‘India’s Gain…’: Former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on $100,000 H-1B visa fee

Soon after the Trump administration issued an executive order imposing a $100,000 fee on all H-1B visa applications, a move that has caused significant concern within the Indian IT industry, former NITI Aayog CEO and G20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant, has stated that the new fee will ultimately serve to “choke US innovation and turbocharge India's.”

In a post on X, Kant argued that by “slamming the door on global talent,” the US is pushing a massive wave of development toward India's major tech hubs.


“America’s loss will be India’s gain,” Kant wrote, adding that the move presents an opportunity for India's best doctors, engineers, scientists, and innovators to contribute to the nation's growth and its vision of a “Viksit Bharat.”

“By slamming the door on global talent, America pushes the next wave of labs, patents, innovation and startups to Bangalore and Hyderabad, Pune and Gurgaon,” he said, as these cities are home to offices of global tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Infosys.

“India’s finest Doctors, engineers, scientists, innovators have an opportunity to contribute to India’s growth & progress towards #ViksitBharat. America’s loss will be India’s gain,” he emphasised.

What does the Trump administration’s H1-B order say

President Donald Trump signed an executive order to impose a $100,000 fee per H-1B visa petition for workers outside the US. The order, which takes effect on September 21, 2025, accuses companies of using the H-1B visa programme to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labour.

“Some employers, using practices now widely adopted by entire sectors, have abused the H-1B statute and its regulations to artificially suppress wages, resulting in a disadvantageous labor market for American citizens, while at the same time making it more difficult to attract and retain the highest skilled subset of temporary workers, with the largest impact seen in critical science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields,” the order said.

The new policy aims to direct higher prevailing wage levels for H-1B workers and prioritise those who are high-paid and highly skilled, signaling a dramatic shift in US immigration policy.