HYDERABAD: Asking why the Centre was maintaining silence over the increase in H-1B visa fees by the United States, IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu said Telangana would be among the states worst affected by the move.
“Why is the Union government silent? Why has it not opened talks with the US through diplomatic channels? The highest number of H-1B visa holders are from India. The Centre has failed to initiate dialogue and exert pressure on the US to resolve the problem,” he said.
Sridhar Babu demanded that the prime minister and the external affairs minister take up the matter directly with US President Donald Trump.
Speaking to reporters at the Secretariat on Saturday, he said the Centre should also make alternative arrangements for Indian IT employees. “Companies like HCL, TCS, Infosys and Wipro depend on H-1B visas. If the visa fee is suddenly increased to 100,000 US dollars, hiring will fall. For instance, in the US there are 1,50,000 Indians working in Infosys, 1,20,000 in TCS, 60,000 in Wipro, 57,000 in HCL and 20,000 in Mahindra on H-1B visas. These firms will reconsider renewals because of the huge burden, which could lead to unemployment,” he said.
Union govt’s silence on H-1B inexplicable: Sridhar
Sridhar Babu added that Elon Musk, Sundar Pichai and others had opposed the hike, saying it was against merit-based hiring. The decision, he said, would also affect agricultural development, pose risks for Indian students in the US and force small businesses set up by Indians there to shut down and return home.
Sridhar said 72–73% of H-1B visa holders are Indians and the fee hike would disproportionately affect them. “In 2024–25, India received 135.46 billion US dollars in remittances, of which 27.7% came from the US. With this fee increase, inflows will fall, directly affecting our foreign exchange reserves. Yet the Union government has neither intervened nor sought exemptions for those already holding H-1B visas,” he said.
On Telangana’s specific situation, he said the state accounts for 8.1% of India’s total remittances, ranking fourth in the country. “This means our state will be among the worst affected by this policy shift. The state government will be writing to the Centre, demanding urgent action on behalf of our people.”
He added that many families in Telangana depend on remittances and in every mandal a large number rely on money sent from abroad. “If remittances fall, it will impact the economy. Real estate, education and gold purchases will be affected,” he said.
Asked whether the state government would welcome investments if Indian-owned companies shut shop in the US and return, the Minister replied: “We welcome such companies here. We are ready to support any investors who come forward to set up in Telangana. In this adverse situation, we have to create opportunities, but we must also think about Indians still in the US.”