Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee, announced without warning, triggered panic and exposed the fragility of Indian IT’s dependence on foreign work permits
The policy signals a clear shift. Trump’s coalition now favors hardline immigration controls over the interests of Big Tech and global talent
With Indians holding 70% of H-1B visas, the financial and operational impact falls hardest on India’s outsourcing and staffing firms
Outsourcing based on wage gaps is no longer viable. With narrowing global pay scales and rising automation, cost arbitrage is losing its edge
Indian IT firms must reassess strategies built on low-cost labor and visas, and shift toward value-added services, innovation, and talent development
Disruption is inevitable. But it also opens the door for reinvention—through AI adoption, upskilling, and a pivot to sustainable, future-facing models