India Aims to Reverse 'Brain Drain' with Eased Business Reforms
India is taking steps to lure professionals back home, with a focus on easing business reforms and reversing 'brain drain'. The country, which accounts for over 70% of H-1B visa holders, is facing disruptions due to U.S. policy shifts, including a significant increase in H-1B visa fees.
Indian tech companies are reviewing their U.S. staffing and outsourcing models in response to the higher H-1B visa fee. The Trump administration's $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas has made hiring foreign technical talent more expensive. Meanwhile, many professionals have built lives and careers abroad, making relocation a complex decision that goes beyond career considerations.
To attract these professionals back, Indian authorities and business leaders are planning various measures. These include improving visa and immigration procedures, increasing work permit flexibility, enhancing digitalization of visa processing, expanding processing capacities, and supporting employees with compliance systems and settlement assistance. Additionally, India's expansive growth in Global Capability Centres (GCCs) offers pathways for returnees to lead high-value work without relocating. Boosting R&D investment, academic pull, and institutional prestige is also key to attracting scientists and academics back to India.
Reversing 'brain drain' at scale requires sustained policy commitment and systemic changes in India's science, technology, and industrial ecosystems. Government sources indicate that senior bureaucrats are discussing direct recruitment and incentive packages for top researchers, engineers, and entrepreneurs to return to India. With these efforts, India aims to make relocation easier and more appealing for skilled expatriates, while also addressing the disruption to its migration pipeline.
