‘Diaspora talent is an accelerator’: Can India ease brain drain as more tech workers return from US?
More tech workers are returning to India from the United States, driven in part by immigration uncertainty and new opportunities at home. But industry experts tell CNA that gaps in pay, research funding and cutting-edge work compared to the US could make retaining them a challenge.
BENGALURU: In 2024, around 24% more Indian tech professionals returned to India from the United States, according to recruitment firm Xpheno. This trend has continued into 2025 and 2026, with the number of returnees increasing by 5% and 17%, respectively. While India still sees more white-collar professionals leave for other countries than return, the gap has narrowed. The United States is the primary source of returning Indian professionals, accounting for 72% of returnees tracked by Xpheno in 2026.
Experts suggest that rising concern over immigration uncertainty in the United States, combined with limited opportunities and higher living costs, are driving more Indians to consider returning home. Immigration restrictions and the US$100,000 fee for certain H-1B visa applications, introduced in 2025, have added to the uncertainty.
Additionally, the US State Department's decision to increase the waiting period for employment-based green cards in May 2026 has further increased the challenge for skilled Indian workers seeking to return.
India is striving to attract experienced talent to build its artificial intelligence and semiconductor sectors, yet retaining such workers poses significant challenges. "India cannot currently compete with the US on compute, research funding or dollar-denominated compensation. So we have to compete on something different - impact and opportunity," said Amit Sheth, the founding director of the Indian AI Research Organization.
Attracting and retaining high-caliber AI and deep-tech talent remains a challenge due to gaps in pay, research funding, and cutting-edge work compared to the US.
Written by urgent.news from Channel News Asia's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
