The willingness of America to accept talented immigrants has contributed to its greatness.
If Nandan Nilekani, the billionaire co-founder of Infosys Technologies, had the opportunity, this is what he would tell President Trump. He believes that in order to keep the U.S. globally competitive, it should remain open to overseas talent, as he stated at CNN’s Asia Business Forum in Bangalore. Infosys, India’s second-largest outsourcing firm and a major recipient of U.S. H-1B visas, employs a large number of Indians in American jobs.
The Trump administration is currently considering significant changes to the visa program, including the H-1B program, as part of its broader immigration reform push. Any restrictions on these visas could have a big impact on Indian workers, as India is the primary source of high-skilled labor for the U.S. tech industry. Reports of a possible work visa crackdown caused a significant drop in the stock prices of several Indian tech companies, including Infosys. Nilekani believes it would be a mistake for the administration to follow through with these changes. He thinks that Indian companies have played a crucial role in helping U.S. companies become more competitive, and that this partnership should continue. He also pointed out the significant contributions that India, especially at the top levels, has made to the tech industry, with the current CEOs of Google and Microsoft both being born in India.
However, Nilekani suggests that India could ultimately benefit from any new restrictions imposed by Trump’s “America First” plan. If talented engineers are unable to go to the U.S., they will stay in India. Nilekani believes this could accelerate development work in India, as more people would invest in doing the work there. He cites his own projects for the Indian government, such as the Aadhaar biometric ID program, as examples of India’s ability to solve its own problems with the talent and experience of its people.
Nilekani also mentions that India’s large young population is increasingly choosing to stay in India and contribute to its development. He believes that it is now a case of “India first”.
CNNMoney (Bangalore, India) First published February 13, 2017: 2:19 PM ET
