‘Indians built Silicon Valley. Now...’: Startup founder slams anti-India backlash in US

As diplomatic tensions escalate between the US and India, and anti-immigration sentiment rises in the West, Indian entrepreneurs are sounding the alarm over the shrinking space for Indian talent in American tech.

Tej Pandya, founder of Groweasy.ai, took to LinkedIn to voice his frustration, saying, "Indians built Silicon Valley. Now America doesn’t want them. First tariffs. Now visas. The message is loud: We don’t want you."

"For years the cycle was clear. Indians studied STEM in the US → got OPT for 4 years → transitioned to H1B or Green Card. That ladder is now pulled away," Pandya wrote.

Pandya warns of a shift in student migration patterns. "Every year lacs of Indians go abroad chasing the foreign education dream. The US always took the lion’s share. Now? Australia and Canada will happily take them. Because Indians won’t stop leaving. It’s our brain drain, their brain gain."

Pandya's post reflects growing anxiety among Indian students and professionals following recent changes in US immigration policies. The Optional Practical Training (OPT) period for STEM graduates has been effectively tightened, reducing the window to find a sponsor from 60 to just 30 days. For many, that means limited chances to transition into longer-term visas like the H-1B.

The post ends with a sharp question aimed at Indian policymakers: "Why does India keep losing its best talent while the world plays politics with us? At what point do we build opportunities big enough that students don’t need to run away?"

The context is broader than immigration bureaucracy. US-India ties have seen a visible chill, with tariff tensions and diplomatic disagreements clouding the bilateral landscape. Meanwhile, reports of growing backlash against H-1B visa holders and Indian immigrants in American social and political discourse have added to the unease.