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Recent visa fee hikes in the America, featuring a substantial increase in H-1B visa fees, have spurred Indian government officials to woo skilled expatriates to relocate and participate in nation-building.

An influential bureaucrat close to the PM mentioned that the leadership is dedicated to bringing back overseas Indians. At the same time, a different economic advisor commented that H-1B visas have historically served the host country, and the latest change could actually support India in wooing global talent.

The core argument is that conditions are favorable for India to facilitate a reverse brain drain and lure world-class experts in IT, research, and various innovative sectors who emigrated from the nation over the past 30 years.

Some evidence suggest that a increasingly hostile policy landscape in the America is leading some Indians to consider coming back. But, analysts caution that motivating large numbers to exit US locations for Indian centers will be challenging.

One returnee is one of the small group of professionals who, after a long stint in the US, decided to return and shifted to India's Silicon Valley last year.

The move proved challenging. He abandoned a high-paying role at a leading firm to enter the volatile world of new ventures.

"I long desired to start a personal venture, but my legal standing in the America restricted that possibility," he stated.

Upon his return, he has founded two businesses, one being a platform called B2I that helps fellow Indians living in the United States "manage the psychological, economic, and professional difficulties of returning home."

He noted that recent shifts in American entry regulations have led to a sharp spike in requests from people interested in move, and the work permit issue could accelerate this shift.

"A lot of workers now understand that a green card may remain elusive, and requests to B2I have risen – roughly increasing threefold since recent changes began. In only the recent period, over a couple of hundred expatriates have reached out to look into return options," he said.

Additional talent scouts who specialize in students from institutions abroad confirm this shift in attitude.

"The figure of Indian students from Ivy League universities wanting to come back to India post their studies has increased by thirty percent recently," a recruitment CEO mentioned.

She added that the uncertainty is also leading senior Indian executives "evaluate their professional paths in the US."

"Even though many are still settled there, we notice a clear increase in CXO and experienced experts evaluating India as a credible choice," she remarked.

This change in attitudes could also be aided by a massive expansion in Global Capability Centres – or remote centers of multinational companies in India – that have provided viable work opportunities for returning Indians.

The GCCs could serve as alternatives for those from the IT sector if the United States closes its doors, making GCCs "highly desirable to professionals, notably as US-based roles diminish," based on an asset manager.

However facilitating talent return at scale will require a focused and dedicated campaign by the government, and this is lacking, explains a previous advisor to a past prime minister and author on talent exodus.

"The government will have to reach out and effectively pinpoint professionals – including leading researchers, specialists, and innovators – it seeks to repatriate. That demands effort, and it should come straight from the top," he emphasized.

He said that this approach was adopted by Jawaharlal Nehru in the past to bring back leading experts in sectors like science and nuclear technology and build institutions like the premier IISc.

"Those individuals were inspired by a powerful sense of purpose. Where is the motivation to relocate now?" he wondered.

On the contrary, there are various attractive and repelling reasons that have resulted in skilled individuals repeatedly departing the homeland, he said, and India has celebrated this trend, as opposed to reversing it.

Overseas incentives involve a growing range of countries granting residency programs and long-term stays through visa options.

Actually, while the United States strengthened its work permit rules, nations {such as