The recent announcement by former President Donald Trump to impose additional fees on H1B visas has reignited a debate over the role of Indian tech talent in the United States and the prospects for those considering a return to India.
In a thought-provoking LinkedIn post, Sandipan Roy, who spent nearly three decades as an immigrant in the US, challenged a common perception among Indian professionals. “Let me burst this arrogant ‘US tech exists because of Indians and they could replicate that in India’ delusion,” Roy wrote. Using a vivid analogy, he compared talent and ecosystem to a chicken: sold raw at a poultry farm for X, marinated and sold in a supermarket for 3X, and finally cooked as biryani for 6X.
Roy explained, “It would be a delusion to think it went from X to 6X without all the marination. Immigrants don’t make a country. They plug into the country’s ecosystem to become the best version of themselves.” He warned nervous H1B applicants against expecting the same success back in India, quipping, “You may be a lollipop.”
The post drew a strong response from the online community. One user commented, “Bang on. Don’t come back bhai log. India has no value for talent…Think you can come back and change anything because you are talented? Think again.”
Another added, “Brilliant and Honest – people are taking this personally rather than understanding the factual evolution of Science, Technology, and Economy!”
A third commenter highlighted the impact of Trump’s visa policies, noting, “Trump is hitting where he knows it will hurt. There are so many cramping factors for talent to flower in India, which is why many ultra-nationalists would pay a higher visa fee if they could afford it.” Others praised Roy’s analogy for its clarity in explaining how talent thrives only in a conducive ecosystem.
With the new H1B fees and growing resentment toward Indian techies in some quarters of the US, the discussion underscores a broader truth: talent alone is not enough. Ecosystem, opportunity, and infrastructure often determine where innovation and professional growth truly flourish.