(MENAFN) Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has encouraged talented Indian professionals to return home and contribute to the nation’s advancement through design and innovation.

Goyal remarked on Saturday that some countries are “afraid” of Indian talent.

Although he did not directly mention the US, his comments are widely seen as alluding to an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump on Friday, which imposed a $100,000 annual applicant fee for H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers. Over 70% of these visas are granted to professionals from India, the world’s most populous nation.

“They want to increase trade with India,” Goyal stated. “They want to improve relations. They are also a little afraid of our talent. We have no objection to that either.”

India’s GDP expanded by 7.8% in the quarter ending June, surpassing many economists’ predictions. Goyal expressed optimism that this growth trajectory will continue until 2047, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of transforming India into a developed nation by that year.

Last week, US Trade Representative for South Asia Brendan Lynch visited New Delhi for trade discussions, the first since Trump imposed 50% tariffs on most imports from India. Goyal is scheduled to travel to Washington this week for further negotiations.

Trade discussions between the two countries had been ongoing for several months but were paused in August due to US demands for greater access to India’s agriculture and dairy sectors.

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