‘Work Can Happen From Anywhere, Why Move To US’, Says Sanjeev Sanyal Amid H-1B Concerns | Economy News

Sanjeev Sanyal speaks at Network18 Reforms Reloaded event.

Sanjeev Sanyal, member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, on Monday played down concerns over the recent hike in H-1B visa fees by the US, arguing that such visas benefit America more than India, and India should not negotiate for long-term visas with any country.

Speaking at Network18’s Reforms Reloaded summit, Sanyal said that visas like the H-1B are largely used by US tech giants rather than Indian firms.

“Even today H-1B is primarily used by Amazon, Google and so on and not Indian companies. Anyway, if they are IT companies, why do they need (people) to move to the US? You are in an industry in which work can happen from anywhere. Why do you need to move there?” he asked.

Sanyal stressed that India should avoid seeking long-term visas in trade negotiations.

“Indian negotiators with any country should not actually negotiate for long-term visas … why are we giving that up as a negotiating point. This is something they should ask us for,” he said.

He maintained that such visa regimes serve the host country more than the source nation, calling it a “long-held public view”. Instead, he urged policymakers to focus on domestic process reforms, which, he noted, would also benefit returning non-resident Indians.

His comments come days after US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation imposing a hefty $100,000 application fee on new H-1B visas, sparking confusion and panic among companies and visa holders. The US government has since clarified that the hike will apply only to new applicants and not to renewals or existing visa holders.

Though Indian tech companies’ dependence on H-1B visas has fallen in the past few years, the firms still account for nearly 13% of all such visas issued by the US. According to the latest data available on the website of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Indian tech companies secured 13,870 or nearly 13 per cent of all H-1B visas issued in FY25 till June 30, 2025.

According to the data, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Infosys emerged as the top recipients of H-1B visas.

Data from the US Immigration Department showed that of the total 1,06,922 H-1B visas issued to various employers in FY25 till June 30, 2025, about 13,870 (or 13% of the total) went to companies of Indian origin. TCS led the way with 5,505 beneficiaries, followed by Infosys with 2,004, LTIMindtree with 1,807, and HCL America with 1,728.