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Latest visa fee hikes in the America, such as a substantial rise of H-1B visa fees, have spurred the Indian policymakers to actively encourage qualified expatriates to come back and participate in nation-building.

A high-ranking official associated with the government pointed out that the regime is prioritizing attracting overseas Indians. Meanwhile, another expert commented that US work permits have historically benefited the United States, and the recent fee increase could actually benefit India in drawing skilled workers.

The central point is that the moment is right for India to orchestrate a talent repatriation and attract world-class workers in IT, healthcare, and various advanced industries who departed the country over the previous several years.

Some reports show that a more restrictive visa environment in the America is encouraging a few professionals to evaluate returning. However, analysts warn that persuading many individuals to leave US locations for home soil will be challenging.

One returnee is part of the handful of expatriates who, after two decades in the America, made a bold move and shifted to Bengaluru last year.

The decision involved risk. He left a lucrative position at a leading firm to enter the volatile arena of entrepreneurship.

"I've always desired to establish something of my own, but my legal standing in the America hindered that freedom," he mentioned.

Upon coming back, he has launched two businesses, one being a service named Back to India that helps other Indians living in the America "handle the emotional, financial, and professional difficulties of returning home."

He added that latest changes in United States entry regulations have resulted in a significant surge in enquiries from professionals considering relocate, and the visa fracas could hasten this trend.

"A lot of workers now understand that a US citizenship may not materialize, and requests to the platform have increased – nearly increasing threefold since recent changes commenced. In only the recent period, more than 200 NRIs have reached out to explore return options," he stated.

Additional headhunters who focus on students from institutions abroad corroborate this shift in attitude.

"The figure of graduates from Ivy League universities aiming to return to India post their degrees has risen by a significant percentage recently," a recruitment CEO explained.

She noted that the instability is also causing experienced professionals "think harder their future prospects in the America."

"Although many are still anchored there, we notice a clear uptick in senior and experienced experts evaluating India as a credible alternative," she added.

This change in attitudes could strengthened by a massive growth in GCCs – also known as offshore operations of global firms in India – that have opened up attractive work opportunities for expatriates.

Such GCCs could serve as destinations for those from the IT sector in case the US restricts entry, making GCCs "more appealing to talent, notably as US-based roles decline," based on an investment company.

But driving repatriation significantly will need a focused and dedicated initiative by the administration, and this is lacking, notes a previous media adviser to a former PM and author on India's brain drain.

"The government will have to reach out and truly identify professionals – including leading researchers, professionals, and entrepreneurs – it aims to attract. That needs work, and it must receive high-level support," he stated.

He noted that this approach was used by Jawaharlal Nehru in the past to recruit leading experts in areas like science and atomic energy and establish centers like the esteemed IISc.

"Those individuals were driven by a strong nationalism. Is there the reason to relocate now?" he wondered.

Instead, there are various pull and push reasons that have led to highly qualified professionals continuously departing the nation, he noted, and India has applauded this trend, rather than reversing it.

The pull factors comprise a increasing number of nations providing golden visas and citizenship or residency through visa options.

Indeed, even as the America restricted its work permit rules, nations {such as