to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications. Calling it a “blessing in disguise” for India, Kamakoti highlighted how the move could serve as a catalyst for research and innovation within the country.
Speaking to ANI, Kamakoti said, “I see this as a blessing in disguise and we must thank President Trump for it. We must take full advantage of this.” He explained that the policy could help retain talented students and researchers in India, rather than losing them to opportunities abroad.
“The impact is two-fold — one, the students who go from here with an aspiration to work there might not go now, and as a director of IIT Madras, I am happy that they will continue in India,” he said.
Highlighting India’s growing research ecosystem, Kamakoti added, “I believe as a country we have great opportunities for us to do research here… This is the time when students who want to go there (to the US) can stay here and contribute. In the last 5 years, at IIT-M, we have had only 5% of our population that is not in India. The craze for going to the US is gone here.”
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Kamakoti’s statements quickly gained traction, prompting a range of reactions. “That is a positive attitude! When handed lemons make lemonade,” a user wrote. “Yes. Yes. It’s time for AMERICAN to stand in queue for VISA to INDIA,” another user commented.
“Agreed. But the environment here is very non conducive for bright minds,” a third user reacted.
The new visa policy, announced by Trump in a White House statement, significantly raises the cost barrier for US companies looking to hire foreign tech workers.
“The H-1B nonimmigrant visa program was created to bring temporary workers into the United States to perform additive, high-skilled functions, but it has been deliberately exploited to replace, rather than supplement, American workers with lower-paid, lower-skilled labor,” the statement read.
He further argued that such misuse “has undermined both our economic and national security”. Under the new rule, only those H-1B applications “accompanied or supplemented by a payment of $100,000” would be considered for approval.
