Bay Area IIT Startups Foundation urges Big Tech to lobby for H-1B visa rethink

When geopolitics meets technology, policy tremors are often first felt in the talent market. The Trump administration’s USD 100,000 H-1B visa fee has reignited debate across the global technology ecosystem, sparking concern over its impact on talent mobility, innovation, and the future of cross-border collaboration. The issue has now found strong resonance within the Indian diaspora in the United States.

At the IIT Bay Area Leadership Conference held on 27 September 2025, India’s Consul General in San Francisco, Dr Srikar Reddy, highlighted the growing geopolitical friction in India–US relations — from the 50% tariff hike to tightening visa norms. While the Ministry of External Affairs continues discussions with Washington on trade, he urged the IIT community to explore how IITians can help with the H-1B visa issue through their influence in global technology circles.

Engaging Big Tech

Taking that cue, Monishi Sanyal, Founder and Chief Evangelist of the Bay Area IIT Startups Foundation, called on IITians across Silicon Valley to reach out to senior management in major technology firms. His message was clear: restrictive visa policies could end up hurting the US more than helping it. “If America wants to retain its technological supremacy, it must continue to hire the best talent globally, not limit itself within its borders,” he said.

A legacy of contribution

Sanyal reminded the audience that many of today’s most influential Indian-origin entrepreneurs and CEOs — who helped establish America’s leadership in the digital economy — began their journeys as H-1B professionals or students. Their presence has not only fuelled innovation but also created tens of thousands of jobs for Americans.

The cost of protectionism

Raising the visa fee to USD 100,000, Sanyal cautioned, would only push more work offshore. “Don’t kill the goose that lays the golden egg,” he warned, underscoring that cutting global talent access could erode the very competitiveness the US seeks to defend.

As Washington debates its path to technological dominance, voices from the Bay Area to Bengaluru remind policymakers that innovation thrives on collaboration, not isolation — and the H-1B story is, at its core, about keeping those bridges open.