The Director of IIT-Madras, V. Kamakoti Veezhinathan, has described the recent steep hike in the U.S. H-1B visa fee—from roughly $10,000 to $100,000—as “a blessing in disguise.”
Speaking to ANI, Kamakoti said that the move could act as a wake-up call. He believes it may reduce the long-standing rush among Indian students and professionals to seek opportunities in the U.S., and instead encourage more of them to stay in India and strengthen domestic research and innovation ecosystems.
Some of his key points:
-
Over the past five years, only about 5% of IIT-Madras graduates have gone abroad for work.
-
With higher visa costs, prospective emigrants may rethink their plans, opting instead to contribute to India’s rapidly growing tech, research, and academic sectors.
-
Kamakoti also pointed out that growth in other international destinations—like the European Union, Singapore, and elsewhere—offers alternatives, and that India has the capacity to build its own strength in innovation when compelled by necessity.
