(MENAFN) President Donald Trump’s sudden move to raise H-1B visa fees to $100,000 has spurred policymakers in India to try to bring back skilled Indian professionals from abroad.

A senior official close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the government is actively urging Indians overseas to return and take part in building the nation. Another member of the prime minister’s economic advisory council told a media gathering that H-1B visas have historically benefited the host country, and the increased fees could work in India’s favor by boosting its appeal to global talent.

At the heart of this push is the belief that the current moment offers an opportunity to reverse the brain drain that has seen many of India’s brightest minds in tech, medicine, and other fields leave the country over the past three decades.

There are some anecdotal signs that worsening immigration conditions in the US are making a few Indians consider moving back. However, several experts noted that convincing large numbers to leave places like Bellevue for Bengaluru remains a tough challenge.

Nithin Hassan is one of the few who made that decision. After living in the US for 20 years, he returned to Bengaluru last year. He left behind a high-paying job at Meta to take a risk in the unpredictable start-up sector.

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