In his characteristic bombast, the U.S. President Donald Trump seems to have found a new target to blame for America’s troubles: Indian immigrants and the Indian-American diaspora. From tightening H-1B visa policies to proposing taxation on remittances, Trump’s rhetoric suggests that he views Indians, not just illegal immigrants, but even legal contributors, as a drain on the American economy. The facts, however, tell a very different story.
Let’s start with the basics. There are over 4.5 million Indian-Americans in the United States, one of the most educated and professionally accomplished ethnic groups in the country. Over 75% of Indian-Americans have at least a bachelor’s degree, compared to about 35% of the overall U.S. population. They are highly represented in STEM fields, healthcare, finance, and technology. Indian-Americans are CEOs of global giants—Sundar Pichai (Alphabet), Satya Nadella (Microsoft), Arvind Krishna (IBM), and others—not because of political favours, but because of competence, innovation, and hard work.
In the healthcare sector, Indian-origin doctors make up approximately 8% of all practicing physicians in the U.S., despite being just over 1% of the population. They have been critical, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when frontline care was stretched thin. NASA, too, has benefited from Indian talent: from Kalpana Chawla to current aerospace engineers and scientists, Indian minds have contributed immensely to America’s space race.
Trump’s real complaint seems to be economic. He alleges that Indians in the U.S. send billions back home, draining American wealth. Yes, Indian-Americans indeed remit a significant sum—about $15-20 billion annually (and certainly not 130-140 as he or his aide claimed in the video) —to India. But to call this a loss for the U.S. is economic illiteracy. These remittances are post-tax income. Indian-Americans pay billions in federal and state taxes annually, buy homes, send their children to American schools, and drive consumption. They are not siphoning off U.S. wealth—they’re contributing to it.
Moreover, the H-1B visa program that Trump often criticizes is not a charity scheme. It is a merit-based, employer-sponsored program that fills skill shortages in the U.S. economy. Over 70% of H-1B visas go to Indians, not because of favouritism, but because India produces the largest pool of English-speaking STEM graduates. If Indian talent were so dispensable, American firms wouldn’t be queuing up to hire them.
Trump’s idea of taxing remittances to India or punishing Indian tech companies will hurt the U.S. more than India. America needs Indian talent to stay globally competitive. Blocking that pipeline could accelerate a reverse brain drain to India—a country that is increasingly self-reliant in space, defence, and digital infrastructure. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has launched world-class digital public goods (Aadhaar, UPI), made historic strides in space (Chandrayaan-3), and is pushing Make-in-India with serious ambition.
If Trump imagines that deporting skilled Indian workers or taxing their remittances will somehow “punish” India, he misunderstands both India and economics. For every engineer he drives out, India gains another mind that can contribute to ISRO, DRDO, or the next tech unicorn. And for every dollar he tries to stop, new partnerships between India and other economies will fill the vacuum.
India does not beg for America’s goodwill. It thrives on its people—whether at home or abroad. The Modi government has made it clear: India seeks global partnerships, not dependency. If Trump believes that isolating Indian talent is the path to American greatness, it is not India but the U.S. that risks decline.
In the end, Trump’s outbursts reveal less about India and more about his own political anxieties. Blaming immigrants—legal or otherwise—is a cheap applause line in populist rallies. But a serious leader would recognize the truth: Indian-Americans are not the problem. They are part of the solution—for both nations.
India welcomes back its talent if pushed out—but let no one, not even the U.S. President, delude themselves into thinking that India’s rise can be stalled by political tantrums.
