'People will stop thinking US hi sab kuch hai': Bengaluru techie says $100K H-1B visa fee is positive news for India

Amid the chaos and confusion over Donald Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa fee, a Bengaluru-based techie has said that this is, in fact, a positive development for India. The techie, identified as Anurag Srivastava, said in a LinkedIn post that the mess over H-1B visas will prompt many Indians to stop thinking that going to the US is the gold standard for career progression. 

"Honestly, I'm not sad about this H-1B mess... I'm kinda happy. Because now people will stop thinking 'US hi sab kuch hai' — opportunities are everywhere (sic)," he wrote in his post. He further said that more talent will build their careers in the Indian tech ecosystem, which is booming at present. 

Srivastava also mentioned that the Indian companies would be forced to improve overall work culture and better pay scales to attract the best talent, as "onsite lure" would not work anymore and retaining talent would be the priority. 

"And freshers won't waste years dreaming of a lottery... they'll focus on real growth instead. Maybe this isn't the end of a dream. Maybe it's the start of a new one (sic)."

The techie's post left users divided, with some agreeing with the original post and others questioning how would India retain its talent. "I totally agre with you on this point that this step will be benefiting India now with more skilled workforce in India itself," a user wrote. 

A second user wrote: "Anurag, yes its a changeover. The current shift might indeed encourage us to appreciate local talent and foster a thriving tech ecosystem in India. Emphasising growth over the notion of 'going abroad' can redefine success for many, providing a much-needed focus on sustainable careers."

"How exactly better pay scale, it will be kinda opp. Companies will get more talents in india, means dependencies will reduce. Companies will pay lower as more talented resources are available. Moreover, mostly people go abroad to study and settle. Now they will move to Europe, arab and other asian countries. I also don't understand why people say that india will benefit from this. People will work for foreign companies or indian industry business man. They will be earning, they won't contribute to the economy. So how exactly is it good for india. It's actually a loss for the US, india is not gaining anything," another user commented. 

A fourth user said: "Jensen reached USA in 1973 at an age of 9 and look boy ! He created Nvidia ! #POTUS #H1B #Visa order will drive out many Jensen in making and stop many Jensen from coming to USA and hence while some Tom may benefit today, tmrw we all will be losers!"