Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is in Washington this week for a new round of trade talks
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has urged skilled Indian workers to return to the country and contribute to its growth through design and innovation.
Goyal said on Saturday that certain countries are “afraid” of Indian talent.
While he did not name the US, the remarks have been interpreted as a reference to an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump on Friday which introduced a $100,000 annual applicant fee for H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers. Over 70% of these visas are issued to professionals from the world’s most populous country.
“They want to increase trade with India,” Goyal said. “They want to improve relations. They are also a little afraid of our talent. We have no objection to that either.”
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In a veiled swipe at the US' policy change, India's Trade & Commerce Minister urged local talent to innovate in India and contribute to the indigenous growth story.
The think tank Global Trade Research Initiative said the high application fee will hurt the US more than India. These sentiments were echoed by Indian businessmen.
“New applications will come down,” former Infosys CFO T.V. Mohandas Pai told the Financial Express. “Nobody’s going to pay $100,000.” Pai suggested that more work will be outsourced to India.
India’s GDP grew by 7.8% in the quarter ending June, exceeding many economists’ expectations. Goyal expressed confidence that this trend will continue until 2047, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making India a developed country by that time.
Last week, US Trade Representative for South Asia Brendan Lynch was in New Delhi for trade talks, the first since Trump’s 50% tariffs on most imports from India took effect.
Goyal will be in Washington this week for further negotiations.
Trade talks between both nations went on for several months before they were suspended in August over US demands to open India’s agriculture and dairy sectors.
On Sunday, Goyal described agriculture as the “soul of Indian civilization,” adding: “Our farmers’ welfare will be primary to our trade negotiations... we will never compromise with the interests of our farmers.”
